Ontario Interns Fight Back: Modes of Resistance Against Unpaid Internships

  • William Webb

Abstract

In this article I report on three ways that interns and those sympathetic to their plight are opposing unpaid internships, focusing on the Canadian province of Ontario as a case. First, I analyze the ways that interns engage in social activism to raise awareness about problems with unpaid internships. Second, I examine several lawsuits that interns have waged against companies in an attempt to secure back pay. Third, I analyze the Ontario Ministry of Labour’s response to the growing concerns surrounding unpaid internships, and recent proposals that aim to strengthen governmental regulations. Arguing that possibilities for change have arisen largely due to the efforts of interns themselves, I conclude each section by noting some of the strengths and limitations afforded by each type of resistance.

 

Author Biography

William Webb

William Webb is a student at Wilfrid Laurier University in Honours Communication Studies and Philos- ophy. He is also Editor-In-Chief for the Laurier Undergraduate Journal of the Arts, Vice President of Internal Affairs for Laurier’s Faculty of Arts Student Society, and a student representative to Laurier’s Divisional Council of the Faculty of Arts.

Published
2015-09-30
Section
Interrogating Internships: Intern Labour Activism