Official Explanation:North Peoplestown has recently passed a law stating that interns working more than 10 hours a week must be paid, effectively prohibiting unpaid internships in the town. The law also requires retroactive payment to interns working for a company for the 6 months the law was under review. North Peoplestown is a large, college town and many of the employers take advantage of this by offering unpaid internships to college students. Several companies are refusing to pay the backpay owed to their interns as a result of the law. The town has not enforced the backpay requirement of the law. The North Peoplestown University Student Association has formed a union for student interns and are planning to demand enforcement.
Which of the following, if true, most weakens the union’s legal position?A. Most of the interns in the student association’s union work greater than 15 hours.
B. Most of the interns in the student association’s union work greater than 25 hours. C. Most of the interns in the student association’s union work less than 10 hours. D. The student association’s union does not have legal counsel.
E. The student association’s union does not have the funding to wage a legal battle. Question Type: Weaken
Boil It Down: North Peoplestown passed a law requiring all interns working 10+ hours/week be paid. They also require businesses to back-pay interns who worked 10+ hours/week during the law’s 6-month review process. Businesses refuse to pay back-pay, and the town isn’t enforcing the rule. Therefore, the school is forming a union to demand businesses pay back those interns.
Goal: Find the option that would weaken the union’s argument that the town enforce the new law. Analysis:This is a pretty standard “weaken” question. We need to determine which option would most undermine the union’s argument. The union wants North Peoplestown to enforce their new law, especially the part about back-pay for interns who worked during the law’s 6-month review process.
We need to rule out any options that would either strengthen the union’s position, or at the very least not damage their position either way.
A. Most of the interns in the student association’s union work greater than 15 hours.
This is incorrect because this information would strengthen the union’s claim.B. Most of the interns in the student association’s union work greater than 25 hours.
This is incorrect because this information would strengthen the union’s claim.C. Most of the interns in the student association’s union work less than 10 hours.
This is the correct answer because, if true, the majority of the union would not be eligible for backpay under this law anyway, amounting to a meager legal claim.D. The student association’s union does not have legal counsel.
This is incorrect because, while this might make the challenge more logistically difficult, it does not weaken their legal position.E. The student association’s union does not have the funding to wage a legal battle.
This is incorrect because, while this might make the challenge more logistically difficult, it does not weaken their legal position. Don’t study for the GMAT. Train for it.