unpaid wages

Open letter to Chris Rickert, of Rickert and Beagle Books.

fan Consumer Complaints, Publishers , ,

Chris,

It must be one of the most wonderful experiences of your life, to have your indie book store partnered with loved author, Peter Beagle.

You seem like a passionate person. Many Beagle fans are. It seems part of your commitment to justice.

On 11/28/14, your Twitter account retweeted public comments that show your concern for justice. It’s noticed as part of the issue at hand.

Chris – you must be working with Peter Beagle’s manager, Connor Cochran. He holds Peter’s copyrights.

Did you know that Connor has run his business by stiffing wages to under-the-table workers?

Really… we’ve had the conversation with former workers, corroborating multiple sources. We’ve compared to defenses that Connor has made in piles of private email we hold. And They Just. Don’t. Add. Up.

Imagine: you’re a fan of Peter. You see Connor advertising for company helpers. You apply, dazzled by the prospect of working for a loveable cause. You’re hired with promise of full time pay. That’s so exciting! But pay doesn’t come. You’re treated as an intern. “That wasn’t the bargain”, you think… but the company is poor, says Connor. You’ll get paid later… whenever the money comes.

Later becomes months and tens of thousands owed. As you work, you start to notice a pattern of broken promises to others, never intended to be kept. You’re under financial strain from no pay… barely getting by and only doing it for Peter. Just as Connor counts on. Finally, disillusionment sets in. You admit to yourself you’ve been conned, too. It’s a bitter feeling.

Conlan Press holds the records of your labor, plus you’re afraid that under-the-table work means tax trouble. (It does, but the EMPLOYER is the ower of withholdings to the IRS.) You can do nothing but quit.

And you’re silenced. Connor has a new con… he’s blaming YOU for causing problems. That’s so convenient, isn’t it? It’s the oldest story in the book when it comes to employer abuse. But it’s not just you… there’s coinciding others. The common denominator is Connor. Isn’t that curious?

This is the story corroborated by multiple sources we’ve consulted.

Chris, Peter Beagle’s work is being put out using the very labor exploitation that you care about changing.

Have you asked Connor about this? Would you rather not rock the boat when things are so close between you and Peter? Please, think… what does it mean if you indirectly benefit from stiffed labor in his name?

Records of these very sensitive matters are being held in confidence, because some named in them are sickened by the experiences and want to put it behind them. It’s like court cases where victims don’t want to be re-victimized. But you CAN ask questions.

Please, do the right thing, and ask those questions.

We wish you success in business, and hope for change with Peter’s management and fairness for his fans.