Institute History
Description
A Woman’s Work is a feature documentary that follows three former NFL cheerleaders as they battle their former teams and the NFL to reverse 50 years of illegal employment practices and expose wage theft. Lacy, an Oakland Raiders’ cheerleader ignited the historic 2014 class-action lawsuit that inspired Krystal of the New York Jets, Maria of the Buffalo Bills, and other plaintiffs from NFL cheer squads to take action. They were paid below minimum wage or not at all, and misclassified as independent contractors by their teams worth hundreds of millions. In the face of fierce opposition from former cheerleader alumni and the communities which they call home, these women put their personal and public lives on the line. In the process, these young women implement league-wide reform and revealentrenched gender inequalities prevalent in our time. Their cases inspire legislation for fair pay and employment protection in California and New York, expanding to other states with NFL teams. Lacy, Krystal and Maria are not only fighting for economic justice, they're also battling to redefine who they are on their own terms.