The Tribune

By KHRISNA VIRGIL 

Tribune Staff Reporter

kvirgil@tribunemedia.net

AS a legal battle continues in court over the future of the stalled Baha Mar resort, employees of the $3.5bn development yesterday explained how their lives have been affected by the ongoing deadlock, which has no end in sight.

Since Baha Mar announced on June 29 that it had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the United States, the major stakeholders have been embroiled in a bitter court fight in the Bahamas and the US over the resort’s future.

But no one has felt the impact of Baha Mar’s opening delays more than the Bahamians who were a part of the resort’s hefty work force, many of them leaving secure jobs to explore a new career path.

Allan Smith, 30, said in the aftermath of the resort’s bankruptcy filing he was faced with mounting bills and extreme paranoia over how he would make ends meet.

He told The Tribune that while he did receive his base salary from the government – which has paid Bahamian workers on several pay cycles – the money was a “drop in the bucket” when compared to his monthly bills. He added that the figure did not take into account the gratuities he made as a worker on the property.

He said when he got the call that he had been hired for a supervisory position at the resort, he severed ties with the local bank with which he was employed despite recently receiving a promotion for a higher paying position.

Mr Smith said he was uncertain about hotel work, but he was more than excited to capitalise on the “sweet deal” he had been offered. If he had to do it again, Mr Smith said he would not have accepted the position with Baha Mar.

“I went to Baha Mar and interviewed with them, and the same day I was hired,” Mr Smith said. “I had my reservations about hotel work because you know these things are seasonal, but I was assured that my position would make me more secure than others.”

Soon he got the disappointing news from Baha Mar to go home until further notice.

“I felt stupid that I left the bank and I sure as hell was panicking. How was I going to pay my bills?”

Mr Smith said he was forced to call his bank and ask for a grace period to become current with his bills. He recently was hired at a warehouse and said he is now working to “dig himself out of a financial hole”.

Mr Smith said he would not return to Baha Mar if offered a job again once the property emerges from its stalemate.

Mother-of-one Carissa Evans, 28, has not been as fortunate in finding new employment.

She was initially hired to work for a jewellery store chain, which was to operate in Baha Mar.

She said she has found it hard to accept the resort’s opening delays after having to undergo two months of vigorous training.

“They placed us in stores because they kept telling us the Baha Mar store would soon be open in a number of weeks. That turned into about three months until they began letting people go. The first round of layoffs was 12 people then came another 15 people.

“The reason they gave for this was performance and that business was slow.

“Right now I don’t have a job and the job market out there right now is not the best. I’ve been looking for the past few months, but no success. I have a son to take care of and school is opening. I just don’t know what to do.”

Another worker, who wanted to remain anonymous, said while he was disappointed, he was fortunate to go back to the job he held before taking up employment with Baha Mar.

He expressed sadness for the many other workers who have not been able to find work and urged them to never give up.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court is expected to make a decision on September 4 on the government’s winding up petition against the resort. If the petition is approved, the court would appoint provisional liquidators to oversee the resort and get it on a path to completion.

Baha Mar is 97 per cent finished. The resort was expected to hire 5,000 workers once it was fully operational.

• Some names have been changed at the request of the persons interviewed.