Skip to main content

What I've Been Reading This Week: N.F.L. Cheerleader Wage & Hour Lawsuit Edition


Every so often, I come across a few good articles on a particular topic during the week that warrant a "What I've Been Reading This Week" post dedicated solely to that topic.  Given the recent announcement of a settlement of the first Oakland Raiders cheerleader lawsuit for $1.25 million (plus a few other provisions), I thought this would be a good time to note some articles on the wage and hour fights of these current and former N.F.L. cheerleaders.  As always, below are a few articles that caught my eye this week.


An Inside Look at the Wage & Hour Fight of the N.F.L. Cheerleaders

Bloomberg Businessweek has a very good article that takes an inside look at the wage and hour lawsuits brought by several N.F.L. cheerleaders.  The article has a very intriguing take at the impact these lawsuits have had, not just on the other cheerleaders who are now out of work (for instance, this is the first time in nearly 5 decades that the Buffalo Bills will not have cheerleaders on the sidelines) but also on the overall value that the cheerleaders bring to the teams and the league.


What Value do N.F.L. Cheerleaders Add?

Howard Bloom's article takes a close look at the actual value that the N.F.L. cheerleaders bring to the team and the league and compares it to the minimal salaries the cheerleaders actually make.  The article notes how instrumental cheerleaders have become in the league, such as the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, and points out how earlier this year, the Atlanta Falcons offered an incentive to allow season ticket holders to order a seat-side visit by a Falcons cheerleader.  Sounds to me like the cheerleaders certainly bring value to the league...the question then becomes, just how valuable are they and what compensation are they entitled?


Cheerleaders v. the N.F.L. - A Comparison of Lawsuits

I really enjoyed this article from the Wall Street Journal if for no other reason then it had a good chart that breaks down the pay rate (or lack thereof) of each cheerleader that has brought a wage and hour claim this year.  Interestingly enough, the article highlights two teams that are paying its cheerleaders a lawful wage, the Seattle Seahawks and Dallas Cowboy, and contrasts their pay rates with the teams that have been sued by current and former cheerleaders.  Like the above article from Bloomberg Businessweek, this article primarily focuses on the Buffalo Bills lawsuit as that one has garnered a lot of attention since the team decided to disband the cheerleading squad for this season.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

NLRB: Discussion Among Employees About Tip Pooling is Protected Concerted Activity

  This Advice Memorandum from the National Labor Relations Board’s Associate General Counsel, Jayme Sophir, addressed whether employees which discussed and complained about tip pooling at work constituted protected concerted activity. In relevant part, an employer in New York operated a chain of steakhouses.  While tip pooling was in place at these steakhouses, some of the employees objected to it on the grounds that it was not transparent and improperly divided tips among the workers.  Employees were told not to complain or talk to each other about the tip pool and were told that doing so would endanger their jobs.  Despite the employer later attempting to provide some clarity as to how the tips were being divided, rancor still existed among some employees.  At one point, the employees were told by a general manager that some employees that had been talking about the tip pool were “cleared out” and the employer would continue to do so. In the Advice Memorandum,...

San Diego Rolls Back Vaccine Mandate For City Workers

Last Tuesday, the San Diego City Council voted to do away with the vaccine mandate for city employees. The city’s vaccine mandate that was in place required city workers to get the coronavirus vaccine or risk termination.  Perhaps to this surprise of no one, the city’s policy came under fire with 14 employees being terminated and over 100 other employees resigning.  With the coronavirus subsiding, including in Southern California, the San Diego City Council took action. Now, bear in mind, the repeal of the vaccine mandate does not take place immediately. With that being said, the mandate will be repealed March 8th.  I suppose the question now is, what other cities or regions follow San Diego’s lead? For additional information:   https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/politics/story/2023-01-24/san-diego-repeals-controversial-covid-19-vaccine-mandate-citing-drop-in-cases-hospitalizations

NLRB: Former Employee Cannot Be Barred From Work Premises After Filing Wage Suit

MEI-GSR Holdings, LLC - NLRB Facts :  MEI-GSR Holdings, LLC d/b/a Grand Sierra Resort & Casino ("GSR") operated a facility that included a hotel, casino, restaurant, clubs, bars, and a pool which were all open to the general public.  Tiffany Sargent ("Sargent") was briefly employed by GSR as a "beverage supervisor" in December of 2012.  After her employment ended, Sargent continued to socialize at one of the clubs.  GSR had a long standing practice of allowing former employees to patronize its facility and did not prohibit Sargent from doing so.  In June of 2013, Sargent and another employee filed a class and collective action against GSR for alleged unpaid wages, in violation of the Fair Labor Standards Act and Nevada law.  In July of 2014, GSR denied Sargent access to an event at one of the clubs.  GSR followed up with a letter and stated that with the on-going litigation (from the wage suit), it decided to bar Sargent from the premises. ...