A back-pay settlement of $1.25 million has finally been distributed to 90 former cheerleaders for the Oakland Raiders. The payout caps a lengthy legal battle that saw the women win their lawsuit in 2014, only to see the settlement tied up in legal tussles until this past week.
The women were paid just $1,250 for each season’s work, far below what they should’ve been paid under minimum wage and overtime rules in California. Going forward, it is estimated that current cheerleaders will make about $3,200 per season.
“Our clients have now been paid the equivalent of minimum wage for all of the hours they worked and have been reimbursed for their out-of-pocket expenses,” attorney Sharon Vinick said in a statement. “It is important to note that paying these women minimum wage doesn’t represent the value that these hard-working women bring to the Game Day Experience.”