It seems strange to say cheerleaders could get employee status but given the history.. “We’ve all heard the stories of the N-F-L’s problem with women” said California Assembly member Lorena Gonzalez, a former cheerleader.
photo credit: ultimatecheerleaders.com
Gonzalez is leading the effort to get pro cheerleaders fair compensation and treatment under state employment laws “Including at least a minimum wage for required practice time, performance and any other ambassador or modeling duties including wait time for those duties”, Gonzalez says the N-F-L has always treated its cheerleaders as merely glorified volunteers — paying them, depending upon the team anywhere from $45-to-$90 a game — with no compensation for the hundreds of hours of practice time.
And if a cheerleader would complain — they’d be told — a million other girls would be happy to take their place. “And be told that its enough to have the opportunity to come out and cheer”, Gonzalez said Wednesday during a press conference at the State Capitol. A fact former Oakland Raiders cheerleader Caitlin Yates knows well “It is a very difficult position to get and there are a million girls that would kill to be there but I worked hard to be there. And I trained from when I was 3-years-old in ballet until I made the team and it was a very difficult experience to make the team. And there are lots of other positions out there that you have to train hard to get but they get paid well for it and we don’t”.
And while a cheerleader bill seems at first glance a little well, silly, think about the fact that, they also in many cases, have to pay for their own uniforms so these prestigious high-profile jobs could cost the cheerleaders more than they make.
And think about this says Gonzalez, — “These gridiron beauties make millions for the teams from posters to ticket sales. AB 202 simply demands that any professional sports team or their chosen contractor treat the women on the field with the same respect we treat the man selling you the beer”. Several teams including the Raiders, Buccaneers, Bills, Jets and Bengals are facing lawsuits from cheerleaders. This bill in California could help them win.
Jim Roope – WestwoodOne News
