Overview
- The Dallas Cowboys and the newly formed Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association said on Oct. 23, 2026 that the team will recognize the DCCA as the squad’s collective bargaining representative and begin negotiations for a contract.
- Details remain unresolved because the parties have not disclosed how many of the squad’s 36 active members will be in the bargaining unit or what specific pay and benefit terms the contract will include.
- The move follows years of legal and public pressure, including a 2019 settlement that doubled per‑game pay and a reported 400 percent raise for the 2025 season that pushed some veterans’ pay to about $75 an hour.
- High-profile coverage from Netflix’s America’s Sweethearts and other media helped focus public attention on low wages and working conditions and helped build momentum for recognition and higher pay.
- Labor experts point to the Buffalo Jills’ 1990s union effort and later collapse as a cautionary example, and a successful contract in Dallas could influence pay and workplace standards for cheer squads across pro sports.