Toronto Life's first intern says why he backs the crackdown on unpaid internships

Derek Finkle, who was Toronto Life's first (unpaid) intern 21 years ago, has written a memoir of his experience for the Story Board site. It details how, soon after became an intern, he wrote what became a cover story for the magazine, yet didn't get paid for it. He explains why he supports the recent crackdown on unpaid internships by the Ontario Ministry of Labour.

The post is an interesting addition to the discussions provoked last week when we published a story about ministry inspectors requiring Toronto Life, The Walrus and other magazines to observe the terms of the Employment Standards Act and pay interns the Ontario minimum wage. The magazines chose, instead, to shut down their internship programs. 

Finkle runs the Canadian Writers Group and as an agent represents dozens of individual senior freelance magazine writers. Story Board is a joint venture between CWG and the Canadian Media Guild.