On the Back of Intern Labor

[MatthewShiner]

So, interesting article

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/29/business/interns-file-suit-against-black-swan-producer.html?_r=1

About the movie Black Swan.

It claims "interns do menial work that should have been done by paid employees and did not provide them with the type of educational experience that labor rules require in order to exempt employers from paying interns."  This is the key to intern positions - it has to have an educational component to it.  Now, we can all make an argument that EVERY job is educational, but that doesn't cut it legally.  I applaud those behind this lawsuits - it might make a difference.

Talks about an intern who "He said his responsibilities included preparing coffee for the production office, ensuring that the coffee pot was full, taking and distributing lunch orders for the production staff, taking out the trash and cleaning the office."

I know that many theaters could not survive without the interns - I am not saying to do away with the position, but you need to then make sure there is a strong, education component attached to it - and, hopefully someone looking out for their educational experience - or pay people a living wage salary.

Again, the market is flooded out there; this does not help with that issue.

[juliz1106]

This is fascinating. 

In college, I chose to get credit for the paid work I did in theatre, but I actively stayed away from unpaid internships for this very reason.  It always felt wrong to me, but I'd never realized that there was a legal component required of internships.  I imagine most students don't realize this, and that's why they suffer through some very un-educational jobs.  Kudos to those interns for reading up on their rights and standing up for themselves.

The few times I've worked with interns I've asked specifically what they were hoping to get out of the internship so that we could find some educational value in their work.  I hope that this lawsuit will encourage companies do this properly in the future.

[MatthewShiner]

And it spills over into things like PA positions.

Technically, PA positions should be paid hourly - they are not "non-exempt" positions.

Several Broadway shows get away with paying their PA's a small salary (think 200-400 a week) is by classifying them as interns, and giving them a "stipend" to cover expenses.

Again . . . Not legal.

The problem is by the time most people are aware of the legal issues and have the strength to stand up for this . . . Up you are past the point of doing unpaid internships (hopefully). 

[BayAreaSM]

For my PA's and interns, which are all paid, though unfortunately paid a weekly "salary" - I always ask them in the interview process what they want to get out of this experience. I then try to only hire those that actually have a goal in mind for what they want to learn from working at a ballet company. Once hired, I make a point to spend extra time with them making sure they learn/experience what they mentioned in their interview.

I think the only time I actually worked for free was at a local community theater as a crew member or SM when I was in high school. Since then, I've been paid as an intern or as a PA before going Union. I will say that my experience in the community theater when I was 18 was more helpful than my paid internship at a major LORT company. Though I did learn how to take amazing Line Notes during my internship...

[DeeCap]

The intern pay on the upcoming Broadway show Godspell is $50 a week.

When I interned I did receive $50 a week.... back in 1996...