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Charlie Rose agrees to pay former interns $250k in settlement
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December 24, 2012
NEW YORK CITY, New York: The first in a series of lawsuits brought by unpaid interns has been resolved for $250,000. A settlement in the suit brought by Lucy Bickerton against Charlie Rose and his production company was announced on December 20th, 2012.[1] Bickerton led a class-action lawsuit of a 189 interns who worked for Rose on his PBS show from March 14, 2006 to October 1, 2012. Many of those former interns will receive approximately $1,100 each. In total, the defendants have agreed to pay up to $250,000, but have admitted no wrongdoing.[2]
The lead plaintiff, Bickerton, was quoted in the New York Times as describing the settlement as a “really important moment for this movement against unpaid internships.”[1]
Bickerton worked for Rose and his television show from June through August 2007, working 25 hours per week. She alleges that she performed all of the functions of a regular employee, but received no salary.[1]
The settlement is awaiting approval from the New York Supreme Court before it will be finalized.[3]
The same firm that represented Bickerton and her class, Outten & Golden, are still pursuing two other claims against major media organizations for minimum-wage violations, both in the Southern District of New York.[4]
In July, U.S. District Judge Harold Baer ruled that a federal lawsuit against the Hearst Corporation could go forward under the Fair Labor Standards Act on behalf of all unpaid interns who previously worked in the corporation’s magazines division. The suit is being brought on behalf of Xuedan Wang who worked at Harper’s Bazaar, a fashion magazine.[4]
The second case is against Fox Searchlight Pictures.[4] The lead claimant, Eric Glatt, worked on the Black Swan movie, and claim to have worked more than 40 hours per week, utilizing their own personal equipment for their work.[5]
Discovery in both cases is ongoing.
Read More
Complaint: Lucy Bickerton v. Charles Rose and Charlie Rose, Inc No. 650780/2012
Complaint: Glatt v. Fox Searchlight Pictures Inc 1:2011cv06784
Complaint: Wang v. Hearst Corporation 1:2012cv00793
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 New York Times: Media Decoder "’Charlie Rose’ Show Agrees to Pay Up to $250,00 to Settle Interns’ Lawsuit" December 20, 2012
- ↑ Mediaite "’Charlie Rose Agrees To Pay Up To $250K To Settle Unpaid Intern Lawsuit" December 20, 2012
- ↑ Unpaid Interns Lawsuits: An Outten & Golden LLP Website "’O&G Announces Settlement in Charlie Rose Case" December 20, 2012
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Outten & Golden "’Court Conditionally Certifies Unpaid Intern Collective Under FLSA, According to Outten & Golden LLP" July 13, 2012
- ↑ Unpaid Interns Lawsuits: An Outten & Golden LLP Website "’'Black Swan' Intern Lawsuit Proceeds, Striking Blow Against Unpaid Labor In Film" August 24, 2012, 2012
