is it just me, or am i not getting paid enough

[VA-Sawyer]

I didn't realize you were making two bad life altering choices at the same time! Making a career of treework and getting married? You need to head for the closest nut house ASAP ! At first, I thought you were just a little off your rocker, like the rest of us. But, getting married too ? Good luck with that!

Rick

PS

 

[richard88]

you know it's funny because i often think she's crazy because she wants to marry a beer drinking (not heavily of course) rock climber/tree nerd, she asked me the other day when i got my ms192t if i loved my chainsaws more than her.....my simple answer was "baby i name all of my chainsaws after you" that scored me biiiiigggg points! I have to try to make up for all of the long boring conversations about the mountains i want to climb and full detail account of what i did at work that day.

 

[VA-Sawyer]

You really should be in treework..... you are such a sap! Naming his saws after her.......... what will she think when he uses her name on an big ol' 880 ?

Rick

 

[Bigus Termitius]

Get back to work!!

 

[defensiblespace]

Have you tried asking for a raise? That sounds like the obvious first step to me?

 

[david miller]

this battle between employee and er is as old as time itself.one fills he not showed enought apreaction. and the other trying to get the most for less. If your ready dont wait for him to pay for the test do it youself then get your CDL you have too make yourself valuable. and dont do anything to make him mad until ISA call him to verified your work and they will call.

 

[david miller]

and one more thing you sound young, so it might be fun now but you have to look long term is this somthing you want to do in your 40 and 50

 

[sgreanbeans]

I pay groundies 10-13, climbers 20 and up. Get that CA, whether he pays for it or not. Once you have that, will make u more desirable to him and others. Sounds like Marquis offered ya a job!

 

[richard88]

yeah, i have asked for a raise and he said he couldn't afford

I will be pursuing my ca on my own, i just submitted my application and my personal payment as well as my cdl. My boss and i do get a long really well, so when it comes time for me to move on i will let him know how much i appreciate the opportunity he gave me to learn so much about this work and hopefully he'll understand and we can both move forward.

This has been a very insightful discussion for me.

Thanks Guys,

Richard

 

[Sagetown]

I'm not an arborist, but I like reading about your experiences, and seems like the trend is- a guy in your field who is worth his salt, eventually starts up his own business. Especially so if he's being underpaid.

 

[shooterschafer]

Hey I here all the trees up there in Wyoming only have limbs on 1 side due to that d##* Wyoming wind heh, We get that wind coming from the north here in No Co. drives me nuts ! I would ask for a raise!

 

[Customcuts]

Thanks Rick,

i could still go to work for the other company, but i have come to find out that they are responsible for much of the poorly trimmed dead trees in the area. Im starting to think that a move might be in order, so that i can stay with a reputable professional company and get paid a fair wage. im not looking to get rich, but as it is now i work really hard only to fall short at the end of the month when its time to pay bills. i was all about paying my dues at first, but now i just feel underappreciated. I would understand having short pay checks if the company isnt making money, but we work all year round.

Thanks,

Richard

. Too bad u don't live in my area, I pay ground guys ten to start and bump to 12 if they make it, and anyone who has a genuine passion for trees and doing good tree work is definitely a great asset to the company, I pay climbers at least 15+.I think u would do better going out on your own and doing residential. If I were u I would work there until I got up enough equipment to go out on ny own. And as long as u can bid the jobs fair and not screw itself u will do fine. Good luck man

 

[husabud]

I just lost my ground man. I guess those little pills are more important than$20/ hr he was making. Come on out I'll put you to work. You climb too and are working toward CA, I'll start ya at $20.

 

[beastmaster]

If you honestly think your worth more then ask for it. I spent a lot of years working for a_ _ H_ _es, some times getting paid good wages sometimes not. Being at the mercy of some cheap boss sucks. I learned to turn the table, marketing my skill level and experience and not being afraid to ask for what I think I am worth .
Good employees, with a drivers lic. and drug free are rare and worth good money, if you have skills to boot, show up on time, take responsibly your worth your weight in gold.
A little trick I learned is to make your self indispensably to the company, then lean on them for more money, But be carefull and don't burn those bridges.
Also be carefull, I have seen lots of people who thought they were indispensable end up fired, and easily replaced.
You have to beleave in your self and have confidence, and know your worth more, to get more.

 

[jefflovstrom]

If you honestly think your worth more then ask for it. I spent a lot of years working for a_ _ H_ _es, some times getting paid good wages sometimes not. Being at the mercy of some cheap boss sucks. I learned to turn the table, marketing my skill level and experience and not being afraid to ask for what I think I am worth .
Good employees, with a drivers lic. and drug free are rare and worth good money, if you have skills to boot, show up on time, take responsibly your worth your weight in gold.
A little trick I learned is to make your self indispensably to the company, then lean on them for more money, But be carefull and don't burn those bridges.
Also be carefull, I have seen lots of people who thought they were indispensable end up fired, and easily replaced.
You have to beleave in your self and have confidence, and know your worth more, to get more.

I agree with Wade, Move to So-Cal where at least we are gaining ground on tree care here.
Jeff

 

[arborjockey]

I haven't read all the post but let me get this straight, you own some of your own gear and have been working with your ice climbing buddy on a ranch for 6 months. Now you're doing massive line clearance jobs with a 12 year vet who doesn't like heights. I hope you were falling and doing some mean tree work for the forests service because your doing big trees 4 cheeeeeep and its dangerous. Assuming your getting production done. If your the main man on the job and taking over trees for the 12 year climber forget the $ get away from those guys and get away from line clearance for awhile. Go find some other climbers to push you into getting even better. This situation will put a bad taste in your mouth about tree work. The $ is good. Don't let the owner tell you the pay.:taped: You tell him. Let him sit in his car but get his $. Keep your gear at home make him buy your stuff.

I've killed myself and worn out my gear making tree companies lots of money. In the end all I got was a " hey your the best" . The owner talks about, taxes, workmans comp, insurance, my ex wife, home owner didn't pay, all while they pac for their next vacation.

Go with the 2 week plan. You pay me this much for 2 weeks. When you find out im extraordinary and your production is going up, now pay me what im worth.

 

[richard88]

to arborjockey,

The forest Service was a really great experience and taught me a lot about different teqniques for bringing down trees from the ground, sometimes size complicated things, or you'd come accross a huge fire damaged tree that has to come down (or is still on fire and has to come down), working on conifer encroachment in aspen stands (so trees had to be dropped without destroying the trees we were trying to save, or sometimes it was clear cutting for forest saftey zones. I was really fortunate to be on the same crew as one of my other climbing partners, who was the saw cordinator for our forest and 13 year wildland fire sawyer. Working out on the ranch was a big learning curve, basically around here ranch houses are always surround by huge deteriorating cottonwood trees, i picked up the isa ca book and the tree climbers companion and i taught myself the basics of climbing trees by starting small and working my way up to bigger trees (all removals so no healthy trees were harmed by inexperience during this time). Then i got the job that i have now and began refining all of my cutting and climbing techniques with proper training in all aspects of arboriculture.

The guy that i work with every day does not climb, he was actually a groundsman for 12 years and for the last 2 years he's been in the bucket learning more about that job, but as i said hes affraid of heights. My boss is a skilled climber, but he no longer works, so i do all of the climbing and tall trees from the bucket (anything 50ft + i have to do). I did ask for the raise, but i think my boss just ignored me (too bad, im starting to loose a lot of the respect i had for him)

I've thought about it a lot over the last couple days and i think i'll stay where i am for 6 months to save and look for a job elsewhere. Id really love to go out on my own here locally, but i feel like i have a lot to learn still and i'd like to see what kind of different experience i can get from somewhere else.

Im thinking colorado, montana, idaho, or alaska, but i can find something i like about most places.

Thanks for all the replies guys, ive gotten some really great suggestions here.

Richard

 

[Toddppm]

That's what I'm talking about. I didn't think I was being harsh at all, he went from work on a ranch with an ice climber to taking over a line clearance co. in a year????????? I don't think he's seen #### yet and will be shocked at what a real production tree company can do. Or even a small professional residential tree company.
If you like it that much there's much better avenues to pursue in this business and you'll have alot more fun. Oh yea and alot more $$$$$$$$

 

[richard88]

toddppm,

You're definitely not being harsh, i completely agree, that is why i feel like i'd be better served elsewhere. I hope i didn't come accross as bragging about experience this was more about work ethic and aptitude and quite simply doing way more than you get paid for in a very dangerous profession.

Thanks,

Richard

 

[arborjockey]

Good stuff kid. I agree with above. Get out go to a residential tree service. Get around some young guys who enjoy climbing. Your word usage alone let's me believe you need a raise. The guys I work with can't spell tree. Sure like to get you out here. Come to hawaii. I've been to co,mt, and idaho many times. But the big Alaska is where its at and my next stop after Denmark. Don't forgetn about canada. Great tree work being done up there.

Nothing against you and your prevouse work buuuuuuut. In Oregon my boss met up with a young gun faller from Colorado. He had a hazardous falling credential that only like 10-12 people in the u.s. carry. He said the forrest service sent him in as a specialized faller for large or extremely hazardous trees. The wife the baby everyone moved out. He was fit looking wore all the timber clothing and all. The saddest part of all he really liked my boss and the business. BUT HE SUCKED. In 5 min of running the saw my boss said " uh oh. He's not that good" in a week he was gone.

Don't lean to hard on the I.S.A. Its a good starting point. Memorize the glossary in the study guide and your good. Tree climbers companion is great. Advanced rigging dvd that was $500 is somewhat affordable now. The #1 The FUNDAMENTALS OF GENERAL TREE WORK. Read it, study it, love it like it was your own.

Good luck and be safe.