A campaign by New York City Council interns to secure a $32 hourly wage and benefits ended in the firing of a lead organizer this week. Mina Farahmand, who was interning for Council Member Harvey Epstein, was dismissed shortly after she and 31 others petitioned Speaker Julie Menin for a standardized intern fund. The incident highlights a fractured system where pay remains inconsistent across different council offices.
How the intern pay dispute began
The push for standardized compensation intensified during the Youth Civic Summit on June 15, 2026. According to reports, Farahmand, a recent New York University graduate, confronted Speaker Menin during a Q&A session and again as the Speaker departed the event. Along with a group of 32 interns, Farahmand utilized an Instagram account, @nyccouncilinterns, and social media comments to urge the Speaker to support a budget-funded program providing $32 per hour plus health insurance. Farahmand described the Speaker’s response to these requests as open but noncommittal. In a statement to City & State, a spokesperson for Menin noted that the office was already reviewing internal internship policies and that these conversations are ongoing.
Why the council’s internship system is inconsistent
Current council internship practices vary significantly between offices, creating a divide between paid and unpaid roles. While the City Council’s central staff utilizes a formal program paying $32 per hour, individual members and caucuses like the Progressive Caucus operate under different rules. Some members allocate funds from their own staff budgets to treat interns like part-time employees. Others rely on unpaid labor, often offering only college credit. This creates a disparity where interns across the council perform similar duties but receive vastly different levels of financial support, ranging from full hourly wages to zero compensation.
What may happen next for the council
The firing of Farahmand could lead to increased pressure on Speaker Menin’s office to formalize internship compensation. As the council continues its ongoing review of internship policies, the public nature of the petition and the subsequent dismissal of a lead organizer may force a quicker resolution regarding budget allocations for intern pay. If the council chooses to address these inequities, it could move to centralize funding, potentially ending the practice of individual offices deciding whether or not to pay their interns. Conversely, if no action is taken, the current patchwork system of funded fellowships and unpaid volunteer roles is likely to remain in place.
