A fairly simple way to think about it. To go from hourly to salary you
would need one (or more) of three things:

1. Benefits

2. A piece of the business

3. Much greater opportunity for advancement.

Other than that, I can't see any reason to take a pay cut.

Montyhp

"Kevin Wade" wrote in message
...

I have been woodworking since 1986 in large and small firms. ( 2 - 85
employees) and have been offered an "upgrade" to a salaried position
in a form where I am unsure of how bad things will get.

points without order cause I am fuzzy headed after a 13 hour day
(normal) where the last hour was the "we are not making money the last
2 months and things are getting worse" speech along with the "I invite
you to join the salaried and become one of the '5' and we will get rid
of the 'helpers' as we do 800,000.00 of work before xmass.....

1. Owner of company seems to promote a mixed message....
a. will ask "How are you doing" without stopping as he walks
by without stopping, but looks you in the eye.
b. will not allow paychecks to be handed out until 5:31 on Payday
even though payroll is for the 2dn and 3rd week back.
c. workday is 7:00 am till 5:30 6 days with hour for lunch but
whimsical overtime is mandatory (whimsical being no notice).
2. All of the salary workers (3) are appearantly unsatasfied because
they are paid less that many of the 'workers' because they are not
paid for overtime and have few if any benifits and are in fear of
losing thier positions at anytime because the boss is fickle and
irresponsible in his dealings with customers and vendors.
3. Currently the business does not seem to know if it is a door
manufacturing facility or a cabinet factory.
4. Spray Booth is a Joke..... hole cut in wall with a Borg roll around
floor fan screwed into hole and 'spraybooth' seperated by other area
with a blue tarp screwed to rafters.... and 32 foot of flourscent
lighting per 1,000 foot of space.
5. $ 150,000 edge bander and $ 20,000 scmi sliding table saw with a $
12,000 Startech assembly drilling station and 1, 9.6 volt makita drill
that works (1 battery( may be another but no one knows where)) and
then a few other tools.... mostly 5 shaper heads, sander (singlebelt
(needs help)), a couple specialty items,,, face frame table and single
had pocket hole machine.... few tools are sort og new... shopfox 'tm
bandsaw (large toy) 20'ish planer and a williams and hussey moulder
(another toy).
Big point is a few mid-high end tools and a few hand tools with a
bunch of home version tools in the middle.
6. when I started there was;
a. Owner (2 years~)
b. Designer ( 2 years ~)
c. Cad man (1 year ~)
d. Foreman~ (1.5 years)
e. Shop manager ( 6 months)
f. Apprentice (3 months)
and a handful of 1 - 2 month guys most are gone now........ within a
week of my hire there were 16 total and now there are 15 but we will
lose 6 on monday.
7. 1 month ago I was told that if I cut 6k per day of cabinetry for 5
days in a week I would get a $ 100.00 bonus..... this has not happened
but then I have not made an issue to more than 2 of the 3 that made
that offer to me.
8. Days will now go by where we have to get something out that is
promised TODAY even though 'the shop' has not seen plans for such an
item and there is no material to cot that item out of often because (I
am told "we owe that supplier money") but we will send a driver on a 6
hour trip to get material from a new vendor 3 states away that will
arrive at 4:00 PM on a friday.... "gotta be here saturday cause this
is a RUSH".
9. Front shop is no smoking but paint room / Door shop is ok to smoke
as long as you put it out when you see the boss..... so there are
several people who find a need to "run to the back" so often we are
not sure if they are comming or going at all times.
10. I believe in equal pay for work of equal value but do not see that
in place.

There is no one - two or three year plan that I can see and only a
hastly formatted green and brown bar graph to say that 'we are losing
money'

I work the numbers and see that the $ 30,000 per week with 800,000 by
years end is just not possible no way no how...


I am trying to get over how upset that I am that I am asked to become
salary when as a hourly I only get a single day off and am expected to
work all but sinday, xmass and possibly easter off (thank gawds that
is on a sunday).

how can work in a cabinet shop be measured while still straying from a
hierarchical managment structure that is fair, pays well and promotes
success and a feeling of success?

Managment has decided to outsource door and drawer fronts and just
build box's...... there does not seem to be goals (does "make money"
count?)

Strategy is offer the moon .... deliver the cabinets at 75% for the
draw and then scrabble to make up the rest when already overloaded
with all the other dramas.

I am looking for guidance on how to negociate my best working deal
cause I want to spend time with family, boat, cats, computer and not
be a zonbie from just the average 70+ workweek....... even though the
boss tells stories about his old job where he averaged 120 hour
weeks,,,


Kevin Wade
lost in Florida