The Fair Pay Campaign Urging White House To Pay Interns

Many companies and businesses rely on the work of unpaid interns to move forward, and while many interns accept the no-pay in exchange for real world experience, the Fair Pay Campaign has set out to bring an end to unpaid internships.

Interns across the country have made complaints and even filed lawsuits over the lack-of-pay issues, and the Fair Pay Campaign has made its goal to help get interns the pay they deserve.

“We have a minimum wage law in this country, and just because you call someone an intern doesn’t mean you get out of it,” says Mikey Franklin of the Fair Pay Campaign, reports CNNMoney.

The report continues on to say that the Fair Pay Campaign is calling on President Obama to pay White House interns in order to set an example for other government agencies and private employers.

USA Today reported that White House Interns are unpaid, their housing isn’t provided, and interns should expect to work “at least Monday-Friday, 9 am to 6 pm.”

“The campaign’s focus has turned to President Obama as he has been stumping for raising the minimum wage all summer.”

Franklin goes on to say, “We don’t believe the White House can, in good faith, go after minimum wage and at the same time have unpaid staff.”

Franklin claims that working as an unpaid intern, especially for prestigious positions such as the White House, isn’t an option for many people.

“If you want to break into these industries, you have to work for free,” he said. “That’s not a reality for a lot of people who aren’t upper middle class.”

With student loans skyrocketing and more young people forced to say no to opportunities that could make or break their careers, Franklin and the Fair Pay Campaign say that “working for no pay seems unimaginable.”

The campaign has set up a petition on MoveOn.org that will be sent to President Barack Obama, urging him to start paying his White House interns.

The petition already has 8,442 signatures, which it needs at least 10,000.

What do you think about the Fair Pay Campaign’s efforts to get the White House to pay it’s interns? Do you think if the White House does begin paying them, that others will follow suit and bring an end to unpaid internships?

[Image via Shutterstock/eurobanks]