Public Service Alliance of Canada issues call for end of unpaid internships

One of Canada’s largest unions is calling on federal and provincial governments to ban unpaid internships.

In Manitoba, the reaction was mixed.

“Banks won’t accept experience as payment. So why are student interns expected to accept it?” Sharon DeSousa, the national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, said in a news release.

PSAC didn’t have a spokesperson available by print deadline. It represents nearly 250,000 Canadian workers, including more than 180,000 employed by the federal government.

The union has labelled unpaid internships “exploitative.” It’s unrolling a campaign pressuring Ottawa to amend the Canada Labour Code and bar exceptions to a ban on unpaid internships.

Such internships are prohibited in federally regulated workplaces unless they occur through schooling.

PSAC highlighted nursing, teaching, graphic design and translation as examples of sectors requiring change.

“In the last couple of decades, I think there has been more critical scrutiny paid to unpaid internships,” said David Camfield, co-ordinator of the University of Manitoba’s labour studies program.

Provincial governments generally have more jurisdiction over unpaid internships than the feds, Camfield noted. School boards also approve placements.

“The union raises some real, significant issues,” Camfield said. “I think it is a real problem when you have people — especially young people — who end up essentially doing unpaid work.

“It’s presented as if it’s for their own benefit, and the question of how the employer is benefiting from it doesn’t get adequately addressed.”

Josh Stark, who’s in school, echoed Camfield: “You need to be paid to make a living. If your internship is taking up your time, then where are you getting your income from?”

Working another job while an intern can lead to burnout, added Stark, 32.

Anecdotally, local businesses have largely shifted away from offering their own intern programs and instead rely on post-secondary placements, said the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce’s president.

“The challenge with an unpaid intern is you’re doing those same onboarding functions (as full-time staff) but you’re not going to have the long-term benefits of retention,” Loren Remillard said. “It’s a significant investment of time and resources.”

Still, unpaid internships can be a “win-win” for both employers and interns, Remillard added: new workers gain skills and employers can scout and potentially hire upcoming talent.

Businesses forced to pay interns might seek a contractor or a new full-time employee instead, Remillard said, adding it’s about all resources — including time used to assist an intern.

Jenny Neufeld, 20, said she views internships as chances to gain skills, meet industry professionals and learn about different jobs. She’s not opposed to unpaid placements.

“It really depends on how much of a learning experience it is,” she said.

Digital content and supports to assist lobbyists are included in PSAC’s campaign.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com