After several phone interviews I was hired to work their "front desk" between 12/1 through April 30. The deal was I would pay my airfare between my home in Florida, and Fairbanks, AK, and they in turn fly you into Bettles.
I arrived in Fairbanks as scheduled. My first inclination that something was not right was when the small airline flying to Bettles informed me that I was not confirmed and on standby. They told me the Lodge always does this to new employees because they only want to pay a discounted rate, and only a few discounted seats are available on each flight. If I the lower price seats were filled up, I would have to find a hotel at my own expense and wait until the first discounted seats became available which may have taken days according to the Agent. Although I did make it on the plane, I was told that I would have to pay for my own luggage as the lodge will not pay for ANY baggage period. I was never informed of this. I only had 52 IBs of luggage and had to pay 50 bucks out of pocket. No one at Bettles ever mentioned this to me.
I arrive at the lodge. I'm shocked to find that the Lodge that is pictured on the web site and is used for all of the promo shots, is shut down. I was taken to someplace that resembled a halfway house. I learned that although my room and board was supposedly included in my pay... That did not include drinks, desserts, etc. But worse then that... There was no "front desk" of any sort. I was immediately told by the owners daughter that they had no guests for the entire month of December and my duties had been changed from front desk to "indoor/outdoor all around"- That meant working outside in brutal conditions doing hardcore manual labor.
My first job was shoveling snow all day. Then they told me I had to meet the plane each evening and unload 100 of Ibs of supplies onto a pickup truck. This was all done outside and in the freezing cold. I spent one whole day taking inventory outside in minus 33 degree below zero temps-
On my 7th day I asked Jamie Klaes (the owners daughter) if we could talk. We sat down I asked her how I was doing. She told me that I was doing great and that she was "thrilled to have me". On my 11th day she had me hanging up Christmas decorations. While doing so she asked me if my family goes all out for Christmas back home in FL - I told her no, because we are Jewish. Her demeanor instantly changed. An hour later she called me into her office. She told me that her and her 3 other employees need a close knit crew, and that "Jewish was not going to cut it" she fired me on the spot and told me she made arrangements for me to be on the next plane out of Bettles which was leaving in 30 minutes. She went on to say there was a travel voucher waiting for me in Fairbanks to get me back home. I was stunned. I asked about my pay. She said we don't pay for employees who don't work out for the entire season, and we use the travel vouchers IN LEIU of pay. I stated I would get my own ticket and demanded assurance that I would be paid. She told me to "sue her" and that her Father Paul Klaes was the mayor of Bettles and I would get nowhere. She went on saying I need to be on that plane leaving in 30 minutes.
I ran back to the living quarters which they provide. I packed, but the plane was canceled due to a blizzard. Jamie Klaes was concerned about me going back to the living quarters after firing me and refusing to pay me. She called her Mom to ask what to do with me (as if I were a dog), and her Mom told her to put me in the unheated garage for the night! I was stunned, horrified, victimized, and nearly froze to death in that garage when the temp dipped to minus 40 that night. I developed an upper respitory infection as well.
Then, when I arrived back home I was in contact with the other lodge in Bettles. I contacted them because I was stunned that not only was I the victim of blatant discrimination, but they were not going to pay me nearly 900 owed to me. The owners of the Lodge across the street informed me this is common practice for Bettles. They get people up there to do manual labor, then if they complain, or can't afford to keep them they fire them without warning and send them home.
This whole ordeal was a scam. I was never going to work a "front Desk" as there was none. And now I have to go through the Alaska Labor Board and EEOC just to get my wage. I hope no one will fall into the same trap I did.
0 comments