The most famous cheerleading crew in the country is celebrating a win – but it's not a Dallas Cowboys victory.
The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and the team jointly announced Friday, Oct. 23 the creation of a labor union representing the cheerleaders that will collectively bargain with the team, the most valuable professional sports franchise in the world. The Cowboys are recognizing the union and the new, independent group is called the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association (DCCA).
NEWS: the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders have unionized and the Cowboys have agreed to recognize the union pic.twitter.com/Lbv8aVaV6g
— jen ramos-eisen (@jenramose) October 23, 2026
"The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders are an esteemed part of the Cowboys organization, deeply respected for the talent and dedication they exhibit," the announcement read. "They remain one of the most sought-after opportunities for talented dancers worldwide."
The cheerleaders have recently been featured on a Netflix docuseries "America's Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders" (and have appeared on many other programs over the years). Season 2 chronicled the dancers' quest for improved salaries, with The Dallas Morning News reporting that the cheerleaders said they were due a 400% raise for the 2025 season. In 2024, The New York Times reported that a fifth-year cheerleader made $15 per hour and $500 for each appearance.
The Cowboys had no further comment when contacted by USA TODAY Sports.
This is not the NFL's first cheerleading union, however. In 1995, the Buffalo Bills' group – the "Jills," which disbanded in 2014 amid claims of mistreatment and underpay – won a ruling with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to become the first union representing cheerleading squads.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders unionize, will collectively bargain with team