The Oakland Raiders are being sued by current and former Raiderettes claiming that the NFL team engaged in unfair employment practices.
A suit filed in Alameda County Court alleges that the Raiders withhold all pay from the Raiderettes until after the season is over and does not pay for all hours that are worked. Cheerleaders are also alleging that they pay for many of their own business expenses.
Below is a quote from the lead plantiff Lacy T which appeared in the San Jose Mercury News:
“The club controls our hairstyle and makeup, and we have to foot the bill,” said the lead plaintiff, Lacy T., identified only by her first name, in accordance with Raiderettes policy, for security reasons. “We also have to pay the costs for traveling to all kinds of events, including photo shoots… I love the Raiders and I love being a Raiderette, but someone has to stand up for all of the women of the NFL who work so hard for the fans and the teams.”
According to an attorney of the cheerleaders the team contracts the Raiderettes for an annual salary of $1,250 which breaks down to less than $5 per hour. The Raiderettes are fined for wearing the wrong workout clothes at rehearsals and bringing the wrong pom-poms to practice.
