Can't find professional treemen in Paradise

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Originally posted by Mike Barcaskey
soooooo, if someone doesn't want to work saturdays during the busy time, do they still get paid 40 per week during slow times?

We're all on the same mission. We're all anxious to build this business and make as much money as we can. We're truly a team and we're fortunate to have fellows that feel that way. Of course, we are such wonderful people to work for!

The answer to your question is I don't know! It would have to depend on a number of factors. Haven't come across it even with the many interviews we've conducted. It's a bridge we'd have to cross at the time.
 
I mainly sub my big tree work, so it's little and medium size pruning for me.

My laborer people deal with cleanup of pruning and landscape install tasks.

In Oregon, right now, landscape maintenance workers, with about 1 year experience, get about $10 to $13 per hour.

(That's the mowing crew guys, and the work is only about 60% the labor intensity of being a ground man for trees.)

So, for the sweat and reliability needed for a stable and respectable groundman, I wouldn't expect getting and keeping one for less than $15 to $22 per hour.

The guy I sub too, brings in a worker at $25 per hour to handle limbs, ropes, gear and chipper - which I'm more than glad to pay each time we work together.

I'm bidding about 80% the cost of the higher cost services around here like Collier, or General Tree, and I still make good profit paying the $25 per hour labor cost, plus the full business wage to the other certified arborist.
 
Mario, who's the cert arb climber you use? Wonder if I know him? Thane Golden is located in Beaverton...an ex TCC competitor.

I'll be down next weekend visiting family.....no time to see ya. Wanted to stay for the same 4 days my sis is up from So. Cal, but am attending the Claus Mattheck seminar in Seattle.
 
All it will take is one disgruntled employee going to the laborrelations board and you will have problems, but then this is becoming a broken record.

IMO comptime is fair if it all evens out over the year, or you have the "gentlemans agreement" with the employees thast they will get 30k, 40k or whatever per annum if they put forth the effort throughout the year. But it is illeagle, and will bite you sooner or later.

When I ran crews it was not a problem getting enough production to cover for the OT in the buissy months. You just budget the week and know how much you will need to make on Saturday to pay the people.

Extra wages on a three man cre the wages are only around $120-150 per crew day more then a regular day. That can be spread over a weeks payroll rather easily if it is properly budgeted. That's just managing a buisness.

IMO OT pay is a good inscentive for the good worker to come in for a partial day on Saturday and do some work. If they don't perform they don't get offered it.
 

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