BD Silviculture

[Coaster]

BD Silviculture has been making inroads into the BC planting market over the last few years. They are apparently from Manitoba. They have been the low bidder on at least one BCTS contract in B.C. for 2011. Has anyone worked for them? They are Safety Certified as a small contractor (under 20 workers). Does anyone have knowledge of what they are like to work for? Do they pay on time? How big are their crews and do they operate more than one at a time?

[Gual]

I took my DTA course with the owner/operator of BD Silviculture. His company was in the midst of the Sechelt BCTS work and he did mention that he had work up in Burns Lake. I think he was around 30ish and he told me that the crew was real small. He planted full time, as did his girlfriend and one other person. That might have been it.

I only talked with him for a few minutes and thats all I know.

I figured that they bid real low but their overhead must be real low (or at least lower then the industry average) so they probably make good money. Seems like it would be hard to contact him or secure a job though.

[Coaster]

I got call from a friend who's been working for BD in Clearwater. He said it's a gong show and nobody's getting paid. Anybody know anything about what's up there? Hopefully it's not Batlang revisited.

[Greg M.]

Rumors are that the forester there was making calls...to possibly replace some gong....treeplanter.com has a post from them looking for planters as well.....hhhhhhhhmmmmmm...interesting.

[Coaster]

Did BD ever pay their crew?

[jamisnewsham]

no! and you can ask anyone at rhino ,the owner Jason Metz was planting cause he is so broke.ask anyone there the results of what happens when you don't pay

[zilla]

We all got paid as far as I know, it just took awhile. I was on the Clearwater contract, and for a seemingly gong show season, my daily average was my second best in 9 years.

[Duncan]

it just took awhile.

by law you should be paid every two weeks

[jdtesluk]

Well, twice per month actually (or two weeks if that's preferred), and not later than 8 days after the end of the pay-period.

Workers that do not demand this are taking on great risk to themselves. If the company decides to not pay you on time, they are essentially off-loading the financial risk of the contract onto YOU! This is a slippery tactic, and a way of protecting their own backsides in case THEY FAIL. That's right. If the contractor screws up the contract with poor management, or runs into problems with a failing or bankrupt licensee, one way of protecting themselves is to let the workers carry the financial risk by not paying them on time. That way, when the pot goes dry, the workers are the ones with empty bowls. I'm not saying that those that do not pay on time are evil or slippery, but the net effect is the same.

Demand your payment on time in accordance with regulations. The rules are there to protect YOU.

[Mike]

Friend worked for them on coast this spring. Got paid, said it was a fiasco. 17 or 18 cents, Port Alberni area.