OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Oakland Raiders say a lawsuit filed by the team's cheerleaders, who claim they are being cheated out of wages and expenses, should be handled by league arbitration, not in a courtroom.
The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the team wants NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to handle arbitrating the lawsuit filed by the Raiderettes.
The cheerleaders are paid $125 per home game, or $1,250 per season, in a contract that includes hours of unpaid rehearsals, charity and commercial appearances.
The women say the pay translates to less than $5 an hour. California's minimum wage is $8 an hour.
Raiderettes attorney Leslie Levy says league arbitration presents a conflict of interest because the commissioner is paid by the Raiders and other NFL teams.