Overview
- The Dallas Cowboys and the newly formed Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association issued a joint statement saying the team has voluntarily recognized the DCCA as the cheerleaders’ collective bargaining representative and will begin negotiating a contract after talks on Friday, Oct. 23, 2026.
- The union is officially named the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association and the squad currently has 36 active members, though reports say it is not yet clear how many will be included in the bargaining unit.
- The move follows years of complaints about low pay and a 2019 lawsuit settlement that increased per-game pay, and follows a reported roughly 400% pay boost for some veterans in 2025 that helped focus public attention on compensation.
- Collective bargaining will target wages, benefits and working conditions, with negotiators able to seek things the squad previously lacked such as health coverage, clearer pay schedules and formal protections from retaliation.
- The recognition could pressure other NFL and professional cheer programs to organize and represents a major shift for sideline performers by giving them a formal mechanism to bargain over pay and workplace rules.