How to create better wages for Cooks?

[ogreplate]

Wages, One of my biggest frustrations. I've been around awhile and have seen several perspectives on this. I started as a dishwasher. I hitch hiked 25 miles to and back every day to wash dishes- in Alaska. I've paid my dues. I've opened and unfortunately closed my own restaurant. I have worked as a line cook for some years, a sous chef for a few years and as an executive chef at a couple of places. I work long hard hours. I'm good at my job. A couple of years ago I was unhappy with my wages and thought I need a certification. I went deep in debt for an education and graduated with a 4.0 g.p.a.. I did learn something, but, now I have a 600.00/month education payment.- It wasn't worth that much. I'm glad I went, but I don't neccessarily think I'm any better on the job. More knowlegeable? Sure. Bottom line- I'm currently making $4.25 an hour less than before I went to school. Most Chefs I've talked to see me as a guy with skills,but fresh out of culinary school,therefore I must not be ready for the higher dollar yet. Very confusing. As far as our cooks south of the border. Yes, they drive down our wages, as does the multitudes of wanna be chefs that the culinary schools pump out. Any good cook that I work with that is from south of the border I always tell- If your settling for minimum wage please don't. Your selling yourself and me short. As a prior restaurant owner I understand the importance of the profit margin all to well. I figure if you can't make a living at something it called a hobby. If you make a living its called a profession. I guess I'm kind of a professional hobbyist.

[Chef M]

hears a theory! hire a dishwasher a pup and weed them out t see if the desire to cook, and if so then they will become a great investment to the busness. pay is low and they have something to work up to, but of course you need leaders in the kitchen where everyone looks up to and trust.

[Jolly Roger]

Whoa there, Panini! I think you horibly missed the point I was making. First, didn't accuse an entire race of people of being dirty. It's my experience that I have had to properly instruct many cooks that were not from the U.S. what is acceptable and what is not in food handling procedure. I didn't refer to anyone as a worm, but "worm" meaning a problem, not an individual. And as for point 2.) (worm number two), It was about hiring quality people and not hacks. I'll set a cook's wage higher than another's if he/she knows thier stuff and does a great job. If I hired a hack, then I or someone else on my payroll has to babysit the meathead. I take offense at your taking undue offense at what I wrote. So if I made myself clear here, I hope we can cuddle and be friends. I'm surely no more an "Archie Bunker" than you are. BTW, what the h*ll is WOP?

[panini]

I gave up appologizing to anyone for my actions for Lent.
I kinda remember your post, I'm thinking it was maybe your first week here.
Let's see, I'm in Texas, probably have a large population of Hispanics, the size of a race. Let me see, did you know that Spanish is our first language?Hmm? I understand what you meant by worm, and you described my kitchen in lenght, except my employees have work cards or are citizens. Let's see, they will screw you up. I think I mentioned before your posted that I have had people with me for 18yrs plus. My Pastry Chef, Juan. Well his son just got a full ride schlorship to a college prepetory high school. With your money. I pay 13,000 yr. for the same education, no beefs here.

"A side point, most of the time they come to our country with no knowledge of safe food handling, knowledge of international cooking styles, and a disregard for cleanliness. Don't hire these guys. That's about seventy percent of our collective problem."

I may be lazyheaded, but I'm proud to be a part in these people lives.
You might be to old to remember, but this whole **** country was built by immigrants and aliens. This was supposed to be the land of opportunity. Well when my family decided to come here for a new start, they boarded ships,(let me say here, a brave thing for anyone to do, then or now) while on the ships, they were so intent on making it to the US, they did not want anything to jeopardize that. They feared that there would be something in their paperwork that might blacklist them at the statue, they made the decision to take their citizenship and medical records, and throw them overboard. An even riskier thing to do! When they arrived here, they were given immunizations and there papers were stamped WOP with out papers.
It sickens me to think that we have screwed up our gov't so bad, and filled it with so much red tape, we have shut down our borders to people looking for a better life. Who the heck do we think we are. I have to believe that every last immigrant that busted their hump to build this beautiful place is now turning in their graves.
Sorry for the rant. Jolley Roger, I have come to know you by your posts and know you don't really feel this way. I just felt that someone needed to stick up for aliens and immigrants. You may be right, they may not have cooking skills,and a disreguard for cleanliness,and lack food handling proceedures. Heck, that discribes ALMOST, repeat ALMOST every nineteen yr. old that has applied here in the past three years.
I'm actually going to take a break from posting for a while, I think I just want to read. Jolley, man, how long did you carry that around for? I am certainly an ABunker. I used to listen to my old man bitcccing about how the unions were having so much trouble breaking up these monopolies and such. It took the crumble of this country to ask for those opinions again. The guy makes sence. This country has gone full circle back to huge monopolies and conglomerates. He used to have an Italian expression he used when talking about this battle that translated to something along the lines of going to the edge of a cliff and urinating into the wind or peeing into a fan. It just comes back on ya. Man, went way over the line.The only result this can bring to our industry is having our customers accepting mediocracy. Jolly. I luv ya. You won't find to many posts of that nature by me in the last 6 yrs. or so.
Panini
BTW working and sending monies home, well, I understand. tomorrow you could be deported. I would be willing to bet that over 70% of illegal aliens would give up the natural citizenship to become American. Hey, there are many disreputable people amongst the illegals here. I know that. If we don't recognize that organizations like MS13 can grow large enough to take over cities. I'm all over, I know, guess I just wanted to get alot out before my

[Jolly Roger]

Word up, Panini. Thanks for the 411 on "wop". And thanks for being such a great sport.

[panini]

You're a HOOT!!
From a WOP!!
Life is wat too short.

[ogreplate]

Panini,
Yeah, my post was kinda all over the place too. I guess these are topics that we all have big opinions about. I have worked with many cooks from south of the border and have made some good friends. I would say the majority put forth their best efforts and were eager to learn. You can't ask much more than that if a guy doesn't have experience as a professional cook. My only gripe is that they sell themselves short by working too cheaply. In turn it makes me look like a schmuck when I tell a prospective employer what I expect to be paid. I work hard,I'm exceptionally reliable, and feel I'm a knowledgeable capable cook. To date my record was 726 covers from the grill during a dinner rush. Not too shabby if I do say so myself, and not a one was sent back. Do I think I'm special- No. I've worked with many hispanic workers who could keep up. I just think that if someone works hard they deserve to be paid well- whether from here or not. Just like yourself, my family originally came to this country from elsewhere(mostly Ireland). That's the American dream- long may it live. I agree with your opinions. I have no problem with hispanic workers. I prefer it that they go through the right channels to work legally. When the topic of wages comes up I have all sorts of opinions. Going to culinary school has given me some different perspectives. When we did our externships we had choices as to where to go. I took a Sous Chef's position at a golf club. I ended up getting hired on permanently afterwards. It was a good move. Some of my friends went on to do externships for some celebrity chef's. Good exprience for them I guess,but they didn't get paid for these externships or get a job out of these externships-I did. I find no honor in working for free and feel that these chefs who work someone's butt off for free when they could afford to pay them should be ashamed of themselves. In the end, it should be a fair compromise between the profit margin and paying a worker fairly. I hope you don't hide out too long reading everyone's posts. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders and I respect your opinion.

[Chef Kaiser]

hi,

well we may should look back into history, to answer that question. however i believe it will take an other some decades untill our profession is truley respected worldwide. (please contact me if you want a biography about the work and achievement of Esciffier)

However after 30 years in the business i do see a change, maybe it is because of all the TV Chefs. But for sure we can not be all Chefs on TV as there are not enough TV stations. It is like one Executive Chef to one Hotel, so also that position is limited.

Therefore believe in what you are doing and do it right in your live time and believe in hard work first as an apprentice, then a commis, eventually a chef de partie, sous chef and reach the top as the executive chef in a great hotel, but all takes time and believe waht you want to be in live and love to do, but there is no real short cut to that position.

regards

Originally Posted by Laprise

A greate way to help this situation is for head chefs to only hire certified cooks in their kitchens. The more restaurants hires non-certified cooks, the more it undermine our industry and skills.

I am all for hiring apprentices, but that's it. Everyone else should be certified!

[ogreplate]

Chef Kaiser,
I'd have to agree with you. The quote that you posted makes some sense, but I don't know if I entirely agree with it . I am a certified cook(ACF) and I have a degree, but I have lots of friends who don't have degrees or certifications and their skills are just as good as mine-only they don't have huge student loans to pay. I do believe hard work and passion will take you far in this trade, but I don't know if it needs to start with a certification or a degree. Me personally, I like to take a new hire and give them some things from the walk-in and say make me a meal, by the way this is your interview. Thanks. Then, have lunch with them and discuss the job. If they have skills you will now know- it is a fair way of doing things I think.

[Laprise]

Originally Posted by ogreplate

Me personally, I like to take a new hire and give them some things from the walk-in and say make me a meal, by the way this is your interview. Thanks. Then, have lunch with them and discuss the job. If they have skills you will now know- it is a fair way of doing things I think.

I like your style, it test their skills under pressure, but time is the only true test to find out what you got for a cook. Many cooks will turn out to be duds after a few weeks. So ultimately, the interview is an obligatory 3 months probation.

My two cents!