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apcowboy


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I remember when this was the truth
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Leon Wildberger

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Doc


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yep i was told youll always work never go hungry so far so good



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Burgermeister


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The ham in her hands looks pretty small compared to the pig head on the wall.



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rd68910


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It's hard having so much pride in a field that probably wont exist in the mainstream by the time I retire (I'm 27). I just try to be a sponge and learn all I can to get ahead. Hopefully if my company does eliminate us, I'll be able to find a job with another company, because I do enjoy cutting meat especially the merchandising part. It's like a puzzle trying to find how to make the most $$ out of everything that comes across the block. Maybe they'll see the light and realize that what they pay us is well worth all the additional sales they can gain by eliminating alot of the central processing. I wont hold my breath though.

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Burgermeister


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rd68910 wrote:

It's hard having so much pride in a field that probably wont exist in the mainstream by the time I retire (I'm 27). I just try to be a sponge and learn all I can to get ahead. Hopefully if my company does eliminate us, I'll be able to find a job with another company, because I do enjoy cutting meat especially the merchandising part. It's like a puzzle trying to find how to make the most $$ out of everything that comes across the block. Maybe they'll see the light and realize that what they pay us is well worth all the additional sales they can gain by eliminating alot of the central processing. I wont hold my breath though.

 

It's weird that we (me included) are always trying to think of ways to make our company owner richer while at the same time, he/she's thinking of ways to pay us less. Something's not right about that.



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fbcivcoming


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Preach on my brotha!

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rd68910


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I woukd guess pride in our skill burger. It is an interesting thought why we strive for the highest grosses and increased sales. Me and the bossman had that conversation not long ago

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Mainemeatman


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everyone has to eat, and we are in the food business, one of the best things we all can do is to not only promote our industry, but promote what it is predicated upon- the benefits of eating meat-
before the atkins diet was the rage- beef, and most meats were getting slammed,,,,like it is now in the mainstream media

we cant be dumping on each other about grass fed vs western, choice vs select- we need to extol the benefits of eating beef- because if the loud voices of animal rights activists, to vegetarians, that want to eliminate or shyt on eating meat succeeds, this will be our demise- it happens incrementally, bit by bit...

we should be promoting, advertising the benefits of eating beef, as part of a healthy diet- there is much on the internet on this, and if we dont start pushing this- we are at the behest of all the beef bashers, and recalls.

we need to target young woman- it is "trendy" for a young woman (20-35) to say "i dont eat red meat anymore"
well, most of this attitude is derived by misleading information-but again, from the mainstream media. How do we nuetralize these trends?? turn them the other way? start with friends and family, and customers- dispel, misleading info, go the extra mile to educate customers.
when a customer asks "is this beef grass-fed" yes it is,,, they all are- most all there lives- but if its grain finished for three months, tell them why-for flavor and tenderness.
9 out of ten customers read some crap , and believe half of it..
now if they truly want a finished critter on just grass-then by all means, tell them where to buy it locally, they are still eating beef-which is good.



for those that make up there own ads- try researching on the internet-the benefits of eating beef- then promote it...it's up to us to do this, since the tide is against us

also, sample sample sample, even if a woman is cutting down on beef consumption, she may try a free sample of a beef marinade and buy it- this is highly effective

remember- it's cold dead muscle in a package- it's food when it is cooked.



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Jim, No it hasn't. I am on my 15th year. I am making only a dollar more than I was making 12 years ago. I have no benefits. I am just fortunate that I am still full time when most are part time. It is a real bleak picture to me. I hear from older cutters about how they used to make 25 to 30 dollars an hour. I will never make anywhere near that much in this business and it pisses me off. I am 36. I don't want to start over with something else. So what do I do? I put as much money as I can into savings and I invested in some stock options and I basically cross my fingers and hope for the best. I'll tell you one thing for sure. Being a meat cutter sure doesn't provide the security for your family the way it used to. I don't mean to be negative here but if you are a young kid interested in being a meat cutter. I would say its a bad idea.

People don't like to discuss their pay. I would bet out of all the meat cutters in this club only about 3 or 4 are making more than 15.00 an hour. I am talking about the cutters in the U.S. not the market managers or the DMs or whatever you guys are who are always so happy about what you do. i am talking about the cutters on the block doing the grunt work. They are getting screwed.

 

P.S.

Do I look happy in my picture?



-- Edited by fdarn on Saturday 16th of March 2013 09:43:20 PM

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fbcivcoming


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I hate to burst your negative bubble there fdarn but you sound like you must be disillusioned to believe that your the only one screwed! I am a Meat dept manager and I do make more than $15 an hour but guess what, I am the only cutter! I do all the grunt work! I have done everything and anything needed to make my department run. Take Pride in your work regardless of pay. I came on as a clerk with no experience in the retail grocery business at all. I was a roofer and bouncer. I have great work ethic though and within a year I was an apprentice meat cutter and have earned my way into a Dept manager position. The job of being a cutter is a great one. It's all the politics and BS that Sucks! You wanna move up, work like you've got the position all ready. If your unhappy, go to another company.

I am a 36 year old journeyman meat cutter and dept manager for a company that doesn't appreciate our work. Cutters come and go more than most other companies. Everyday is a fight to write orders, the unbelievable amount of paperwork, breaking loads, stocking product, setting up service cases, actually cutting product and we could go on and on. A cutter should be synonymous with grunt work because that's what it takes to do what we do. I had an 8 month stretch last year where I had 9 clerks trained and quit with many days left on my own without coverage. I feel the pain out there of feeling under appreciated. If we expect a pat on the back your in the wrong business. You better separate your shoulder so you can pat yourself on the back. Savor the little things. Customer compliments and expressed pleasure in their recent purchase. It's the satisfaction of how great my cuts look and that " whooo, we did it!" that does it for me.

I don't know, man. When you get to the point that everything is an excuse for your performance, then maybe it's time to step back and reset. I know through my experience that a smile, great customer service and solid cutting can make all the difference. Good luck fellas and keep up the great work!

IMG_20111222_102526.jpg



 



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jimhenry2000


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Maine,

As always, you make a lot of sense.  But back to Leon's original post, is it true now?  It was true when I started in 1968.  We got triple time on Sunday, 2 1/2 time on Saturday nights, time and 1/2 evenings and overnight, and the stores had to be manned with a meatcuter every hour the store was open. However every contract we had to give something back. When I received my degree in Electrical Engineering in 1971, every interview I went to they wanted to pay me half what I made as a Journeyman meatcutter. However as time went on the trade just wasn't compensated as well so i left and went into engineering in 1995.  As a Chief Journeyman (meat dept. manager) the most I made was $45k when I left and that was working 4 hours every Sunday! Most of my friends in other fields made almost twice that back then.  Has it bounced back since then? 

Jim



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J-Mansell


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It is what it is, but its not what it was. It can be a Fun job. It is not going to get any better so make the best out of what you can. As a market manager I say control what you can control and stop being afraid of what you can not control. As far as pay we are in general way underpaid! Have been ever since the Butchers union merged with Clerks. (UFCW) what can you really do? it is a job, and we all got to work. I am thankful just to get a check. I am proud to say I am a MEAT CUTTER!!!!

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fbcivcoming I specifically said I wasn't refering to the market managers. You may be the only cutter but you are also doing the managing duties. Hence your higher pay. You will not find many journeyman meat cutters in retail under the age of 40 making over 15.00 an hour unless they are also doing the managing duties as you are. This trade is not as respected anymore. We have been clumped into the same category as stock boys. They might pay us a little more but just a little more. In one year of service at most companies a stock boy would be making 9.00 an hour and a cutter who started at the same time might be making 10.00. It is not considered a skilled trade to the bosses anymore. It is just another job position that needs to be filled and that is BS

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rd68910


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I make 15.50 as a journeyman. I also do about half the ordering take our inventories and write the occasional schedule. I dont have to do any of that but it increases my value to our store and probably gives me a stronger case towards getting my own shop down the road. That's all we can really do is make us invaluable to our stores and give ourselves a better chance to negotiate for promotions/increased rates.

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rd68910


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I make 15.50 as a journeyman. I also do about half the ordering take our inventories and write the occasional schedule. I dont have to do any of that but it increases my value to our store and probably gives me a stronger case towards getting my own shop down the road. That's all we can really do is make us invaluable to our stores and give ourselves a better chance to negotiate for promotions/increased rates.

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jimhenry2000


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wow.  Well I understand if someone feels they are too old to make a change, but I'm surprised and disappointed to find so many are making less than I did 20 years ago. If you are just getting started, or feel you are not too old to change, I strongly recommend you consider these trades:

welder, machinist, plumber, electrician, operating engineer (heavy equipment operator). 

Meatcutting is a skilled trade, but it just is not compensated commensurate with the skills and hard work required. Part of the reason is that retail businesses bang heads against each other reducing margins to a bare minimum, so there is that much less to pay the help. 

I spent 28 years in the business before I made the change, at age 46. I only wish I had done it sooner but I just did not realize how much lower paid I was compared to other fields.



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The truth is I really like what I do. It just doesn't like me. That is probably my primary reason for not finding the motivation to explore other options. I did look into the electrician field and even started taking one online class for it about 4 years ago but I didn't stick with it.

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rd68910


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I make 15.50 as a journeyman. I also do about half the ordering take our inventories and write the occasional schedule. I dont have to do any of that but it increases my value to our store and probably gives me a stronger case towards getting my own shop down the road. That's all we can really do is make us invaluable to our stores and give ourselves a better chance to negotiate for promotions/increased rates.

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rd68910


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Sorry guys phone being glitchy lol

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Mainemeatman


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fdarn,

compensation has many forms- is it better to make 1 or 2 dollars more per hr, if you are miserable?

You have some great experience- you can be sending out resume's to all the major chains in your area, even if they arent hiring-
mail them out. many positions are never posted, if they have someone right there.

in this area,,,,there are chain supermarkets, save a lots, and independent stores, also meat markets

when i left a chain as dept manager 18 yrs ago the two cutters were making over 15.00hr-this was non union

chains up here have put ads in the paper looking for meatcutters.

independent stores, its all over the place for pay.
some of the larger pay scales ive heard was store manager/meat manger title


a meatcutter recently took me aside and asked what have I seen other cutters do for added income-here's some advice i gave him

butcher local beef and hogs-work under the table

cut up wild game-work under the table for someone else, or do it yourself

knife sharpening service, I like this one, some stores will let you place an advertisement up on the store, I've got a great name for a knife sharpening service-the boner honer

buy and sell used equipment- search out good deals, from craigslist to ebay, to estate sales, look for grinders, cubers and scales, ebay has many digital printing scales, if you know certain scales well, this is valuanle.
cutting benches, poly tops, always someone looking for them

make wooden cutting boards, the checkerblock ones look awesome "made by a butcher"
if the store wont let you sell them in the store, then make up an ebay page and sell them, and also, sell on craigslist-you can include a free knife













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jimhenry2000


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Well my wife works for the same chain that I did (Pathmark) and she makes $16/hr as a cashier. She is part time and gets full medical benefits (medical/dental/vision/prescription ) for the entire family, and we don't pay any premiums. I think some of you really need to shop around for other markets to work in. I loved my job when I was a meat manager, but I didn't realize how much better things could be outside the business. I never had a weekend unless I took a personal day on Saturday and "gave up" my Sunday over time. Every holiday was a merchandising event rather than a time to relax and enjoy one's family. I don't think meat cutting will ever be. properly compensated until it is very hard to find them. All I'm saying is keep an open mind and be open to other things. Many companies are begging for welders and starting rookies at $30/hr and more right out of trade school.

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I like your ideas. and I used to enjoy wood working so It would be nice to get back into that if I had time as a hobby (or if I had a garage to work in). But basically you just proved my point. In order to make extra money I should consider doing extra work is what you are saying and the reason I would have to consider that is because my current field isn't cutting it. Its a tiring job as it is. Why would I want to work under the table after work and on my days off?

I have worked for chain stores and they are all downsizing. We have covered that topic is a previous post. chains are not looking for full time cutters. Maybe they are where you are but I have worked in virginia and michigan and from what I see its the same in both places. chains don't give full time jobs to cutters anymore unless its for managing. Independents might give you full time but the pay will be lower.

I don't mean to be offending but i think "compensation has many forms- is it better to make 1 or 2 dollars more per hr, if you are miserable?" Is easy to say when you are comfortable.

"when i left a chain as dept manager 18 yrs ago the two cutters were making over 15.00hr-this was non union" Again you proved my point. I was implying that we are going backwards not forward. It was better for cutters 18 years ago. Thats why I got into the trade 15 years ago. I thought it would provide me with security. Boy was I wrong.

"chains up here have put ads in the paper looking for meatcutters."
We Covered this subject in another thread before. Chains are ALWAYS looking for cutters but how often do they hire them? The largest chain here in michigan has several posting for every district in the state and I have applied for all them. They always get in touch with me and tell me that they got my application but they have a full staff and will keep my application on file. Its not because they filled the position. There never was a position to be filled. They are just trying to keep a stack of applications handy incase there is a strike or people quit.

To make it clear I am not miserable or even disgruntled. I like what I do and I usually like where I work. I am just saying it is not a promising career path as it once was. I personally do not believe there is any security in this trade anymore. Those of you who got into it early enough have retirement packages in place and you are all set. You have no worries. Those of us who got into it too late are not so fortunate. I don't think i will have anything to retire on. I will work til I am dead unless my investments come through for me. I drive a 15 year old car. I have been working for 20 years. That just doesn't sound right to me.




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jimhenry2000 wrote:

Well my wife works for the same chain that I did (Pathmark) and she makes $16/hr as a cashier. She is part time and gets full medical benefits (medical/dental/vision/prescription ) for the entire family, and we don't pay any premiums. I think some of you really need to shop around for other markets to work in. I loved my job when I was a meat manager, but I didn't realize how much better things could be outside the business. I never had a weekend unless I took a personal day on Saturday and "gave up" my Sunday over time. Every holiday was a merchandising event rather than a time to relax and enjoy one's family. I don't think meat cutting will ever be. properly compensated until it is very hard to find them. All I'm saying is keep an open mind and be open to other things. Many companies are begging for welders and starting rookies at $30/hr and more right out of trade school.

 Wow that is a lot for a cashier.   I don't know but I would assume that she has probably been with the company for a long time right?  What do you think they start cutter out there now with 15 years of experience?  

You have a very good point there about the holidays and weekends.  That by itself has caused alot of strain on my marriage.    Its hard to come home after a long day of working a holiday weekend and get ready to go to a family gathering.  Often while exhausted I would ask my wife if we could skip it because I was exhausted.  

We definitly deserve more for all we sacrifice.

 

 



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alive


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never to old for change,Wages are always a subject that hurts for those that put in a honest days work.



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MattB


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I wish more butchers were like you here in Perth. Most just want to collect there pay and go d



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