I despise David Letterman, but these interns agreed to work for that disgusting pig for free, and he kept his side of the bargain. Their claim for back pay after the fact has absolutely no merit.
“Their claim for back pay after the fact has absolutely no merit.”
In the United States, parties making employer or other contracts can’t “agree” to things that violate the law. You can’t “agree” to forgo overtime after eight hours. It is still owed you, and the employer must pay you.
In the case of these bogus entertainment industry “internships,” you can’t “agree” to fetch coffee for free. The employer is breaking the law. You must be compensated.
This intern is going to win, and win big. The Fox “Black Swan” intern case set the precedent.