Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Form First Professional Sports Cheerleading Union

The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders announced that they have organized a union, marking what appears to be the first labor representation for a professional sports cheerleading group in the United States. A joint statement from the team and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association confirmed that the Dallas Cowboys have recognized the newly formed bargaining unit after “meaningful discussion.” The squad, which fields 36 active members, will start contract negotiations, though the exact number of members the union will represent has not been disclosed.

The development comes amid renewed visibility from the Netflix series “America’s Sweethearts,” which helped secure a 400 % pay raise for the 2025 season, with veteran dancers earning over $75 per hour. Earlier legal action over wage violations was settled, and the cheerleading program traces its roots to 1961, professionalizing in the early 1970s under Tex Schramm and choreographer Texie Waterman.