looking for lead climber/ crew leader

[Strikermike]

If you think about it. Workers comp on bonuses should be figured at a clerical rate or be exempt. They do not represent additional hours of work and add no additional risk or exposure to accidents.

 

[sotc]

Gift cards are not tax deductable. Meals however are 50%, take your guys out to lunch on occasion

 

[sotc]

In Oregon, I can give up to two "unexpected" bonuses a year without being charged comp. If an employee is expecting them, then it is part of their pay compensation therefore subject to give the gubberment another portion of it

 

[NeTree]

That's such horseshit.

 

[thattreeguy]

here any ot, bonus ,etc is hit with wcomp

i do give turkey day and x mas gift cards to the safeway to provide the holiday meal.

I stopped taking the crew to lunch when they forgot to say thank you and expected it
same with the cases of gator aid, when i started finding lots of halfers in the trucks and trash, i cut them out as well.

I am now providing long sleeve dickeys work shirts, and some carhart pants for the crew members after a few months, so i know they aint leaving
jacket or sweater in winter has always been a staple

what more can a guy do, i want to provide bennies, but it's too spendy to pull that off yet.

with the right person on board, we could grow bigger and better

untill then i' slave on

so 3500 to 4000 a month sound any better wage wise?

 

[Bodean]

I think so.

1-2 bedroom house, 1400/month?
Little Nissan fuel efficient bucket.......
800/month on food?
500/month family insurance?

I mean add it up,
if you want something quality, then you got to pay what you'd want.

Humboldt co is one of the most beautiful places I've been to. It's like an Ewok forest.

I mean, Dave.
How much is an ad in the Tcia, ISA, or Western arborist, or Tree cutter Monthly classifieds?
Then you just have to do phone interviews, or these days they can send you some footage. (ha, like a demo video)

It's an opportunity. The freshest labor pool is probably the junior college and the HSU.
Every year is a whole new batch of young interested curious folks.
Most are granola fantasy hippies. But some want to climb.
I'd hit up Job Fairs, the forestry folks there at the school.
They're Lumberjacks, for goodness' sake.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

Dave.. Check your E mail. I sent you something from my goodmanandcole@hotmail.com addy. Might be worth looking into.

 

[thattreeguy]

deva
i'm trying to keep it to 4 g a month or less, because it'll cost damn near 7 grand after comp and taxes
i ve thought about the job fairs,
ive got an ad on the isa site, and have thought of the ad in the tcia rag

you'd think it was easy to attract talent here but its hard, and everyone wants a lot of $

but you are right got to pay for talent

got a call from a guy in ky, that wants to come out and try a week with us

ive been keeping it in prayer

i hate interviewing, i really just like doing bids, selling jobs and flying booms, and climbing in bad weather
i dont need a partner, but an equal would be great
someone to make up for my weaknesses
we will see where it goes

 

[thattreeguy]

oh yeah 3 bed house is 1200 a month here
but gas is 4.15 a gallon

 

[NeTree]

Hold on to your ass... $5+ is coming.

 

[woodworkingboy]

Too bad that they don't make it easier for a legal alien working status. Just yesterday I was talking to the best Japanese climber that I know, I think you could say that he is pretty top notch, and basically you have to be very motivated to be self taught in these parts. He'd love to go over to the states to work, his eyes lit up when he said, "Big trees". With a family to support, he wouldn't be interested in the illegal route, I believe. It could be a good exchange, but I doubt that immigration would make it very easy for that to happen.

Good luck with finding someone, Dave, hope it works out.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I used to get Chinese exchange students in my kitchens.. They were already teachers and what not just extending their education. I had a couple of those "teachers" that at 60 years, could work circles around most 20 somethings.
Maybe there could be some kind of educational exchange program he could take advantage of.

 

[woodworkingboy]

I dunno, somehow I think immigration probably has the category, 'tree climbers', pretty far down on the list of their priority status. Who knows what even comes to mind with the government folks when tree climber is mentioned.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

I would probably look for something that would be more like Forestry Management or the like and have the climbing education as just part of the deal

 

[woodworkingboy]

A long list of educational achievements is one way to get the better rating, but it takes a good sponsor with all the paper work to enable you to waltz in. That is a big hassle, and to go to the trouble for someone who may not stick around, is pretty questionable. The climber I know won't climb with hooks either, thinks it is disrespectful of trees, some kind of old way of thinking that I have heard before. That might not be the most desirable, but he can get around in the tops.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

A dream employee for certain.....

 

[stehansen]

WC and payroll taxes really inhibit bonuses.

 

[CurSedVoyce]

If you were to drop those two things or at least discount them to being affordable, even temporarily...there in would be a small business stimulus package all in itself. JMO

 

[bill22]

I wouldn't know, I'm work comp exempt.

 

[Tree Reb]

I'm not sure what that means, are you a contract climber?

If so, hop on a plane. Flights are really cheap compared to here, http://www.cheapflights.com/flights-to-california/from-florida/

If it doesn't work out you get to see the West Coast for a few days work.

 

[Paul B]

I think it means he is invincible, hence no need for Workers comp....

 

[tophopper]

I wouldn't know, I'm work comp exempt.

That's because WC is for your employees, not you. As a Sole prop. anyway.

 

[bill22]

Yep, I do all climbing myself,so no other employees. Paul, I'm definitely not invincible.

 

[PCTREE]

A friend of mine told me years ago that the only way that the elite rich could maintain their wealth was if they could reduce our wages to be competative with the rest of the world. Wages arent really going down but the dollar buys WAY less and all expences are up which is about the same deal. If you think its bad now wait till we are on par with China and make $5 a week....

Some unhappy times ahead.

 

[tophopper]

5 bucks a week?

I do need a raise.