NBCUniversal settles with unpaid interns for $6.4M (too late for LBN)

[Omaha Steve]

X post in Labor & GD

NEW YORK (AP) — Nearly 9,000 unpaid interns stand to benefit from a $6.4 million settlement with NBCUniversal over back wages.

Unpaid interns who worked on "Saturday Night Live" and other shows brought a class action suit last July in Manhattan federal court claiming NBCUniversal violated the law by classifying them as non-employee interns and paid them nothing or less than minimum wage, when they were actually doing employee work. NBCUniversal said in court documents that even though it's settling the suit, it denies the allegations and doesn't admit any wrongdoing.

The average amount that class-action members of the suit will receive is $505 before taxes, although the main plaintiffs will receive more. The number of class members is capped at 8,975. The interns had been seeking recovery of unpaid wages, attorneys' fees, interest and liquidated damages.
The settlement still has to be approved by a judge.

FULL story at link.



FILE - This Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009, file photo, the NBC Universal logo hangs on a building in Los Angeles. NBCUniversal will pay $6.4 million to settle a class action lawsuit brought by unpaid interns who worked on {201c}Saturday Night Live{201d} and other shows who claim they are owed wages, according to court documents. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong, File)

[marble falls]

1. $505. Before taxes. And this is fair how?

[TBF]

2. It's not fair -

whenever these kinds of things happen and the fines are smaller than the benefit to the company it only encourages more companies to do the same. It's horrible.