Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders unionize, will collectively bargain with team

Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders unionize, will collectively bargain with team. Chris Bumbaca USA TODAY.

Key points

• The cheerleaders have lately been featured on a Netflix docuseries "America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders" (and have appeared on numerous other programs over the years).
• "The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are an esteemed part of the Cowboys organization, deeply respected for the talent and dedication they exhibit, " the announcement read.
• Adam Kaufman breaks down his top three best bets for NFL Week 7, sharing his favorite picks and predictions ahead of this weekend's matchups.
• The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and the team jointly confirmed Friday, Oct.
• The most famous cheerleading crew in the country is celebrating a win – but it's not a Dallas Cowboys victory.

For context, the most famous cheerleading crew in the country is celebrating a win – but it's not a Dallas Cowboys victory.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and the team jointly confirmed Friday, Oct. 23 the creation of a labor union representing the cheerleaders that will collectively bargain with the team, the most valuable professional sports franchise in the world. The Cowboys are recognizing the union and the new, independent group is called the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association (DCCA).

"The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are an esteemed part of the Cowboys organization, deeply respected for the talent and dedication they exhibit, " the announcement read. "They remain one of the most sought-after opportunities for talented dancers worldwide."

Notably, the cheerleaders have lately been featured on a Netflix docuseries "America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders" (and have appeared on numerous other programs over the years). Season 2 chronicled the dancers' quest for improved salaries, with The Dallas Morning News reporting that the cheerleaders remarked they were due a 400% raise for the 2025 season. In 2024, The New York Times documented that a fifth-year cheerleader produced $15 per hour and $500 for each appearance.

For context, the Cowboys had no further comment when contacted by USA TODAY Sports.

This is not the NFL's first cheerleading union, nevertheless. In 1995, the Buffalo Bills' group – the "Jills, " which disbanded in 2014 against the backdrop of claims of mistreatment and underpay – won a ruling with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to become the first union representing cheerleading squads. Share your feedback to support improve our site!

Taken together, the developments around dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders unionize, will collectively bargain with team point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.