Raiderettes in 2011. Ezra Shaw / Getty Images
Cheerleaders for California-based sports teams are entitled to minimum wage, sick leave, and other legal protections that full employees receive, under a bill signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown Wednesday afternoon. The law will take effect January 1, 2016.
The issue of professional cheerleaders’ working conditions became a well-known issue last year when a Raiders cheerleader, Lacy T., filed a lawsuit against the team, claiming the cheerleaders were not paid for all the hours they were required to work. Additionally, the lawsuit claimed that Raiderettes were not reimbursed for “business expenses,” were “paid a flat fee of $125 [per home game], regardless of the hours worked,” and were required to make unpaid charity appearances.