New York — The day before the official start of football season, New York Assemblywoman Nily Rozic (D,WF-Fresh Meadows), State Senator Diane Savino (D,WF,I-Staten Island) and California Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez (D-San Diego), have a message for NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell: pay your cheerleaders!

In an open letter to the NFL, lawmakers are calling on the Commissioner to put to rest the ongoing and sexist labor abuses against professional cheerleaders (see attached).

Co-signed by state lawmakers from Ohio, New Jersey, Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York, California, and Maryland, the letter details the rampant misclassification of cheerleaders as independent contractors instead of employees.

To date, cheerleaders have filed lawsuits against five teams: the Buffalo Bills, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Cincinnati Bengals. The respective suits allege a variety of claims including but not limited to sub-minimum pay, failure to reimburse for mandatory expenses, fraudulent misclassification, and penalties for minor infractions with unlawful deductions from earnings.

“The hard working women of the NFL want to be cheering on the teams they love, not screaming for fair wages. But in the two years since we filed the first wage theft lawsuit, the NFL has yet to address the league on this issue. It’s time for Roger Goodell to step up and show leadership by recognizing the value professional cheerleaders create, and paying them like the real employees they are,” said Lacy T., former Oakland Raiderette.

“I have been a Bills fan my entire life. To be on the field as an NFL cheerleader was a dream come true, but it required hours and hours of practice, appearances and preparation that we were not paid for,” said former Buffalo Jill, Maria P.

“Five lawsuits make clear that this issue is widespread and in need of regulation. Professional cheerleaders contribute to the league’s success just as much as the players, coaching staff, and stadium workers. Failure to provide fair wages and the most basic workplace protections is not only illegal, but unacceptable in an industry where teams average billions in net worth,” said Assemblywoman Rozic, who chairs the Subcommittee on Emerging Workforce.

“What people forget is that NFL Cheerleaders, like many employees in football, work throughout the year and on game days to make football Sundays the thrilling and profitable experience that the NFL promotes,” said Alyssa U. a former Buffalo Jill and one of six Jills plaintiffs.

“The fact that the NFL, which is a multi-billion dollar industry, is not paying fair wages to their cheerleaders is absurd and disgraceful. These women, just like the players, staff and management show up to do a job year round and should be paid as such. With most of its fan base being primarily male, this would be the perfect opportunity for the National Football League to show not only the cheerleaders but their female fans, that they stand in support of the fight for not only fair wages but equal rights,” said Senator Savino.

“All across the country, we’re making important strides to ensure that women will no longer be shortchanged in the workplace, and it’s time for the NFL to catch up,” said Assemblywoman Gonzalez, a former high school and college cheerleader. “The NFL has the opportunity and obligation to send a clear message to its teams, employees, and fans that mistreatment and discrimination will no longer be tolerated by the league,” said Assemblywoman Gonzalez.

“The value professional cheerleaders bring to sports teams economically and socially far outweigh their compensation. Professional sports organizations like the NFL and NBA consider it appropriate to compensate us at minimum wage, or less, for what is extremely athletic and aerobic entertainment. This situation is a continued example of how these organizations treat woman as second class citizens,” said Lisa Murray, a former cheerleader for the Golden State Warriors.

Background

In June, Rozic and Savino introduced legislation to codify into law that cheerleaders are employees, not independent contractors, and entitled to all the protections thereof. Their bill mirrors Gonzalez’s legislation, which was signed into law in July.