Raiders cheerleaders sue NFL team over wages
Raiders cheerleaders, both past and present, have filed a lawsuit in Northern California against Oakland's NFL franchise. The Raiders cheerleaders say they aren't getting paid for all the work they do.
Oakland Raiders cheerleaders perform during halftime of an NFL football game against the Kansas City Chiefs in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, Dec. 15, 2013.
Ben Margot/AP
Almeda, Calif.
The Oakland Raiders are being sued by current and former cheerleaders claiming wage theft and other unfair employment practices.
The lawsuit filed Wednesday in Alameda County Superior Court alleges that the organization withholds all pay from the Raiderettes until the end of the season, does not pay for all hours worked and forces the cheerleaders to pay many of their own business expenses.
According to the filing, Raiders cheerleaders are paid $1,250 per season, which amounts to less than $5 per hour for the time they spend rehearsing, performing and appearing at events for which they are not compensated.
The team had no comment on the lawsuit.