Buffalo Jills are no more

[MikeO]

http://deadspin.com/how-to-use-a-tampon-and-other-guidelines-for-bills-che-1567047406

A few Bills Cheerleaders are suing the tam for how they were paid and treated. So the Bills have gotten rid of their cheerleaders while this works itself out. Now the details are coming out and it doesn't look good for the Bills. The Jills Handbook got out and deadspin published the juicy parts.

I always heard Cheerleaders got paid $35 a game, not sure if it has gone up any. Either way it sounds like this story will be an interesting one to follow.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

There is almost zero chance a court or the IRS would agree with the Bills that they are independent contractors. 

Time for the teams that want cheerleaders to start paying them at least minimum wage.  The billionaires can afford it. 

[mecadonzilla]

Wow.  Just wow.  What an infuriating read.  Hope those girls get serious $$.

[MikeO]

former Jets cheerleader is suing the team. Looks like this might be a trend and NFL Cheerleaders could be a thing of the past. If this continues I could see teams going its not worth the headache and just eliminating them

[CF DolFan]

former Jets cheerleader is suing the team. Looks like this might be a trend and NFL Cheerleaders could be a thing of the past. If this continues I could see teams going its not worth the headache and just eliminating them

Or they could just pay them a decent salary. It's always been known they get paid less than squat. I mean, the highest paid cheerleaders make $150 a game. That's $1500 a year for how many hours of training and appearances? Seriously, the NFL should be embarrassed.

[MikeO]

Or they could just pay them a decent salary. It's always been known they get paid less than squat. I mean, the highest paid cheerleaders make $150 a game. That's $1500 a year for how many hours of training and appearances? Seriously, the NFL should be embarrassed.

In reality it is a minimum wage type job. Work a handful of games a year for a couple hours at a time. Not sure these girls deserve some huge salaries. More of a hobby/part-time job than it is a career.

[Brian Fein]

In my mind (I could be wrong), being an NFL cheerleader is more of a hobby than a job.  Like something that these ladies do for fun on the side, while they work their normal job.  Not much different than playing softball or being in a bowling league. 

But they are required to do charity work and make appearances so the franchise can look philanthropic, and that's where they should be getting compensated.

[MikeO]

But they are required to do charity work and make appearances so the franchise can look philanthropic, and that's where they should be getting compensated.

I agree 100%. But on the other hand nobody put a gun to their head and made them be a cheerleader. They know what they signed up for.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

In reality it is a minimum wage type job. Work a handful of games a year for a couple hours at a time. Not sure these girls deserve some huge salaries. More of a hobby/part-time job than it is a career.

I won't disagree.  But when you take what they get paid subtract work expenses (buying own uniform, forced to buy calenders if they don't sell enough etc) and then divide the number of hours they work (including selling calenders, charity work, practices, etc) you often wind up with number less than $7.50.

Okay it is a minimum wage job. Make them w-2 employees rather than 1099, pay for their equipment, and pay them for their hours.   

[MikeO]

I won't disagree.  But when you take what they get paid subtract work expenses (buying own uniform, forced to buy calenders if they don't sell enough etc) and then divide the number of hours they work (including selling calenders, charity work, practices, etc) you often wind up with number less than $7.50.

Okay it is a minimum wage job. Make them w-2 employees rather than 1099, pay for their equipment, and pay them for their hours.   

I agree with you that would go a long way in solving the problem. But as I said before, they know what they signed up for and nobody forced them to be an NFL Cheerleader and if it sucks they are free to quit at any time. The lawsuits are a bit much.

[Fau Teixeira]

The lawsuits are justified. They are treated as employees, given obligations and not paid a minimum wage.

If mcdonalds did that . their employees could sue. and you wouldn't be saying "they can just quit at any time .. they knew what they signed up for" .. we have a minimum wage in this country .. it's not an option to disregard it. as much as NFL teams would like to.

[MikeO]

The lawsuits are justified. They are treated as employees, given obligations and not paid a minimum wage.

If mcdonalds did that . their employees could sue. and you wouldn't be saying "they can just quit at any time .. they knew what they signed up for" .. we have a minimum wage in this country .. it's not an option to disregard it. as much as NFL teams would like to.

The Bills filed a motion last week in court to get this lawsuit dismissed, no word if it has been yet.  Organization is claiming they are 3rd party "game day" vendors. Subject to just getting a free ticket and a parking pass. There are also lawsuits in Oakland and Cincy by their former cheerleaders. The end game is gonna be far less teams with Cheerleaders.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

I agree with you that would go a long way in solving the problem. But as I said before, they know what they signed up for and nobody forced them to be an NFL Cheerleader and if it sucks they are free to quit at any time. The lawsuits are a bit much.

Not really.  And in despite Fau's analogy they have it worse than a sub min wage employee at McDonald's.

Pay $1000 to buy the uniform. Spend 50 hours before the first game practicing.  Then get paid $200 per game.  If you quit before game 5 not only do you get zero income, but it cost you money to be an employee, so you really aren't free to quit an any time unless you are willing to waste money. 

[MikeO]

Not really.  And in despite Fau's analogy they have it worse than a sub min wage employee at McDonald's.

Pay $1000 to buy the uniform. Spend 50 hours before the first game practicing.  Then get paid $200 per game.  If you quit before game 5 not only do you get zero income, but it cost you money to be an employee, so you really aren't free to quit an any time unless you are willing to waste money. 

Sounds like an expensive hobby more than a job or a career. Which is going to be the Bills defense. Interesting to see if it works.

[MyGodWearsAHoodie]

Sounds like an expensive hobby more than a job or a career. Which is going to be the Bills defense. Interesting to see if it works.

That won't be the Bills defense. 

It would work if the teams were not for profit entities (e.g. someone who gets a stipend to work for a non-profit search and rescue team).  But it won't work for a for profit corporation.  Nobody has a hobby of acting at the direction of a for profit corporation.

The Bills defense (at least in the is motion) is that they don't hire cheerleaders.  They hire a dance company to provide them with cheerleaders.  If the cheerleaders are employees than they are employees of the dance company an should sue the dance company not the Bills.

In much the same way that if Pappy sued Southwest for underpayment of wages, Southwest would make motion to dismiss and tell Pappy to go sue his employer (the agency he works for.)

This motion will likely fail because the dance company only has one client and is in fact just an extension of the Bills. 

*****
It will be real interesting where teams go with this.  For less money than they spend one practice player they could pay the entire team cheerleader fairly.  Or to save few bucks they could do away with the team ambassadors.