Buffalo Jills lawsuit inspires Cheerleaders’ Fair Pay Act

Assemblywoman Nily Rozic has introduced a measure designed to give cheerleaders labor protections — a bill that comes after cheerleaders for the Buffalo Bills sued over their workplace conditions. 
The measure would provide cheerleaders for sports teams equal benefits and rights that are enjoyed by employees at sports-related services contracts receive under the current labor laws.
Read the rest at http://www.nystateofpolitics.com/2015/06/bill-would-provide-labor-protections-for-cheerleaders/

What does this all mean?
Once the bill passes, all pro level cheerleaders/dancers will be paid in accordance with NYS labor laws. The Buffalo Jills and Bandettes, the Rochester Knightingales, the New York Knicks Dancers, and the Brooklynettes (dancers for the Brooklyn Nets NBA team) will all be protected under this law. When the Jills are reinstated, they'll not only have new management, but we can be assured of no further lawsuits based on money.
That being said, it's true that it's known to everyone before trying out that being a Jill was not a paid gig and the vast majority of ladies who have been Buffalo Jills over the years were always more than ok with that. At the same time, that lack of pay did have a major impact. Despite the Jills' website always talking about 150-200 girls auditioning each year, since 2006, the number has never topped 120 and, in fact, dropped down to 80-90 every season since 2009. When the Jills are reinstated, we can be assured that competition for spots on the squad will draw in many more young ladies than in many, many years.
You'll notice that I used the word "when" and not "if" in regards to the Jills returning and that has two reasons behind it. For one thing, we need to stay positive in regards to bringing them back. Secondly, we have a former cheerleader in Kim Pegula as a Bills owner, an owner who is big on PR and is part of an NFL Committee that, among other things, focuses on community outreach, the biggest job of pro cheerleaders. While the lawsuit is pending, unfortunately, she and other people with the Bills organization can't talk about the Jills. Hopefully with the courts throwing out the NFL's attempt to be excused from the case, the suit can more forward and be settled so that we can get our ladies back on the sidelines and in the community where they belong.