Another group of NFL cheerleaders made headway in their fight for fair wages on Friday. A group of Tampa Bay Buccaneers cheerleaders ended a lawsuit they filed against the team last May after agreeing to an $825,000 settlement, according to MSN.
The Bucs cheerleaders followed in the footsteps of a group from the Oakland Raiders, who settled a lawsuit of their own over fair wages for $1.25 million last year.
Former Bucs cheerleader Manouchcar Pierre-Val filed the lawsuit against the Bucs in May, alleging she was paid less than $2 an hour while with the team for two seasons, the Huffington Post reports. Pierre-Val, who maintained her full-time job as a registered nurse during her stint with the team in 2012 and 2013, said she was paid only for games and either nothing or very limited amounts for other team events. The full lawsuit is embedded via Scribd below.
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Pierre-Val will be splitting her winnings, minus a $264,000 lawyer fee, with more than 90 other cheerleaders, according to TMZ, which reported each woman stands to receive roughly $6,000.
Cheerleaders from other NFL teams, including the Buffalo Bills and the New York Jets, have also filed lawsuits demanding fair wages. The Bills cheerleaders’ lawsuit also alleges unfair treatment. Per The Post’s Cindy Boren:
The Bills cheerleaders, known as the Jills, allege that they were inadequately compensated and were subjected to demeaning treatment that included “jiggle tests.” The lawsuit, filed against Stejon Productions Corp., which manages the Jills; Citadel Communications, the Jills’ former manager; and the Bills in State Supreme Court in Buffalo, alleges that the women were not paid the minimum wage and were mistreated at, among other times, their annual golf tournament. They claim they were required to wear bikinis and enter a dunk tank, as well as being auctioned off like prizes.
The Bills temporarily “disbanded the Jills,” the New York Times writer Michael Powell reported, adding:
“A team spokesman emailed me that the Bills appreciated this ‘ancillary service’ provided by ‘third-party vendors.’ Its statement complained of ‘allegations’ that ‘attempt to give the impression that our organization employs cheerleaders.’ ”
The Jills’ lawsuit is still pending.
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