Intern Files Class Action Suit vs. Warner Music Group
The longtime practice of unpaid music industry internships is now under fire. Yesterday an intern filed a class-action lawsuit against Warner Music
Group and Atlantic Records over his and other unpaid internship. The fling is similar to recent lawsuits in publishing, film and other industries, with recent court rulings generally unfavorable of the practice.
So far, Warner Music Group has failed to comment.
The lawsuit alleges that there was no academic component to the internship, as is required by law. The suit claims that the intern, Justin Henry, often was required to work more than 40 hours a week without overtime
wages.
While Henry is thus far the only plaintiff, the suit was filed as a class action case, welcoming others in a similar position to join.
The “academic component” is just being in the building. Maximize your opportunities. Work hard. Talk to people. Hard work pays off. This kid won’t ever get a job in music after this. Seems shortsighted.
Lol I think this is awesome. They just take these kids on and treat them like trash. I’ll hire this guy right now.
@jake you are probably the kid lol
This is too bad. It will hurt internships in the future. Music biz is a networking biz. Got to make friends, etc. and get a job that way.
The music industry may be a networking biz, but it’s NOT a prostitution biz. Working over 40 hours a week packing boxes for mail order is a bullshit way to “make it” in music. Students can make waves, turn heads, and meet people by doing their own thing, instead of by whoring themselves out to the “powers that be” because people (surprise- it’s the intern employers!) say you have to “pay your dues” or some other bs.
This kid is in the right, and I’m sure my entire team at HEY WTF Records wishes him luck.
Totally agree with you Ryan. I think another problem here is that big music companies like Warner Music don’t have much to teach anyone right now. They need to be taught themselves. Almost anyone would be better off interning at an indie label or some type of music start-up trying to make things happen. I’d rather intern at McDonalds than Warner Music (Seriously)
At rock paper scissors (http://www.rockpaperscissors.biz) , we use seven Indiana University interns every semester. We are based in a small town of 80,000 have half the residents are students. They are dying for legitimate work-related experience but in a town like this it is very tough for them to find anything (especially in the music industry). We ask them to commit 10 hours per week for a full semester. Those that can commit to two semesters get higher priority and higher level assignments the second semester. Though some of the tasks are tedious, we try to ensure that they are learning about systems, computers, PR, journalism, music, website structure, database use, PhotoShop, research, office skills, problem solving, and more much of the time. If they stuff envelopes, they get paid. Otherwise, they are getting experience not money. If laws make it tougher for us to do it, we will have to change how we do things, and I think the interns will lose out more than we will. I think the value exchange is fair. My question is: why did this guy stay in this internship if he was getting exploited? Vote with your feet. Get out there and find an experience that you value. Tell jerks to shove it. No laws needed for that. Just some self respect.
I am glad this exploitation has finally been exposed. Internships changed from “learn the biz” to “exploited free labor” a long time ago. If you want some kid to manage the social presence for your business then pay up you fucktards!
I was an intern at Universal Music Classical about a decade ago. For six months I sat in a room by myself putting stamps on envelopes. No one spoke to me, I made no “connections”, and only later did I realize that I was one of a gazillion faceless interns going in and out the doors every day.
I had other fantastic unpaid internships in the music industry during my college years, all with small independent companies, that taught me skills I use to this day.
I am thrilled to learn about these class action suits and interns speaking up for themselves and their rights. I only wish I had the guts to speak up ten years ago instead of being timid and continuing to work there out of fear that I would miss out on future opportunities and important contacts.