Former Bills Jills cheerleaders win ruling in fight for better wages

[SpikedLemonade]

The cheerleaders for the NFL's Buffalo Bills were given the go ahead with their class action lawsuit (http://fightwagetheft.com/news/buffalo-jills-class-certified)against the team demanding better wages.

The ruling this week by a New York state judge allows "all Buffalo Bills cheerleaders and ambassadors since April 2008" to come together on the suit. Five former cheerleaders had originally brought individual suits against the team.

The cheerleaders' lawyer, Christopher Marlborough, told CNNMoney that he is pleased with the ruling and "fighting for the rights" of all Bills cheerleaders who are making claims.

At the core of the case — and similar ones by cheerleaders for other NFL teams — is how they are categorized by the teams. The NFL teams have considered them independent contractors and not employees. As a result, they weren't entitled to certain wage and workplace rights.

The suit claims that the Jills cheerleaders were paid below minimum wage and were required to attend unpaid events. The cheerleaders claim that at some of these sponsored events they were made to feel uncomfortable by male attendees.

They also say they were forced to adhere to strict dress codes and behavioral guidelines set by the team. The Bills controlled everything from their physical appearance to music selection....


http://money.cnn.com/2016/01/09/news/nfl-cheerleaders-buffalo-bills-jills/


Great news!!! I hope these ladies win. A multi-billion dollar industry should be embarrassed for using the services of these women and not even paying them minimum wage.

[stuckincincy]

Ditto.

[justasportsfan]

4 million for an opt out clause and they couldn't pay the jills. Shouldn't Ralphs estate be on hook for that?

[Turf]

4 million for an opt out clause and they couldn't pay the jills. Shouldn't Ralphs estate be on hook for that?

Yeah really. They should have settled this petty BS 2 years ago.

[SpikedLemonade]

4 million for an opt out clause and they couldn't pay the jills. Shouldn't Ralphs estate be on hook for that?

I agree 100% and a rarely agree with your non-football opinions.

Pegula paid well over $400M more than market value for the Bills and he can't step up and solve this embarrassment?

Kim is going to cut him off from her younger Asian kitty if he doesn't pay up this week.

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Pay them out their back pay and then end the Jills. They deserve to be paid but they weren't missed.

[Typ0]

Didn't they sign a contract that specified what, if any, compensation they were going to receive? This suit is ridiculous they agreed to work for free what entitles them to go back after the fact and demand more payment?

[IlluminatusUIUC]

Didn't they sign a contract that specified what, if any, compensation they were going to receive? This suit is ridiculous they agreed to work for free what entitles them to go back after the fact and demand more payment?

You can't enforce an illegal contract. If they were being paid below what the law demands then they can get back pay through the courts.

That said, if cheerleaders provide so little value they are only worth $50 a game or whatever, then don't bother having them.

[justasportsfan]

I agree 100% and a rarely agree with your non-football opinions.



Ditto

[YardRat]

Isn't the big point the team wasn't actually employed by the Bills organization, but a third party sponsor?

[SpikedLemonade]

Isn't the big point the team wasn't actually employed by the Bills organization, but a third party sponsor?

It is the wrong ignorant point.

[YardRat]

It is the wrong ignorant point.

Not really. If an employee isn't making minimum wage, illegally, that's the liability of the employer, not a client of the employer.

[Mace]

I'm still not sure why they couldn't stop being cheerleaders or agreed to be to begin with, knowing the circumstances. I mean this is sort of a hobby or amusement job, not one you mean to support your family on. All well and good if the company that ran them is made to pay I guess, but there was a company that ran them so weren't they technically contractors of a contractor ? How did the Bills control every aspect of their conduct ?

Since most of their work was voluntary, not mandated, how does that work ? If they felt uncomfortable at events or were harassed, isn't that on the company that ran the Jills, and why didn't they leave, because they'd get fired from a hobby job they weren't getting paid for anyway and didn't like doing ?

I can see why the lawsuit can go ahead, but I can also see why there's a good chance it won't get anywhere in court when good lawyers start working it.

[coastal]

And now comes the settlement

[DynaPaul]

Philster gets 10%.

[SpikedLemonade]

Not really. If an employee isn't making minimum wage, illegally, that's the liability of the employer, not a client of the employer.

Golly geese I am being lectured about the law...whatever.

Before we compare what law school you went to and which one I went to perhaps we should not focus on the technical aspect of the Bills legal argument and think about what actually happened here -- a NFL team controlled (as they should) what the people representing them were doing and then did not pay them as if they were under their service.

Do they not teach agency in law school any more?

There are Latin words for this no?