To quit..... or not to quit....?

[T-rain]

Been with a company for three years as climber and crew supervisor. I deal with customers and do bids that the boss man doesn't have time for. My boss is more of a buddy than the typical employer. He promises me the world if stay with him, $100,000 + salary with in ten years. All that I have to do is struggle through the growing pains with him while the company grows. I suppose I am a sucker for staying this long but I really want to believe him. . . . Current wage $11.00 an hr. . . . no over time.. My gut is starting to scream at me to go to a community college I know of with a structural fire program. My dream set up is on my days off from being a fire medic, I would be either own and operate a small part time tree company, or get on with a larger company as a climber or supervisor. I know that I can not get tree work out of my blood but its too much of a gamble to give my current boss 5-10 years and have it not work out.. . . .any body Oregon need a dependable groundie while I go to school?

 

[Rickytree]

You only got one life....live it!

 

[formationrx]

o hell no....

#### man... 11 bucks an hour?.... to do all that?!...... what? seriously? come on ..... i'd stick my thumb in his eye then tie him to stump and kick him in the ####s til the sun goes down......

 

[rtsims]

Where you planning on going to school at? Bend? Salem?

 

[since16]

answer

#100,000 divided by 52 weeks divided by 40 hrs = 48$ an hour do you think he will ever pay u 48$ an hour now you can see if if u belive him. But everyone needs a job now.

 

[tree md]

First of all, call him tomorrow, or even better now and tell him that you will no longer be showing up for work until he doubles your wage. That is a climber's wage. If you are doing sales, tell him you want a percentage of every job you sell from now on (your call on what percentage) on top of your climber's wage. Stick to your guns and do not go back to work until those demands are met, NON NEGOTIABLE!

That is the minimum a guy that is pulling your weight is worth... If you are telling us the truth.

As far as education, you gotta follow your dreams.

 

[T-rain]

I know that I could get a lawn mowing job at $10.00 at least, if not more. My schooling in Bend would not start until august. So my plan is to work and save as much as possible this summer. I feel Like it makes no sense to risk life and limb this summer for only $11, and much as I want to help the company and train a new guy ( because I know they are not willing to pay an experienced climber $15.00+). I know that I need to get out while I still have all my digits and do whats best for me in the long run. . . . The boss man was promising me $15.00 an hour two years ago. . . should have got that in writing.

 

[ROPECLIMBER]

I agree with tree md, I pay my ground man 12 and San Antonio is a repressed economy, I think he needs to quote tree prices and not landscape wages, if you started 3 years ago no raises or started at minumum wage, do you have all your own climbing gear I saw this add on CraigsList and made me a little upset, then is he even taking out SS and W/C you wont ever get ahead if you dont have a job with a pay check, I tried the under the radar game and am still renting, should pay a bird dog atleast when you close one,
Paul

HIRING ARBORIST EXP'D ROPE & SADDLE CLIMBERS 7 YRS PLUS EXP'D

 

[T-rain]

Well he tells me now that the reason he cant pay more is because he is a newer company and start up cost and all of the proper insurance cost are nearly killing him. I do take comfort that he is trying to do everything legally and and by the books. How ever he never wanted to update and buy new equipment, so I own 80% of the tree climbing equipment. Mostly because I was fed up with doing things recklessly and wanted equipment that I could personally put faith into. My mind is made up and now I just need to act on it. A good co-worker of mine said that "you can only try and help so much and that at some point you need to eat too." So its off to the books for me!

 

[lostcoastland]

Eventually you gotta do your own thing, but the experience you've gotten sounds good a guy i worked for said that i should be paying him for getting handy with the stump grinder so i could do side jobs with ect. basically so he's just leaving the whole operation to you because once your like that you are an invaluable asset. Pun slightly intended sounds like in your case. Boss's take ya for granted and are defeatest sometimes, not fun to be around, always complaingin about money like it's the employees fault for all the janky equipment breaking everything being rigged up and being hassled by clients and undercutting competitors. I'd say get some small tree jobs while going to school and study arborculture, you'll be doign what you love and doing school. Definetly keep those writin fingers out of harms way. If your climbing you should have a plan and be within your limits so your happy making money and can be there tommorrow not all sketched out making 11.00 an hour worried the boss is going to yell at you so you are just manic. Just take your tools and your truck and drive off into the sunset...You will get paid my friend.." You will get paid".

 

[Stihlasaurus]

Don't believe that you will get great pay in the future. Something will come up. It always does. He may be well-intentioned in promising you everything right now, but it simply won't work out even IF he succeeds and grows the business. Even if you get all of those promises in writing, something will come up. Where you are now is like a partnership where your partner has all the power to choose what happens. It will not end well--partnerships seldom do.

Get what you are worth right now. If he won't give it to you, then MAKE A PLAN and then get out. This means you don't have to quit immediately as you may have to bills to pay and plans to make, but develop a short term plan (less than 6 months) for getting out and getting into what you want. Maybe this plan means going to work for someone else in 2 weeks who pays you what you are worth; just figure it out before leaving. If you leave, DON'T BURN ANY BRIDGES; you may want to work with them in the future so give them notice (that you will quit in 2 weeks) and most employers will let you go immediately and pay you the 2 weeks.

It's difficult to get all the equipment you need, but being your own boss can be very satisfying and working harder tends to mean more pay.

If you really want to go to school then the younger you are, the easier it will be. In other words, waiting is almost the same as choosing to not go.

Good luck!

 

[superjunior]

I kind of feel for your boss - been there. But if he's not willing to step it up then I'd put in my notice. He has to look at a good long term employee as just as valuable an asset as a good piece of equipment. You don't have anything without good reliable workers and going through them like stump grinder teeth is the worst. Sounds like he may learn this lesson the hard way

 

[Bigus Termitius]

Just slip out the back, Jack!

Make a new plan, Stan!

No need to be coy, Roy!

Just listen to me......

Hop on the bus, Gus!

No need to discuss much

Just drop off the key, Lee!

And get yourself free....

 

[2treeornot2tree]

I would sit down and talk to him. Tell him you need paid more, not only because your worth more, but also to help offset your gear when it wears out. If he wont budge on the wages, tell him that you are gonna have to look for something that pays more. Just make sure you give notice. I wouldn't hire someone that didnt give notice because if they didnt give there previous boss notice, they are not gonna give me notice.

Off subject, Have you ever been to Atlanta, Idaho? Its about 3 hrs east of Boise on the edge of the Sawtooth wilderness. I was there for 2 weeks in Aug of 2000 for the Trail creek fire. We hiked to the edge of the Sawtooth wilderness the one day. I want to revisit some day, such a beautiful place. When we arrived at 2 in the morning, we had to sleep in the grass outside the airport until our buses showed up in the am.

 

[sgreanbeans]

Sounds like he is milking you for all he can, till you realize whats going on. Get out of there, go to school.

 

[TreeAce]

First of all, call him tomorrow, or even better now and tell him that you will no longer be showing up for work until he doubles your wage. That is a climber's wage. If you are doing sales, tell him you want a percentage of every job you sell from now on (your call on what percentage) on top of your climber's wage. Stick to your guns and do not go back to work until those demands are met, NON NEGOTIABLE!

That is the minimum a guy that is pulling your weight is worth... If you are telling us the truth.

As far as education, you gotta follow your dreams.

Easy killer! I do agree with MD but just make sure you are really all that before you start making demands. The three years you have been there, is that all your expeience? If you started from scratch 3 years ago then I am not sure just how great a climber you are. Maybe awesome, maybe not. Only three years in biz???? However, 11 an hour is a joke. but also not sure what wages are like where you live. Wages maybe crap. I know they are low around here but not THAT low. Dont wait around for this guy though. sounds like 15-20 is more like it for you. But I maybe wrong, some guys are very fast learners. If he says he will pay you 100k within 10 years i think he sounds like a royal BS'er.

 

[MarquisTree]

Been with a company for three years as climber and crew supervisor. I deal with customers and do bids that the boss man doesn't have time for. My boss is more of a buddy than the typical employer. He promises me the world if stay with him, $100,000 + salary with in ten years. All that I have to do is struggle through the growing pains with him while the company grows. I suppose I am a sucker for staying this long but I really want to believe him. . . . Current wage $11.00 an hr. . . . no over time.. My gut is starting to scream at me to go to a community college I know of with a structural fire program. My dream set up is on my days off from being a fire medic, I would be either own and operate a small part time tree company, or get on with a larger company as a climber or supervisor. I know that I can not get tree work out of my blood but its too much of a gamble to give my current boss 5-10 years and have it not work out.. . . .any body Oregon need a dependable groundie while I go to school?

Wow. You can't do what ur doing for $11 an hour. Our entry level 18 year old greener then green line clearance ground men make more then that. You getting used and abused worse then an antique farm tool. At $11 an hour you would be better off working part time at Starbucks for the benefits and doing one side job a week.
does he offer you and benefits? What's this no overtime bs?

 

[Saw Dust Smoken]

work

Other tree companys in area? Work full or part time this summer for one of them? See how it done by someone else. At your current pay-just work for your self and move on. There is several tree forums on the net. Make a contact and move on.

 

[superjunior]

Easy killer! I do agree with MD but just make sure you are really all that before you start making demands. The three years you have been there, is that all your expeience? If you started from scratch 3 years ago then I am not sure just how great a climber you are. Maybe awesome, maybe not. Only three years in biz???? However, 11 an hour is a joke. but also not sure what wages are like where you live. Wages maybe crap. I know they are low around here but not THAT low. Dont wait around for this guy though. sounds like 15-20 is more like it for you. But I maybe wrong, some guys are very fast learners. If he says he will pay you 100k within 10 years i think he sounds like a royal BS'er.

Good point. I have a groundy that's been with me about 3+ years now. He's a good guy and gets paid a decent wage. Over the summer I heard he went and got himself some climbing gear and started doing a little sidework on the weekends, even rented a lift for a job he didn't feel comfortable climbing. Awesome I thought, a perfect oppretunity (sp?) for both of us. I asked him about it one day and said look - dragging brush is only gonna get you so far in this bus. where do you want to go from here, you wanna be a climber? He said sure, I said well bring your climbing gear into work and we'll start training you and you will go up the ladder. I've reminded him a couple times over the summer about my offer but it never happened. In fact he went and told my other groundy " if he expects me to climb he better pay me a lot more" The kid has had no training other then me showing him a few knots and him watching me climb. And he wants top $ for training? Sure he'd get paid more as his knowledge grew, but he closed that door before it ever got opened and I don't ever plan on giving him another raise.

Sorry for the long post and going slightly off topic here, that whole deal just pisses me off.

 

[squad143]

My gut is starting to scream at me to go to a community college I know of with a structural fire program. My dream set up is on my days off from being a fire medic, I would be either own and operate a small part time tree company,

Sound like youre more interested in having a career in the fire service first and trees second.

Follow your gut. I started doing trees 28 years ago a few years after leaving high school. Love the work, but after fours years followed my gut and joined the Fire Department. After my probation, I continued to work for my original employer on my days off. Worked out extremely well for both of us. Eventually he sold the company when he retired (too large for me to purchase) and I continued to do the occasional tree on my own. Slowly purchased equipment as I could afford it, and continue to do so today.

My hat goes off to the guys that can make a go of tree work as their profession. It's hard work and a constant struggle. For me, I desired the action of the fire service and needed the security of a steady paycheck, but my love of tree work has kept me aloft.

If you go this route; doing tree work on your own. Have insurance (no use getting sued and losing all you have worked for). Charge the going rate (why work for anything less).

Not only will this protect you and also maximize your profits, but it is morally sound.