SLAVERY – UNPAID COLLEGE INTERNSHIPS!

NOVEMBER 1, 2008

It is inconceivable that nearly 150 years after slavery was abolished, it still is legally practiced in the United States.  Every year, millions of college students PAY for the “privilege” of working for some of the largest corporations and government agencies in the United States.  Typically, students pay thousands of dollars in college registration fees to their college or university and instead of going to class, they work for either the government or private corporations.  They are not paid for this labor.  It is a win/win situation for the colleges and the employer.  The college gets all the money and pays nothing to educate the student.  The employer pays nothing and gets a free educated employee.  The problem is, this is very damaging to our country.  NO ONE SHOULD EVER HAVE TO PAY TO WORK OR WORK FOR FREE.  It significantly contributes to this county’s unemployment and is a gross misuse of college funds.  This is not volunteer work.  It is an insidious scab on the American labor force.

I am beginning to research this miscarriage of justice and I will report here as I discover the extent of this abuse.  I would eventually like to campaign to end this practice.

November 18, 2008

 

 

The law firm of McCue, Sussmane, & Zapfel P.C., Attorneys at Law, in New York, is looking for an unpaid intern to work for them.  Why are they entitled to free labor?  According to their web site, they “represent top producers, actors, directors, writers and casting directors working in film, television, and stage.  Our attorneys additionally advise “crossover” talent and companies simultaneously operating in both the film/TV and stage or music fields.” [1] What makes a lucrative law firm think that they should have any unpaid employee?

According to the Labor and Employment Law Blog,

The U.S. Department of Labor has outlined a list of criteria that ALL must be met in order for an internship to be unpaid.

1. The training, even though it includes actual operation of the facilities of the employer, is similar to that which would be given in a vocational school;

2. The training is for the benefit of the trainee;

3. The trainees do not displace regular employees, but work under close observation;

4. The employer that provides the training derives no immediate advantage from the activities of the trainees and on occasion the employer’s operations may actually be impeded;

5. The trainees are not necessarily entitled to a job at the completion of the training period; and

6. The employer and the trainee understand that the trainees are not entitled to wages for the time spent in training.

From the above list, #4 is really the key one – all the others will follow from whether the employer derives any immediate benefit from the activities. [2]

The Business Week Debate Room examined this issue:

http://www.businessweek.com/debateroom/archives/2008/05/unpaid_internsh.html

 

[1] http://www.mszpc.com/practiceareas.html

[2]http://laborlaw.typepad.com/labor_and_employment_law_/2007/11/unpaid-internsh.html)