Bernie Sanders encouraged millennials to apply for a Senate internship with his office this fall, offering a $12 per hour stipend, an amount that falls below his demands for a $15 minimum wage.
Looking for a paid internship with Sen. Bernie Sanders this fall? Apply by Friday: https://t.co/sDkh08lWE2
— Bernie Sanders (@SenSanders) June 20, 2016
Roll Call reported Tuesday that Twitter users were quick to criticize the Vermont senator for paying interns below what he called a "living wage."
@SenSanders So "Fight For 15" doesn't apply to your interns.
— Spidey (@AnarchyArachnid) June 20, 2016
Bernie sanders: everyone in the US should make a livable wage of 15 an hour. Unless you're my intern then in that case you make 12 an hour
— Jacob Clavesilla (@Clavesilla21) February 28, 2016
Sanders has repeatedly condemned Hillary Clinton for favoring a $12-an-hour federal minimum minimum wage, claiming at an April Democratic presidential debate that the rate is "not good enough."
He said the rate must be raised to $15 per hour to provide workers with a "living wage," despite paying his interns and campaign staff less.
Still, Sanders is the only presidential candidate among the initial sixteen contenders who pays interns.
Clinton relies on free labor for her campaign internships, though she established a paid fellowship last year after The Guardian reported she had brought on experienced organizers as unpaid interns.