I'm not sure if I'd want a "most improved" award for anything. I don't like how it might imply that you weren't very good at first. Also, it doesn't even say if you're very good right now. Only that you have improved a lot.

HAHA you got that right!

apcowboy wrote:

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awww we are meat cutter here, you know we going to have a little fun when we can lol

The salary of a butchers not market managers goes up to AUS $51,000 per year.  I'm waiting on a Au market manager to let me know what managers make there.

Hey Jimhenry, I cut meat for 12 years before I took my test to become a journeyman lol  but it was because I never worked union till I got to Atlanta.

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 We don't have tests for that (to become journeyman) in Local 5. You put in the time and then you're a journeyman. Improved or not. All you have to do is pass probation (30 working days??) and then never do anything stupid enough to get fired. And then in 4 years (previously 2), you're a journeyman.

However, in some cases apprentices are promoted to journeyman in just a few months. Why? because they fired the manager and had the apprentice doing his job. Someone says "wait a minute, you have to make him journeyman now" and that's how it happens.

Like Leon, I started in a non union shop. Unlike Leon (I think) I was getting minimum wage (or a few cents over that), for my first 3 years. Finally I joined a union shop and they were nice enough to give me 6 months credit for my 3.5 years experience and started me as a 2nd stage apprentice.

FOUR YEAR apprenticeship?!?!?!

I hope they pay their Journeymen a lot more there than they do here!

jimhenry2000 wrote:

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FOUR YEAR apprenticeship?!?!?!

I hope they pay their Journeymen a lot more there than they do here!

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We have 4 years here too, but here (only here USA, not in Au) it's a joke. It's just another way to keep labor low. It used to be 2 years. I believe (my personal opinion) they want to fire you or make you quit before they have to start paying journeyman wages. Then they can bring in a new apprentice and keep labor low and keep that revolving door in the store. Bring in new people and bring out anyone who makes too much money.

awww we are meat cutter here, you know we going to have a little fun when we can lol

The salary of a butchers not market managers goes up to AUS $51,000 per year.  I'm waiting on a Au market manager to let me know what managers make there.

Hey Jimhenry, I cut meat for 12 years before I took my test to become a journeyman lol  but it was because I never worked union till I got to Atlanta.

Give him a break it is a encouragement award...more or less. The problem in Aust. is that drinking age is 18, and most are in ther 2nd or 3ed year.take home wage for a trade butcher (level 6) $618.40, in a sole trader shop 38 hr week. Supermarket , wholesalers are more. A manager is more$$.It is a skill based traineeship meaning you can finish early. Also for those kids that are not so accedemic they can do 1 or2 days a week instead of school, on the deal they behave at school.That goes towards Cetficate 1 in meat retail or meat Processing. the first stages of a apprecticship. Very good system they get to experience WHY you need good maths ect., and being a little horror at school,is not so cool in the real world.

Leon,

The Independent I worked for back then was union, but not really, as they paid off the union.  They gave me Journeyman status early because they wanted me to be a 2nd man right away.

AC ?????    Getting  a trade is hope for the not so accedemic kids...and becuse you have proven you can stick at a job for 3-4 yrs then makes applying for other jobs easier if you get sick of butchering. So at age 20 or so they are off to the mines 80 k plus.

Yeah I'm sorry bad joke lol. I try to find some humor in everything and it's not always appropriate. I thought I heard where AU is expecting temps in excess of 120 or something insane like that in the near future due to global warming. 120 degrees is that possible? It might even have been 125, whatever that's nuts. Talk about being on the front lines of global warming yeesh! A meat cooler sounds like a good place to be during that spell! It's cool that there is still respect for the trade there. As long as I've been in the trade, management always treated us like we made way too much money. Compared to other skilled trades we ain't even close. Now it's one thing to work for less doing something you like to do, the days go by fast etc. etc. It's a whole different thing when they slap you in the face on top of it though. You try to thicken your skin in life so those little smart ^@& remarks don't bother you but over the years it kind of sticks in your brain.

Curious what journeymen make now adays in the USA?  My last year in the trade was 1994 and I made about $45,000 then.