They were a great story, the 2013 Portland Timbers.

How disappointing, then, that the franchise still has a 1993 attitude about unpaid internships.

In a spectacular turnaround, the Timbers lost only once in 17 games this year at Jeld-Wen Field. They didn't allow a goal at home over a fourth-month span. Caleb Porter was named Major League Soccer's coach of the year as the Timbers advanced to the conference finals, fueled by the Army, that rugged #RCTID pride ...

And the usual unpaid interns.

On Nov. 22,

that the club owes 23-year-old Chelsea Lynn Robinson $2,188.28 in back wages.

Chelsea Lynn Robinson

That pencils out to Oregon's paltry minimum wage for the 244.5 hours Robinson worked, unpaid, while directing Timber youth soccer camps in June and July.

The judgment -- BOLI's only one involving unpaid interns this year -- is vindication for Robinson.

When she complained about her wages, the Timbers humored her: "They weren't taking me seriously. It didn't seem like they were completely aware of

When she filed the complaint, the Timbers fired her.

"They said this was grounds for termination," Robinson said. "As I wasn't getting paid, it was hard for me to understand how I was getting fired."

The Timbers, by the way, don't think this is a story. The Timbers believe their interns -- they have 10 in the off-season, down from 35 over the summer -- are fortunate just to bivouac with the Army.

"The Timbers have a longstanding, successful internship program that has provided invaluable experiences for many people," the club said in a terse statement.

"While there was one isolated complaint brought against the team, we continue to be in compliance with all prevailing labor guidelines and will continue to offer a variety of rewarding experiences for people interested in a career in sports."

One isolated complaint? That's true. But Maria D. Perez, a BOLI compliance specialist, notes that three other interns worked with Robinson in the youth-soccer program, and has asked the Timbers for "verification that they have also been appropriately compensated for their time worked."

Robinson -- a Sunset High School grad who played soccer at Boise State -- had a great first month with the Timbers. There was both inspiration and supervision. There was little doubt the experience was benefiting her more than her employer, as required by law.

But in the beginning of June, Robinson and three other interns began working full time supervising youth soccer camps in Vancouver, Tualatin and Roseburg. She knew the requirements for unpaid internships, and knew the unsupervised drudgery at the camps didn't clear the bar.

"I was managing coaches who were getting paid," Robinson said. "That seemed weird to me. And the (routine) was the same week after week. I've mastered this, I kept telling myself: What else can I gain from this?"

When Robinson brought this to the Timbers' attention, she said the intern coordinator and her direct manager told her, "You knew it was an unpaid internship when you applied for the job."

"I heard that a lot," she said. "What was repeated over and over was that internships were about paying your dues. You should be grateful and happy and feel lucky you're offered this opportunity.

"They've had unpaid interns around for so long. The culture is deeply ingrained. That doesn't change the fact that (the program) isn't being run correctly."

Other interns agreed with her, Robinson said: "But they didn't want to lose the reference they were going to get because that reference is so valuable in this job market."

BOLI understands that.

, but the agency can only investigate potential minimum-wage violations, BOLI's Charlie Burr said, when someone complains.

Few interns do. They suck it up. They work for resume lines and Timbers swag. They provide limitless energy on the chance that a future employer will be impressed by their willingness to take one for the team.

They delay payment on those student loans. "I was lucky enough to live at my mom's house, so I didn't have to pay for rent and food," Robinson said. "I know a lot of people who can't do that. And those people are put at a disadvantage when it comes to unpaid internships. It's a vicious cycle."

It's worse than that. It's a demeaning culture. It's an insult to college students and a cheap out for the businesses who insist the peasants should be satisfied with a "rewarding experience."

The Portland Trail Blazers figured that out. In another spectacular turnaround, the Blazers began paying interns four years ago.

"There was a collective decision made to raise our game," said Michael Lewellen, the Blazers' VP for communications. "That decision raised the quality of intern candidates ... (and) that improved talent pool also helped create a strong pipeline of future Trail Blazer employees."

It's time for the Timbers to raise

their

game. "I put in four months, working my butt off for them," Robinson said. "I didn't want to jeopardize that work and have it all be for nothing.

"But I wanted to stand up for myself. I don't like being taken advantage of. I don't like being used. That was more important to me than the reference."

You'd think, in 2013, that someone would appreciate a woman with that sense of dignity and mission. Someone might want to finally pay her, too.

-- Steve Duin