finding good groundworkers
- Thread starter Mikecutstrees
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mattfr12
The Bulldog
i work for the bartlett tree experts out of crafton PA. i think most major tree companies pay more than 20$ an hour for a respectable climber. the basic climbers in the learning stages that can pretty much get up a tree by themselves and do basic removals and pruning are at atleast 14.00.
Check out what davey and lewis even asphlund are paying im sure its similar.
Check out what davey and lewis even asphlund are paying im sure its similar.
Mitchell
ArboristSite Operative
thanks guys
Yea, she and her younger sister are cutey pies; take after there mom obviously. I hope they will take to tree work, that way I can keep my eye on em!
Keeping with the ground workers theme. Hard to beat family for help. I find my sons 13 and 14, when they visit from England, shaping up to be good little tree workers. It took a year of "are we done yets!"
I like to take my daughters along when I do estimates, I get some rare quality time and people are much more inclined to trust me. I suspect the odd person thinks it is unprofessional, but those are not the type of folks I want as clients.
Yea, she and her younger sister are cutey pies; take after there mom obviously. I hope they will take to tree work, that way I can keep my eye on em!
Keeping with the ground workers theme. Hard to beat family for help. I find my sons 13 and 14, when they visit from England, shaping up to be good little tree workers. It took a year of "are we done yets!"
I like to take my daughters along when I do estimates, I get some rare quality time and people are much more inclined to trust me. I suspect the odd person thinks it is unprofessional, but those are not the type of folks I want as clients.
fireman
ArboristSite Operative
groundies
hey Mitch my son is 5 and my daughters are 9 and 12.when ever i can i use them for clean up when i work by the house.they show more respect and hard work than these young kids do in their teens and early 20's.these kids now a days in are area have no respect for work,they expect everything for nothing you try to tell them something or train them and they already know everything.I'm very easy going and more than fair but these kids today just don't care they also don't take responsibility for there actions.I train my guys for 2 weeks before they touch the chipper and chainsaws even if they say they have experience because in most case these kids never have touched this type of equipment.my best workers are guys in there 40's and I have one gentleman who is 78 years old and puts theses young guys to shame. My son is UN believable he is in the shop working on all the equipment with me I bring him on jobs when I know the customers don't mind a he sits by the house with customer and explains to the customer what we are doing and why were are doing it.the customers love it.He cant wait till we are done cutting because he knows hes not allowed to be in the area we are working until we are done then he grabs a rake and picks up twigs for me.He caught his first muskie this summer by himself 381|2 incher he is amazing.Sorry I had to brag about my little man. I guess your work ethic is on how you were raised not sitting in front of the TV playing games all day. If anyone is looking for work in northern il I'm looking for a few good men
hey Mitch my son is 5 and my daughters are 9 and 12.when ever i can i use them for clean up when i work by the house.they show more respect and hard work than these young kids do in their teens and early 20's.these kids now a days in are area have no respect for work,they expect everything for nothing you try to tell them something or train them and they already know everything.I'm very easy going and more than fair but these kids today just don't care they also don't take responsibility for there actions.I train my guys for 2 weeks before they touch the chipper and chainsaws even if they say they have experience because in most case these kids never have touched this type of equipment.my best workers are guys in there 40's and I have one gentleman who is 78 years old and puts theses young guys to shame. My son is UN believable he is in the shop working on all the equipment with me I bring him on jobs when I know the customers don't mind a he sits by the house with customer and explains to the customer what we are doing and why were are doing it.the customers love it.He cant wait till we are done cutting because he knows hes not allowed to be in the area we are working until we are done then he grabs a rake and picks up twigs for me.He caught his first muskie this summer by himself 381|2 incher he is amazing.Sorry I had to brag about my little man. I guess your work ethic is on how you were raised not sitting in front of the TV playing games all day. If anyone is looking for work in northern il I'm looking for a few good men
I wouldn't generalize about "young people today". That comment has been used for the past 300 years by every generation. I'm sure my parents used it on me and their parents on them. The bigger challenge is that the bigger majority of motivated hard-working youth (and there are many) generally aren't going into hard labouring jobs such as tree work. The opportunities for higher education are significantly greater than even when I was a youth in the '70s, as are the 'information' type jobs. And these type of jobs tend to pay more. When my dad was growing up, a high school diploma was considered the ticket to a good steady job. Now IMHO it carries the same weight as graduating from kindergarten. (I have three high school grads who are in either university or community college).
So the point of my argument is as tree companies, we don't even have a shot at hiring the more motivated youth cohort. There is a reason that most of the groundie new hires are under-educated and under-skilled.
Although I'm talking in generalities, there will always be individuals who prove my argument wrong and my hat is off to them.
Fallen Angel
ArboristSite Member
Lewis, Nelson and Asphlund are our only competetors up my way. Asphlunds foreman rate is 16.00, Nelson 18.00-20.00 and Lewis is about the same. I work for TreeSmiths out of Moscow. Started up after Independent went under. So far for my area they pay the best. My drive time to parking spot varies between 10-45 min. Can make more in Jersey...but really don't want to fight traffic. I live in Bangor. Outside of Stroudsburg and 40 min north of Allentown.
Mitchell
ArboristSite Operative
kids these days
I read somewhere that when they found Socrates work he had a rant about "kids these days" all those 2000 some odd years ago.
Having said that I have found youth today to be on average less inclined to hard work then 15 years ago. I think it might just be a reality of the kinda parents that install strong work ethic in their kids are only having the 1.3 kids. I have had decent kids out from the 90's single mom scenario that are quite frankly lacking. You can tell the biggest influence in their lives was their mom. I have a few late teen kids out at the request of their moms, I just don't have that kinda time to parent work ethic and respect.
Also, its been in our grandparents life times that the move from rural to urban has happened. I think it is fair to say "kids these days" do not have to work as hard as our grandparents. Our work would be better transitioned into by a farm kid then a electronic gaming kid. "whats wrong with saying nint#### here?
Like you wetcoast, I found the best workers are in post secondary and moving on. I said it before here but I think this would change if society/ government viewed tree work more along the lines of plumbing or electrical...
Nice fish Fireman
I read somewhere that when they found Socrates work he had a rant about "kids these days" all those 2000 some odd years ago.
Having said that I have found youth today to be on average less inclined to hard work then 15 years ago. I think it might just be a reality of the kinda parents that install strong work ethic in their kids are only having the 1.3 kids. I have had decent kids out from the 90's single mom scenario that are quite frankly lacking. You can tell the biggest influence in their lives was their mom. I have a few late teen kids out at the request of their moms, I just don't have that kinda time to parent work ethic and respect.
Also, its been in our grandparents life times that the move from rural to urban has happened. I think it is fair to say "kids these days" do not have to work as hard as our grandparents. Our work would be better transitioned into by a farm kid then a electronic gaming kid. "whats wrong with saying nint#### here?
Like you wetcoast, I found the best workers are in post secondary and moving on. I said it before here but I think this would change if society/ government viewed tree work more along the lines of plumbing or electrical...
Nice fish Fireman
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There is a movement by the larger tree companies in BC to have residential tree workers set up with an apprenticeship program (the utility guys already have one). Discussions have been carried out with the Ministry of Labour. I don't know where this will all lead, hopefully to a Trades Ticket.
I also heard that BCIT is considering cancelling its Forest Resource Program due to lack of interest and evolving it into an arboriculture program.
Mitchell
ArboristSite Operative
could work well
I just hope it will not be the "close the door behind you" scenarios that forces some one to go work for one of those big companies for peanuts before there "official."
I would like to see standards that could be challenged in addition to apprenticing.
Typically as we all know, nothing will be done until enough people are maimed or killed. A recognized trade [with restrictions placed on companies trying to operate with out] would be a good first step towards having realistic wages for our sector.
I just hope it will not be the "close the door behind you" scenarios that forces some one to go work for one of those big companies for peanuts before there "official."
I would like to see standards that could be challenged in addition to apprenticing.
Typically as we all know, nothing will be done until enough people are maimed or killed. A recognized trade [with restrictions placed on companies trying to operate with out] would be a good first step towards having realistic wages for our sector.
Now there's an oxymoron.
Mitchell
ArboristSite Operative
to true
I hard to pay good wages for ground guys when you can't charge good money...
Funny how folks in general do not appreciate what we do. I threw a real low ball, get some work for tommorow, quote out last week; $300 for a complete cleanup full canopy 70' 18" dbh dougfir on steep ground with high tension 12' away [plus clearing his house drop]. Figured it would be 3 4 hours drive to park. I could tell from his "oh ok" that he thought it was expensive! I said "you think that is a bit high don't you?"To which he replied "YEA WOW." I just laughed and said in effect "try the next guy." Decent enough guy but all to typical.
I hard to pay good wages for ground guys when you can't charge good money...
Funny how folks in general do not appreciate what we do. I threw a real low ball, get some work for tommorow, quote out last week; $300 for a complete cleanup full canopy 70' 18" dbh dougfir on steep ground with high tension 12' away [plus clearing his house drop]. Figured it would be 3 4 hours drive to park. I could tell from his "oh ok" that he thought it was expensive! I said "you think that is a bit high don't you?"To which he replied "YEA WOW." I just laughed and said in effect "try the next guy." Decent enough guy but all to typical.
