Is it time to get rid of cheerleaders and ice girls?

You keep saying they don't get paid for personal appearances, when in fact they do. The group that hires them pays them, usually more money than they get for game day (and, again, I'll take the opportunity to condemn the lewd treatment many of them receive).

I think, at this point, we can agree to disagree. You believe they should be paid an hourly wage (and, honestly, I don't think you believe minimum wage is just compensation, based on your posts). I think they participate in a high-profile hobby and if they are unhappy with their compensation, they should find other avenues to pursue that hobby.

They don't have enough market leverage to demand better compensation without bringing it to court (and if they do go to court and win, as the Raiderettes did to achieve minimum wage, I'm happy for them). Realistically, if they want truly just compensation, I think they're better off fighting in court for the intellectual property rights to their image rather than wages. That's where the real money is.

 

What is to prevent anyone from declaring that the work they provide to people is a hobby and that they should not be subject to wage laws?

McDonald's could hire someone to sweep the floors, and while they're at it, they can cook on the grill for free, since cooking is a hobby.

 

A perfect picture into the economic worldview that is Baron's.

 

They're not providing a service to people?

 

See how many people line up for that hobby.

 

I have taught a couple of Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders and it is a fact that they make good money doing appearances. It is also a fact that they don't see it as a job, they see it as a fun, high-profile hobby.

I also have a sister-in-law-of-a-brother-in-law (my wife's brother's wife's brother's wife) who was a Carolina Panthers cheerleader and she did it for two or three years before getting married and having kids. She always laughs about it and said she had a great time.

So, yeah. Exploited.

 

The union idea was mentioned and dismissed earlier in the thread, but it's worth noting that athlete salaries are as high as they are precisely because of the union history. If the players hadn't fought for those gains 25 to 50 years ago, the owners would still be paying as little as they could and there would still be a line out the door. A top-line starting pitcher might pull in the egregious sum of ONE MILLION DOLLARS.

So that's ultimately the answer for these cheerleaders. They are entitled to minimum wage (as well as a clear understanding that team activities all count as work hours), and the harassment stuff should end as a matter of law and morals. Beyond that, they're free to bargain up. However, as there is no competitive advantage to having any one particular cheerleader over another, their bargaining power will be very limited.

 

And you want to know why your students are confused about having 150 minutes to do the test when they're to start at 11 and finish at 1:30.

" ... my wife's brother's wife's brother's wife ... " saw Ferris pass out at 31 Flavors last night. Too funny.

 

I figured if I wrote "this other woman I know" it wouldn't have quite the same oomph. So I emailed Sabrina Erdely and asked how to spice things up with a few facts.

 

Anecdotes don't equal data to dq, unless those anecdotes happen to be his.

 

doctorquant, stop being such a bitter academic.

 

Yeah, we only have room for one of them. And we're trying to rid ourselves of him.