Some of my close friends got the news slightly in advance, but for the rest of you guys, I have some important news.
I'm going to be starting a new job.
Yep, looks like I'll be quitting Sabourin Woodworks to work for another company called Artisan Wood Designs. They don't have their website set up yet, but there is a really nice example of their work on the main page: www.artisanwood.ca
They do very similar work. They mainly do only high end interiors, including full rooms done in wood (coffered ceilings, wall panelling, etc), kitchens, bathrooms, bars... A lot of the same stuff I've been doing already, but less of the cheaper stuff (like contractor grade kitchens, commercial/office furniture, and cafeterias). They mainly work in cherry (which is AWESOME and gorgeous), using mainly solid woods, and veneered particle boards. A lot of their stuff is also pre-purchased. What that means, is that stuff like mouldings and cabinet doors get purchased pre-made. This saves a lot of time (and work), and you can still get a really nice product.
The company is just 2 guys; Steve and Emmanuel. They're both 30 something, and seem like nice guys to work with. I met them at their shop this afternoon. They're currently moving a few doors down in the same building, so they're not in a huge rush to get me over there. This is good for me, since I'll be able to give SW a decent amount of notice. Steve wanted to know if I'd want to work on my Friday afternoons, to start training me, and I said sure. They have a few things on the go, but with the moving around, they do need the extra help.
They have a much smaller shop than where I am now, but I don't mind. I worked a long time with Joe at JC Pine, and that was a pretty small shop. Sure I'm spoiled with all of the fancy expensive tools where I am now, but it comes down to money.I'm currently only making 10.75$/h after having worked for SW for a year and a half. When I got my last raise I was quite disappointed, to say the least. ArtisanWD is willing to pay me 15$/hour, starting at 13$/h. At 13$/h that's already a raise of 2.25$/h.
I realize that Sabourin is much better set-up, and has a really steady flow of work, but the bottom line is that the pay sucks. I happen to know that Don (who's been with them for about 12+ years) isn't making that much (about 12-13$). So If I stay there, I have very little chance of making any kind of decent money. It's too bad, too, since I thought I'd be sticking around there for a while. The way I see it, it's their loss, though.
More news as things progress.
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