The Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders have a new title to add to their résumé: unionized workforce. The Cowboys agreed Friday to recognize the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders Association as the squad’s collective bargaining representative, capping years of efforts to improve pay and working conditions.

The road to recognition was long. A former cheerleader settled a lawsuit with the team in 2019, and per-game pay doubled to $400. Then Netflix’s “America’s Sweethearts” brought the squad’s workload and pay into the national conversation, with one cheerleader citing a 400% pay boost. It’s a notable moment for an organization that Forbes ranks as the most valuable pro sports team in the world.

There’s precedent for this: the Buffalo Jills became the first NFL cheer squad to unionize after a 1995 NLRB ruling, though the squad later disbanded following a 2014 lawsuit over unpaid work and harassment. For North Texas, the story touches on pay equity in entertainment and the power of high-profile workers to organize. What do you think this means for other NFL cheer squads? Let us know in the comments.