Dallas Cowboys Settle Cheerleader Lawsuit, Agree to Pay Increase for the Squad

Being America's Sweethearts isn't the best paying job and one former cheerleader sued America's team.

Erica Wilkins is a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader and during a recent lawsuit, she claims she made less than minimum wage for her work. The Dallas Cowboys are currently worth over five billion dollars, so they have the money to pay the squad a decent wage. Most of these women make their money at appearances and the perks they get from being a cheerleader.

Being on the actual squad, you really don't make any money. Eight dollars an hour and 200 dollars on game day. Erica was not asking to be making the same as the football players on the field. She was arguing that the minimum wage should be observed and the squad should make as much as the mascot. Rowdy makes around $60,000 for the year according to Erica's lawsuit.

Erica said during her worst year she made five thousand dollars and her best year she made sixteen thousand dollars. Erica claimed for an appearance that took sixteen hours of work, she made a flat rate of 100 dollars. Taxes were taken out of that talent fee and she made around 88 dollars. Erica says it's very difficult to maintain a career and be a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. You must maintain strict schedules for practices, games, and events. Making it difficult to have another job.

Since Wilkins’ dispute, she said the Cowboys have increased cheerleader pay from $8 an hour to $12 and their game-day pay doubled from $200 to $400. Erica said, “It's scary to speak out about this, especially by myself. But how else is a change gonna be made if we all just stay quiet?”