Fredericton: CUPE NB supports the campaign against unpaid internship “Mon stage me ruine” (“My Internship is Ruining Me”) led by the Fédération des étudiantes et étudiants de l’Université de Moncton (FÉÉCUM).

Across Canada, private and public-sector employers unjustly profit and rely on the free labour of thousands of students and recent graduates through unpaid internships.

“It is scandalous that our provincial and federal labour laws, such as the laws concerning minimum wage, exclude interns because their work remains unrecognized,” said Daniel Légère, CUPE NB president.

“To add insult to injury, those same students are then required to pay to work through the imposition of tuition fees. All this without any guarantee of being hired,” said Légère.

“How can we tolerate, in 2017, that people do hundreds of unpaid hours of work in our schools, hospitals and businesses? No one, regardless of age, background or level of education deserves to be cheap labour,” said Légère.

CUPE NB considers the fight against unpaid internships is a fight against precarious work. Internship should not only be enriching, but work conditions should be as respectful as those applied to regular employees.