I am, and always will be, one who roots for the underdog. The classic underdog story always stirs up the right heartstrings in my spirit, inspires me to seek justice, but most importantly, reminds me that I, even as a single entity, can fight against the intimidating, powerful giants holding the big guns. So as a former fashion intern myself, I took a piqued interest in the recent class action lawsuit against Conde Nast, the owner of publications such as Vogue, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair.
On October 23, 2013, Conde Nast announced that it was discontinuing its highly coveted, internship program. Lauren Ballinger, former intern at W Magazine, and Matthew Lieb, former intern at The New Yorker, were the fire-starting interns who filed for suits in June 2013 at the Federal District Court in Manhattan. Both claimed that they were unpaid for their efforts in helping the publication gain commercial profits. Ballinger stated that she working something amounting to less than a measly $12 a day at W Magazine.
How in the world is a girl supposed to eat with $12 a day in New York City! Really! I did some simple arithmetic, and it takes at least $40, minimum, to survive uncomfortably in New York. This city's tight, and the competition in fashion is even tighter, so in this instance what is an intern supposed to do? Strap on some combat stilettos boots, take a long, deep breath, and tiptoe up the narrow path up the corporate fashion ladder, or pull up their sleeves, and get some blood on their hands by filing a lawsuit against the big corporation?
Recently, Conde Nast settled for a $5.9 million law suit, and is inviting any of their former interns, from June 13, 2007 to December 29, 2014, to pick up a long overdue paycheck of anything from $700 to $1,900. The settlement affects about 7,500 interns who have put in their dues at the major Conde Nast publications. This is one of the many class action lawsuits that have changed the course of workforce history in America.
I'm really happy that the lowest positioned soldiers out on the merciless field of fashion, united and fought against and retaliated against a huge force; however, I do wonder what the future holds for the interns who filed the lawsuits. Will Ballinger and Lieb have a chance at getting hired at better companies? I mean, does it get any more divine than Vogue? Or will companies hiring such interns feel a threat to their brand? I'm intrigued, and I truly wonder.
Anyways, I'll keep you posted.
Xo,
Haerina
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