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 Dan's Advice on labor:
The basics.
| What I look for is basic health, discipline and punctuality, ability to comprehend directions and a fever to accumulate skills. I only pay my workers minimum wage, and warn them in advance that they will never reach beyond $6.00 per hour. But I do promise they will have the opportunity to develop skills that will eventually get them beyond $6.00 per hour with another employer. They must dress for the occasion (gloves, boots, appropriate warm- or cool-weather clothing), and work consistently and wear safety-oriented appointments when required (goggles, harnesses, etc.). They must keep track of their own time-rounded off to the nearest 15 minutes-and turn in the time card in a timely manner. They must complete the standard paper work (i.e.,W-4 and INS form I-9). Some things will get them fired: drugs, alcohol, pilfering or cheating. |
| While not everyone in the world who meets the above qualifications will become a master carpenter, there is usually something in the building process that will capture their interest and concentration. Some people measure, cut and nail well; others tile; and still others are good painters. Somewhere in the process is a niche for almost anyone. If an applicant is willing to go along with the above concept, I hire him. |
The implicit advantage to construction activity.
| Whether it is cutting a board, digging a hole, or nailing shingles, construction activity is through and through repetitive. If you explain to a new worker how to cut a board at 43 inches, and then tell him to do the same thing 85 more times, by the time he finishes, he will have pieced together a number of things--all useful in other areas. As repetitive activity accumulates, conceptual understanding accumulates. Taking time to explain concepts--from something as simple as reading a tape measure, to the slightly more complicated notion of the Pythagorean theorem--will yield a savvy and reliable worker. Perhaps he will continue to become a builder in his own right, which has happened to my workers in the past. But, take the time to explain, and connect the explanation to the REAL world. |
Smile, but carry a big stick.
| Workers will do what you tell them to do. If you give them an exceptionally hard job, such as digging a trench for a sewer pipe, arrive with cold drinks half way through the project. If they get in trouble financially, give them an advance, but deduct it from their next paycheck. At the end of a large, difficult segment of the project, like pouring concrete, for instance, again buy them a cold drink or a beer. I have offered to two of my workers that for every hour they spend at the local educational service center getting a GED, I will give them half pay. While they haven't taken me up on it, the offer is still there and encourages them to trust me as an employer. If they take me up on it, we both win. |
Care about your workers' welfare.
| People respond to kindness and will return it with loyalty. There simply is no substitute for showing that you care about the welfare of your workers. Listen to their domestic problems. Tell them about the tire sale when they need tires. Provide bandaids. Provide drinking water. Let them take breaks. Ask them to listen to the noise in your engine. Let them poke fun at your own mistakes. Compliment them when it is warranted. In short, treat them well, and they will reciprocate. |
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Programs
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| Contemporary Magdalene Community |
| The Magdalene Community, composed of both men and women, is a connective community seeking dialogue with people representing the many varieties of spirituality and religious traditions in our city. The Community is dedicated to a celebration of all life and peace through study, meditation, and action and seeks to engage in the spiritual practice of dialogue and conversation. Evening visits to temples and synagogues in addition to Sunday gatherings are proposed for the spring. |
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| Details: |
| Sundays |
| 10:00 am |
| Rothko Chapel |
| Free of charge |
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