In November I interviewed at fitness 19 in Arroyo Grande CA and was hired on the spot. Within 5 minutes of this interview I was told that I would have 40% ownership in a club and be making over 200,000$ a year within that year (by the operator, Ron walker)
I worked at this location for three years, at one point averaging 90 hours a week and not taking a day off for a whole year. I was constantly told monthly that I would be sent to another state the upcoming month to open my own club and have ownership of this club with Documents saying i would have ownership. This never happened! During my time I saw this happen to many other employees as well…Most of them fired because of personal reasons of the operator
At the arroyo Grande location I broke ALL sales records….. And was told that all my hard work would pay off and I would be given my own health club. After my 3rd year at this location I was sent to Woodstock GA (paying my own money to be transferred)…. And was told I would own a club in Kennesaw GA (the club didn’t exist, and still doesn’t but somehow I was supposed to own it?) Upon arrival in GA I asked my boss (Ron walker) when this club was set to open, and he replied that he was not sure if it was going to open at all!!! So basically I was sent out there on a lie and other operators knew about this ahead of time.
It turned out what I was actually was sent out there for and was not TOLD this was to spy on other employees in the company. I was told this TWO YEARS after the fact. Not only was I offered ownership on a club didn’t exist, I was told I would get ownership in a club that was promised to multiple employee (Marietta GA location). I also learned this after the fact.
I worked at the Woodstock GA location for about 4 moths (because my boss had nowhere else to put me)…. At this location I was a FANTASTIC employee, where I went above and beyond in my daily work. Finally, I was sent to the Lawrenceville GA location, because they had nowhere else to put me.
Before I went to this location my boss (Ron walker) came to GA and thanked me and apologized to me for sending me to GA even though he KNEW and admitted to me that he had lied to me about having a club out there that I would have ownership in.
The Lawrenceville GA location is probably the worst location in all of Fitness 19… I broke ALL sales records there and was the only person to go in to this location and have it make money. This time I was told that I would get 20% ownership in this club….. I spent a year at this location and was never given ANY ownership in this club. I brought the issue up MANYTIMES and was told every time that I was “not ready for it and that other operators in the company did not want me to have ownership at this location”
So this is 3 clubs I was offered ownership in and was lied to about all three!!!
After I left the Lawrenceville GA location I complained that the situation I was in at Fitness 19 was not working out for me and if something didn’t happen within the next year I would have to go elsewhere.
I was transferred to the Bakersfield CA location (again moving on my own dime). I was told that I would be getting ownership in a club that was opening up in Los Angeles California. While moving I found out that I might be fired for complaining. My boss (Ron walker) was going to fire me when I arrived in California; he was going to let me drive all the way across the country and then fire me when I arrived. When I confronted him about it he let me know that it was something he considered in passing (other fitness 19 employees can attest to this).
I was supposed to start a pre sale in LA within 3 months of my arrival in bakersfield……I spent a year at the Bakersfield location. I question my boss multiple times whether or not I was going to get my own club or be fired, he assured me that I was getting my own club and ownership of my own club. He also gave me the direct phone number of our company president (Robert Lineberger)…… He told me that he wanted me to call him and ask him if I was getting my own club. I did not! Shortly after I received a call from Mr. Lineberger while I was working at the Bakersfield location. I spoke with him for over 45 minutes.in this conversation Mr. Lineberger told me repeatedly that he was going to” TAKE CARE OF ME” and he promised me ownership in my own club with in the year and not to listen to any other people in the company because he makes the decisions.
A year went by in Bakersfield…… I finally had a meeting set up where I was supposed to get my own club, at this meeting (Ron walker and Robert Lineberger). It was agreed that I would start a presale at a club (in bellflower CA) that i was supposed to receive ownership in…..
We started the presale in April and I learned quickly that NOTHING would be mine. I was told who my manager would be, I was told who my employees would be and I was told that I basically had no control over anything at the club, I had to report directly to another employee (marshal Ransdell)….. I continued working myself to death at this presale (like I did at every club I worked). I broke EVERY presales sales record…… I beat every other presale that had been done in our company before. Here is where things start to go really bad……. I started to question whether or not I actually had control of this club and if I was going to start making money off of it (because I had not been paid at all yet.) Mr. Ransdell began belittling me daily in front of the employees that were supposed to be mine. Calling me things like…. A liar, a piece of shit, a faggot, a complete fucking baby. It became apparent to me that they were trying to make me quit or push me out of the club. When I complained to my boss, whom I let him know MANYTIMES (Ron Walker) nothing was done and things became worse… I was repeatedly attacked if I had any problem, or disagreed in anyway. After this I was isolated by the whole staff …. Mr. Ransdell’s attacks became more frequent and more intense, at many times I had the impression that I was going to be attacked physically.
When it became time to receive my first profit check (my 40%), It was made known to me minutes before that IF I actually did get a profit check it would only be 15%. I never received any profit check….. I was told I would get a base salary until they decided when I was ready to get my percent, and would not receive any ownership papers. I was paid 2400$ once a month (28, ooo a year). Once they found out how much money the club was going to make fitness 19 totally backed away from giving me a profit check or ownership.
In the end I was let go because I complained on face book. I complained about another employee and how I was being verbally attacked daily and was in fear of being physically attacked. I was called names like faggot, pussy and piece of shit DAILY and when I brought it up to my superior (Ron Walker), nothing was done, I never mentioned anything about fitness 19 or even mentioned a name….. I was never written up once and when I was let go I was made to sign two BLANK termination forms (in which I made a note on them that they were blank and there was no explanation of termination)
Through my whole career with fitness 19 I averaged 90 hours a week, my first week alone I worked over 110 hours. I never called in sick ONCE. I was the best employee at every club I worked at and was trusted enough to run many clubs. I have the highest sales at almost EVERY club I worked at and other employees can attest to that. I was promised owner ship in a club OVER AND OVER. My first five seconds with the company I was told I would own my own business within a year. I was lied to repeatedly! I have seen them do this to many other employees, taking advantage of all of so that they may profit. Not only do they break a number of labor laws, they defraud everyone and im tired of seeing hardworking people like myself being promised the WORLD and then thrown away like trash when they have made enough money off them….
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