The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have formed their own union after advocating for higher wages.
“The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are an esteemed part of the Cowboys organization, deeply respected for the talent and dedication they exhibit,” read a press release shared with Us on Friday, October 23. “They remain one of the most sought-after opportunities for talented dancers worldwide.
Per the statement, the DCC’s newly formed Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association (DCCA) had a “meaningful discussion” with the NFL organization to publicly acknowledge the union’s existence. (The DCCA is the independent labor union of the cheer squad.)
“The Cowboys organization has agreed to recognize the DCCA as the collective bargaining representative for the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders,” the statement continued.
Despite the DCC’s illustrious history in the NFL, many newer cheerleaders have petitioned the organization for liveable wages.
“I would say I’m making, like, a substitute teacher [salary],” alum Kat Puryear said during the first season of Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. “I would say I’m making, like, [the same as a] Chick-fil-A worker [who] works full time.”
As a result of their meager earnings, many dancers have needed to subsidize their income with other part-time or full-time jobs. Veterans Jada McLean, Megan McElaney and Amanda Howard eventually negotiated a 400 percent pay increase for the DCC team at the end of the 2025 football season.
“We were pretty serious, as leaders, this was something that we really wanted to see a change happen,” McLean, 26, exclusively told Us in June 2025. “It’s a very great change and I think the girls are gonna benefit a lot from it moving forward. … It’s gonna take a lot of the financial stresses out of their lives, which is something that we wanted to see.”
She added at the time, “I’ve struggled financially on this team and that was something that I didn’t want anyone else to have to deal with while they’re cheerleaders. I think they’re in a good position moving forward.”
While the Cowboys have not publicly disclosed the cheerleaders’ new earnings, it quickly made a difference in their lives.
“It has been such an improvement and a big increase than what we have seen in the past,” DCC alum Reece Weaver, who retired in 2026, revealed on an episode of the “Unplanned” podcast last year. “When we do get paid, it is a significant increase, but how the avenues of how it’s being drawn out, I’m not sure. Now the hourly pay [for game days] is completely different.”
