ground worker skills?

[Menchhofer]

I wonder if there would be enough interest for a groundie only category? Probably not though.

 

[Ryan Willock]

DTE, your right about the "Living Wage", they have to eat and live just like the rest of us so I personally base my pay on preformance and attitude. Every thing is relative, by that i mean what a person can live on in place A maybe totaly differant than place B!!! I state that only because of a discussion in another thread about labor rates and what not.

 

[treeguy347]

I have to agree with DTE. Jock has a pretty bad view on his groundies. I'd sonner change bedpans than work for him. Without ground guys, how are you gonna run your business??? In response to his post right after mine: The thing about spilling oil all over the place does bother me, but it was meant more as a joke. A groundie (or any other employee) with the right attitude and showing up when they're supposed to can usually be trained to do just about anything ou need of them. I would have fired the guys who blew off work in favor of the bar also, but there are times when something legitamate comes up, and under those circumstances, it's very nice to at least know that they aren't gonna be there, rather than wait on them.

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

OK people enough of the flame BS, let's act like adults.

I happen to agree with everyone here on the discussion (those parts I did not cut out)

Most of us hire groundies as entry level employees and have them dragging brush til the show an ability to do more then grunt work. We go through a lot of them to winnow the chaff and find the ones worth paying good money to keep

Yes, "sac 'em' if they are chronic screw ups, especialy if they go off for a pint durring the work day. Pay them more if they show up on time and work hard. Give another raise if they show innitiative on the job.

Jock, I think your opinion would have been better recieved if you would have weighed the diatrib by saying you actualy keep some good employees and pay them well. You must, because you said "we" were there till 9 finnishing up, implying that the othere heplers were there with you pulling the slack of the worthless POS's that you sacced.

Once again, let's refrain from volitile echanges of off topic vitrol. Leave that stuff for PM's and email.

Thanks.

 

[Jock]

Well said, JPS, Just to confirm thing's I have 4 groundworkers here 3 of them have worked for me for 4 years, and 1 for 2years good workers, earn top dollar plus job bonus, hourly rate here is £11.00 per hour for a good groundsman, thats roughly equivelant to $16.50 per hour, bonus works on large removals, if I can foresee the job finishing by the end of the day or lunchtime the following day, theres a £50.00 cash bonus on that job and that has been known to happen more than once a week, the most important factor of all is that my groundsmen give us hell if we start to weary up the trees, same as i give them hell if they weary on the ground, we work well together, but theres no pulling away from the fact that most groundies can if allowed become a drain on your business so thats why i sack them. Should clear the point I hope, so just chill DTE and read more carefully.......Jock

 

[Jock]

Ok DTE, Lets just end it, I've never been employed as a groundie but occasionally, if I turn up on a job i'll muck in just like even you might do, it's hard work i agree, but so what pay them accordingly, also as a point of interest to you guys who have your own business, I employ East European labour, at the exact same rates as the guys here get, lots of paperwork to get them here but believe me they appreciate the opportunities, and they also go home when the visa expires, Romanian workers are good workers in my experience, and the harder you work the harder they work, the bonus is there beer money, and the wages are for there families, to give them what they should have had years ago, a good lifestyle, I believe you guys have Mexicans not Romanians, so tell me , maybe in a new thread so as to end this arguing, How are they paid? the same as American guys? in fact i'll start the thread to show goodwill ...Jock

 

[TREETX]

I use Mexican groundies. General labor goes for $6-$8/hr. I pay $10-$12 but that is for guys that can get it. They are one step ahead of me, saws gased up w/out asking. Ready to lower a limb once it is tied on without asking, the ability to operate and sharpen a saw, and the unbelieveable ability to drag brush faster than I can drop it .

I like the Mexican guys because they are there to work, get a job done, and get paid. Most of the American (white) guys I have worked are more concerned with who gets to do what and how much I am taking off a job compared to what they are getting paid.

Pay is cash and as far as visas and green cards, it is a don't ask, don't tell policy. If you demand them, you will just end up with fakes and a load of questions and paperwork at the end of the year.

I don't use general labor dead heads at all - my time is too valuable to put up with ignorance.

Many of the climbers I worked with in Germany were from the Balkans or Turkey.

Like all workers, there are many out there that are just looking to cart off your gear when you are away.

 

[Jock]

An answer in all seriousness DTE, I was climbing trees long before I left school and started work, and like everyone else took on to cut branches off trees for people, extremely dangerous i know but it was cut them burn them or hide them somewhere, it escalated from rough pruning to TOPPING but i didnt know any better, I was a kid mad on cash, thats basically the answer, I slaughtered my poor neighbours trees, took their money and didnt feeel guilty, hid brash in compost piles etc etc, but after school i became more aware and started in business , end of story...Jock

 

[budroe69moni]

my 2 cents.....

being a owner/operator of Golden 1 Arborist
i do it all, from the ground up! you're only as
good as your help....lead by example.....walk
the talk ect. ect. ect.
if you're not willing to do the work.........
why should your ground help??????
just my 2 cents,
budroe

 

[John Paul Sanborn]

Aint that the truth, these guys who think it is their job to get as much on the ground as fast as possible with no reguard for the rest of the team are a PITA to work for.

I do like being able to rig a lot of big stuff out fast, but waiting for the ground to clear the debris is important.

There is nothing better then a guy on the ground who know to look at your line every few minutes to keep it from being fouled. Those little things can make trhe differance between a good and and day.

 

[Kneejerk Bombas]

Working on the ground once in a while is a great way to sharpen your skills as a climber. Also, a good ground man makes all the difference in the world as to how much work gets done, irregardless of the climbers skills. A chain is only as good as it's weakest link.

 

[Jumper]

JP I agree with you re getting the big stuff down, and the importance of having the area below clean. One guy I worked for did not want any of the larger pieces bucked up to be moved aside, because he was more worried about its value as firewood than his own safety in the tree and mine on the ground. It is very difficult to work in an area where you are tripping all over everything , can not move backwards with a line without falling etc. not to menton keeping the climbers lines tiddly. This was furher compounded by it being a very small back yard.

 

[jblimbwalker]

we all know what distinguishes good from bad ground help. If you try to make things hard on them, they will return the favor. A lot of bucket guys will free cut, or rope out massive limbs, only wasting valuable time and energy of the men on the ground. Every man on the job is a valuable component and the boss don't get paid 'till the job is done anyway.