Am I Screwed?

[richard88]

So, i've been in this business for a little while now and I've been preparing to take the ISA Certified Arborist exam.

The Situation:

I showed up for work today and right off the bat my employer and I got in a dispute about how much of my own personal equipment needs to be used at work versus my compensation (very little). My boss really lost it today and showed a side i'd never seen before when all was said and done i got in my truck without a job. My question is i know on the application for CA you have to list experience and im worried because of my bosses totally unexpected outburst this morning, that when i submit my application to ISA and they contact him, that he will try to screw me out of my certification out of spite, has anyone been in a similar situation?

Any responses will greatly appreciated. I certainly was not expecting to lose my job today and i hope that my former employers emotions don't undue all of the time and work that i've put into this as a career.

Thanks,

Richard

 

[newsawtooth]

So, i've been in this business for a little while now and I've been preparing to take the ISA Certified Arborist exam.

The Situation:

I showed up for work today and right off the bat my employer and I got in a dispute about how much of my own personal equipment needs to be used at work versus my compensation (very little). My boss really lost it today and showed a side i'd never seen before when all was said and done i got in my truck without a job. My question is i know on the application for CA you have to list experience and im worried because of my bosses totally unexpected outburst this morning, that when i submit my application to ISA and they contact him, that he will try to screw me out of my certification out of spite, has anyone been in a similar situation?

Any responses will greatly appreciated. I certainly was not expecting to lose my job today and i hope that my former employers emotions don't undue all of the time and work that i've put into this as a career.

Thanks,

Richard

Fear not, Richard. They don't call. They just want your money.

 

[richard88]

Fear not, Richard. They don't call. They just want your money.

Thanks, that's exactly what i was wondering

 

[Job Corps Tree]

Am I Screwed

I would say NO, First any co. needs the experenced Climbers, Go on and get the CA.In the long run it has been one of the best things I did after 17 years of climbing. Now that I have 32 years it still is one of the Better things. Any City that wants to be Tree City USA needs to have an Arborist . Yes the ISA wants your money but dam who don't. You can't do anything without paying someone. Even before I was an CA as a top climber if and when I had a beef with the boss man I could say "Come Monday who do you want me to be climbing you or your Competition How do you want it?" I know where you are you may not have to many tree companys but good climbers are needed all over and one that is also a CA even more so. Go for it , get it and move on with it. Just a pice of paper that says that you took the time to do it the right way and that you will keep on doing it that way every three years I am about reup as a CA for 5th time
it an't no thing

 

[mikewhite85]

CA is well worth the expense. Just send them copies of your w2's. As long as you are honest with your experience you will have no problem.

Sorry your employer is unkind. If you are a good climber, and I assume you are, he will be calling you back within a week. Good climbers are hard to come by. My best guy just left my company to focus more on his music and do occasional contract climbing. I was paying his way to get certified and everything. Hope I can find another full time replacement.

 

[treemandan]

You're screwed Richard......





........if you're counting on the CA to make any difference!

Pork what!!!?? :msp_scared:

All these CA's touting high and mighty about this and that, all I did was ask what they wanted for lunch. I can't even spell epicormic, sounds like something you put on a burger.

 

[treemandan]

So, i've been in this business for a little while now and I've been preparing to take the ISA Certified Arborist exam.

The Situation:

I showed up for work today and right off the bat my employer and I got in a dispute about how much of my own personal equipment needs to be used at work versus my compensation (very little). My boss really lost it today and showed a side i'd never seen before when all was said and done i got in my truck without a job. My question is i know on the application for CA you have to list experience and im worried because of my bosses totally unexpected outburst this morning, that when i submit my application to ISA and they contact him, that he will try to screw me out of my certification out of spite, has anyone been in a similar situation?

Any responses will greatly appreciated. I certainly was not expecting to lose my job today and i hope that my former employers emotions don't undue all of the time and work that i've put into this as a career.

Thanks,

Richard

Tell them you work for yerself.

 

[superjunior]

I lived in wyoming for a few years (Gillette) can't remember seing a single tree lol..

 

[beastmaster]

ISA aside, your boss probably just having a bad day, and you caught him at a bad time. Don't be suprised if he calls you back. When I was younger i worked for several local company's that fired me several times, I quit these same company's several time often, telling them what I think and running my mouth before I left. I'd hear, "you'll never work here again", six months later I would be running their crew again. If your a good employee, and you make the Company money, their pretty forgiving. So long as it not for lieing, stealing, or being on drugs. The competition would probably hire you in a heart beat anyway.
I have never had an employer, even one guy who hates me, give me a bad reference. You don't make it far in buisness holding grudges.
ISA don't check anyway. Nice thing about being a CA is lay people think its way more then it is, but the reality is, it's pretty basic.

 

[tree MDS]

What kind of equipment are we talking about, Richard, and how much did you figure it was worth?

 

[richard88]

Thanks for all the info about CA, i really appreciate it, as i've been studying for a while now and I would like to follow through with it. The way I look at it is you get out of it what you want, sure the test is only 200 or so multiple choice questions, but if you take the time and study all of the available material then you'll learn a lot of great information. I have an AA degree in history and i just treat it like a college class and put that amount of work in.

Thanks,

Richard

 

[richard88]

What kind of equipment are we talking about, Richard, and how much did you figure it was worth?

As far as equipment it's slightly complicated. The blowup boiled down to my climbing gear. When I started this job it was for a ridiculous low wage, but I figured if I showed how valuable I was it would get better. My boss has very old climbing gear and didn't have a saddle that would fit me, so I brought in my own. I soon discovered guy he had previously had nicked ropes with saws and these were the ropes he was climbing on, so I brought in my rope and so on. I even brought in my 372xp while two of his big saws were in the shop, i've covered him on climbing saws, anyways here we are a year later and I told him no raise, no equipment and he lost it and when i say lost it I mean he threw a fit like when you dont buy a kid a toy at the store, at one point he ran up and got in my face like he wanted to get into a fight.

Keep in mind some details, I always get the job done, i've always done anything to help out including using my own gear for his bennefit, for a year I've shown up 15-20 minutes early every day, I climb and do bucket work for both residential and utility contracts, and I get paid $12 an hour

 

[richard88]

I lived in wyoming for a few years (Gillette) can't remember seing a single tree lol..

there are really only three places in wyoming with trees, jackson area, sheridan area, and the laramie area. Other than that it's definitely mostly all high plains desert (gillette definitely falling into this category).

 

[tree MDS]

As far as equipment it's slightly complicated. The blowup boiled down to my climbing gear. When I started this job it was for a ridiculous low wage, but I figured if I showed how valuable I was it would get better. My boss has very old climbing gear and didn't have a saddle that would fit me, so I brought in my own. I soon discovered guy he had previously had nicked ropes with saws and these were the ropes he was climbing on, so I brought in my rope and so on. I even brought in my 372xp while two of his big saws were in the shop, i've covered him on climbing saws, anyways here we are a year later and I told him no raise, no equipment and he lost it and when i say lost it I mean he threw a fit like when you dont buy a kid a toy at the store, at one point he ran up and got in my face like he wanted to get into a fight.

Keep in mind some details, I always get the job done, i've always done anything to help out including using my own gear for his bennefit, for a year I've shown up 15-20 minutes early every day, I climb and do bucket work for both residential and utility contracts, and I get paid $12 an hour

I would have just asked for a raise, and kept the rope and saddle out of it. That's really pretty minimal, in the scope of things.. most climbers want to use their own gear anyway (at least I always did). Seems kinda like demanding more pay, just because you're using your own work boots.

Guy does sound like a cheap bastard though!

 

[richard88]

I would have just asked for a raise, and kept the rope and saddle out of it. That's really pretty minimal, in the scope of things.. most climbers want to use their own gear anyway (at least I always did). Seems kinda like demanding more pay, just because you're using your own work boots.

Guy does sound like a cheap bastard though!

I definitely hear you, I did ask for a raise a few times and i was even promised one after the first of the year (never happened). As far as the climbing gear I have absolutely no problem showing up with all of my climbing gear and have done so for a while now, but what i figure is that you can either pay a climber a fair wage and he can show up with all his gear to get the job done or you can pay $12 an hour and supply safe equipment for your crew to get the job done. Climbing for 12 and hour is already a risk, in that if i get hurt and cant work i have no savings, no paid sick leave, and no bennefits. If i'm already going to go out on a limb for him, I'll be damned if I'm going to do it for dirt wages with my own gear. He just takes and takes and never gives, the other guy that works there has been there for about 14 years and he makes $14, which is absurd for how long he's been there.

 

[tree MDS]

I definitely hear you, I did ask for a raise a few times and i was even promised one after the first of the year (never happened). As far as the climbing gear I have absolutely no problem showing up with all of my climbing gear and have done so for a while now, but what i figure is that you can either pay a climber a fair wage and he can show up with all his gear to get the job done or you can pay $12 an hour and supply safe equipment for your crew to get the job done. Climbing for 12 and hour is already a risk, in that if i get hurt and cant work i have no savings, no paid sick leave, and no bennefits. If i'm already going to go out on a limb for him, I'll be damned if I'm going to do it for dirt wages with my own gear. He just takes and takes and never gives, the other guy that works there has been there for about 14 years and he makes $14, which is absurd for how long he's been there.

$12 an hour does sound ridiculously low.. but then the cost of living in my state is retarded, so things may be different where you are. Do you have any idea what other treeguys in your area are making? It sounds like you might just be in a crap area for treework?? $18 - $22 seems like it would be reasonable pay for a good climber around here.

Either way, sounds like you made the right move, in the long run..

 

[tree MDS]

Was just thinking.. the last legit employer I worked for paid me $11 an hour, with benifits. That was 19 years ago. I was up for a raise, but left for $12 cash an hour (and for a change of scene).

 

[arborjockey]

I wouldn't think twice about walking. If your good and the owners not a dummy he'|ll take care of what makes him $. Keep in mind there are boss out there who will pay peanuts and work with 10 monkeys that break and smash $hit. Drug addicts who wont show up and basic slobs. A guy here hires me to do cutting for him and he has 5 full time climbers with 7 G.M. they all stick and dress like they're homeless. He wanted me to run the hole company. I told him fire everybody and hire 3 good men and you'll get rich. HELL no he's still working with thosa idiots. Talk to my friend he said that guys been that way since the 60's.

Point being climbers don't change the mind of the owners to often. Most tree company owners know they're $hit or they don't. My advice is never waist your time with the ones that don't UNLESS the pay is really high

 

[richard88]

Thanks guys for all of the helpful replies, it's nice to be able to ask peers for advise and outside perspectives. Stay safe out there and I appreciate the answers.

Thanks,

Richard

 

[arborjockey]

This work is to hard for B.S. don't take any if your good. Just move on. Main thing is keep your chin up and be happy when you go to work in the morning its always a safer day.
stay safe Aloha