ProSoundWeb Community

Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

Pages: [1] 2 3   Go Down

Author Topic: Paying Crew  (Read 7233 times)

Jeff Lelko

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2017
  • Cape Canaveral, FL
Paying Crew
« on: May 10, 2017, 08:39:16 PM »

Hi all,

So as my business grows I've been trying to sort out a somewhat standard method of determining crew pay.  For those willing to share, do you base pay on a person's individual skill set or on their experience/seniority on the specific crew, or do you just have a set pay for a certain position - everyone doing that job makes the same amount?  I know there are exceptions to all the cases and that someone with an A1 capability is worth far more than a newbie if called upon to use said experience, but given that they're doing the same job (loading/unloading equipment, basic set up, etc.), do you pay the A1-capable guy more than the generic stagehand despite that stagehand has been on your crew for a longer period of time?

Thanks!
-Jeff
Logged

Pete Erskine

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1456
    • Best Audio
Re: Paying Crew
« Reply #1 on: May 10, 2017, 09:16:20 PM »

Hi all,

So as my business grows I've been trying to sort out a somewhat standard method of determining crew pay.  For those willing to share, do you base pay on a person's individual skill set or on their experience/seniority on the specific crew, or do you just have a set pay for a certain position - everyone doing that job makes the same amount?  I know there are exceptions to all the cases and that someone with an A1 capability is worth far more than a newbie if called upon to use said experience, but given that they're doing the same job (loading/unloading equipment, basic set up, etc.), do you pay the A1-capable guy more than the generic stagehand despite that stagehand has been on your crew for a longer period of time?

Thanks!
-Jeff

Experience and job position are paramount determining factors.  an A1 mixing House or TV is the most important to your success but the crew who support the A1 is too.  I don't think you can set a fixed scale.  Work out your budget and the get an idea of what certain positions typically are worth and then negotiate with each person as you see fit.
Logged
Pete Erskine
917-750-1134
www.bestaudio.com
[email protected]

Justice C. Bigler

  • SR Forums
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2794
  • Tulsa, Oklahoma
    • My homepage
Re: Paying Crew
« Reply #2 on: May 10, 2017, 10:12:38 PM »

You could do it the way the IA in Tulsa does; where the least skilled people get paid the most for doing the easiest jobs. Basically, the pay rates are inversely proportional to the skill set and experience of the individual and then divided by the complexity of the job being done.


The City of Tulsa also uses this same formula, except they also subtract 10% for longevity.
« Last Edit: May 10, 2017, 10:14:46 PM by Justice C. Bigler »
Logged
Justice C. Bigler
Business Rep, IATSE Local 354
www.justicebigler.com

Cailen Waddell

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1428
Re: Paying Crew
« Reply #3 on: May 10, 2017, 10:46:10 PM »

You could do it the way the IA in Tulsa does; where the least skilled people get paid the most for doing the easiest jobs. Basically, the pay rates are inversely proportional to the skill set and experience of the individual and then divided by the complexity of the job being done.


The City of Tulsa also uses this same formula, except they also subtract 10% for longevity.

Bitter, party of one

Your table is ready....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Logged

Ray Aberle

  • Classic LAB
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3455
  • Located in Vancouver, WA (and serves OR-WA-ID-BC)
    • Kelcema Audio
Re: Paying Crew
« Reply #4 on: May 11, 2017, 12:28:04 AM »

You could do it the way the IA in Tulsa does; where the least skilled people get paid the most for doing the easiest jobs. Basically, the pay rates are inversely proportional to the skill set and experience of the individual and then divided by the complexity of the job being done.


The City of Tulsa also uses this same formula, except they also subtract 10% for longevity.

.... I don't get it....    Or is this sarcasm?
Logged
Kelcema Audio
Regional - Serving Pacific Northwest (OR, WA, ID, BC)

Andrew Broughton

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2315
    • Check Check One Two
Re: Paying Crew
« Reply #5 on: May 11, 2017, 12:40:38 AM »

.... I don't get it....    Or is this sarcasm?
Sadly enough it's true, in many locals.
Logged
-Andy

"Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle..."

http://www.checkcheckonetwo.com
Saving lives through Digital Audio, Programming and Electronics.

Ray Aberle

  • Classic LAB
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3455
  • Located in Vancouver, WA (and serves OR-WA-ID-BC)
    • Kelcema Audio
Re: Paying Crew
« Reply #6 on: May 11, 2017, 12:49:20 AM »

Sadly enough it's true, in many locals.


.... deliberately, or just by coincidence?

I can't imagine a local saying, "Hey, the longer you work for us, and the more you know, the less you'll make," so I am assuming it's a coincidence?

-Ray
Logged
Kelcema Audio
Regional - Serving Pacific Northwest (OR, WA, ID, BC)

Andrew Broughton

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2315
    • Check Check One Two
Re: Paying Crew
« Reply #7 on: May 11, 2017, 01:01:07 AM »


.... deliberately, or just by coincidence?

I can't imagine a local saying, "Hey, the longer you work for us, and the more you know, the less you'll make," so I am assuming it's a coincidence?

-Ray
No, but the most senior people, with the least ability to do the job because of a lack of skills (mental and motor), get their pick of the easiest jobs and make the most money. Rule does not apply to riggers, thankfully.
« Last Edit: May 11, 2017, 01:03:59 AM by Andrew Broughton »
Logged
-Andy

"Well, my days of not taking you seriously are certainly coming to a middle..."

http://www.checkcheckonetwo.com
Saving lives through Digital Audio, Programming and Electronics.

Justice C. Bigler

  • SR Forums
  • Hero Member
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2794
  • Tulsa, Oklahoma
    • My homepage
Re: Paying Crew
« Reply #8 on: May 11, 2017, 01:23:34 AM »

Rule does not apply to riggers, thankfully.
It does in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Unless you are part of a particular family or one of their friends (who all happen to be firefighters, btw), you don't get to work on the rigging crews, no matter how much you actually know about rigging.

I stopped working for the local when I started telling them that I either wanted to work as a truck loader (the highest paying job in the local) or a pusher (the easiest job in the local). They weren't going to pay a journey man stagehand to be a pusher, and I wasn't old and broken enough, i.e. I still have all my original joints, so I wasn't getting on the truck loading crews either. That was about 2 1/2 years before my membership in the union ended.

Back to the original question.

Pay scales should be based on a combination of skill set and experience. If you have a guy who has been "working in the industry" for 30 years, but can't patch a stage and program a console, then he shouldn't be getting paid more than a young guy who has 2 years experience who actually CAN patch a stage and program a console. Likewise a guy who knows how to measure and align the system is worth more than the "I was just hired for my ears" dude who can push faders and twiddle EQ knobs, but doesn't know anything else. And a good RF guy is worth his weight in gold.  ;)
Logged
Justice C. Bigler
Business Rep, IATSE Local 354
www.justicebigler.com

Scott Holtzman

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 7536
  • Ghost AV - Avon Lake, OH
    • Ghost Audio Visual Systems, LLC
Re: Paying Crew
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2017, 02:07:54 AM »

And a good RF guy is worth his weight in gold.  ;)

I need to get back into RF on the production end.

Pound for Pound your best production value!

Logged
Scott AKA "Skyking" Holtzman

Ghost Audio Visual Solutions, LLC
Cleveland OH
www.ghostav.rocks

ProSoundWeb Community

Re: Paying Crew
« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2017, 02:07:54 AM »


Pages: [1] 2 3   Go Up
 



Site Hosted By Ashdown Technologies, Inc.

Page created in 0.019 seconds with 21 queries.