Measure Would Pay Cheerleaders Minimum Wage For Professional Team Work
On Monday California’s state Senate approved AB202. The measure, put forth by Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, would make professional cheerleaders in the state employees of the sports teams they work for, entitling them to receive at least the minimum wage. The AP noted that on Monday the measure passed the Senate 26-8, and it has bipartisan support.
Expanding its coverage of the legislation, the AP notes the growing national focus on the issue of cheerleader pay, which follows “a spate of recent lawsuits against NFL teams alleging they did not pay cheerleaders for hours they spent practicing and making public appearances.” Though attorneys for some cheerleaders involved in labor disputes are praising the new legislation, they argue “existing law is already clear that cheerleaders are employees entitled to minimum wage.” Sharon Vinick, an attorney who represented former Oakland Raiders cheerleaders, argued, “It’s nice to have clarifying legislation, but I don’t think it changes the state of the law at all.” In the Raiders case, the cheerleaders received “$125 per home game, or $1,250 per season, in a contract that included hours of unpaid rehearsals and charity and commercial appearances.” This meant wages of under $5 per hour. Vinick and the team settled for $1.25 million in 2014.
What Happens Next
Reuters reports that it’s unclear what action Gov. Jerry Brown might take on the measure, which is now at his office for approval or veto. Brown’s office typically doesn’t issue comment on pending legislation, according to press secretary Evan Westrup. Westrup noted the governor has a little more than a week left to decide the fate of the measure before the end of the legislative session. In the interim, the bill’s fate is uncertain.
What This Means For Small Businesses
Although NFL teams are all large corporations, the measure to declare employee status for California’s cheerleaders is just the latest example of the state legislature attempting to impose regulatory mandates on business’ labor policies. Classifying workers as employees adds pressure to labor costs, a growing concern for the state’s small business owners.
Additional Reading
MSN is among the other outlets covering the measure.
Note: this article is intended to keep small business owners up on the latest news. It does not necessarily represent the policy stances of NFIB.
