Teaching Step Up

I have a few questions regarding the teaching of the Step Up command.

First off, I am wondering how to go about teaching my amazon to step up, I have had other parrots and not had a problem with this yet. I have some books on parrots and have read and tried their suggestions, with no good end results, so my question is, being that Oliver is 4 years old (we have had him for a week or so now) maybe does he associate "step up" with punishment, or only in and out of his cage for wing clippings?
I do not know who owned Oliver before we found him in an exotic bird store, or if he was played with or socialized, the store owners said his previous owners (a woman and her young son) had to get an apartment and couldnt keep him. He says a few words but doesnt seem to like many of the toys we have for him, and will only come off his cage when he flutters down to the ground, or the couch, but he wont step up then either, we have to scoop him from behind when he tries to step over my finger.
I thought maybe we could use a different phrase, but that doesn't seem to work either yet. Maybe there needs to be more of a trust bond, I am not sure, and I have no problems working on building one. The only problem I have is that he wont step up on a stick either, matter of fact he is terrified of it, making it rather difficult to get him out of danger if it comes to that. We have dogs also in the house, and I do not trust all of them with our feathered family member yet, so I was hoping to learn a trick or two from some of the more experienced members here.
Thanks much for any input, it will really help

He is great once we get him off of where ever he flutters to

offer him your fore arm/wrist?? but a week is rather soon for him to trust you maybe? but i'd go for using a treat just outta reach so he has to step up onto your hand etc to get it, and then let him step of again
always have a treat ready for him, if he knows you have them he'll start coming to you, even if he takes them and wonder off with it, its a start

I think it is the trust issue, he wont take or eat treats, I have been lucky to get him to eat the pellet diet and not the seeds he came home with. But he does love his scratches, he lets my wife and I scratch his neck. Actually he requests my wife to play with him, he talks to her, and gets all excited for her, but he tolerates me.

put different fruit an veg in with his pellets not apple seeds or skin, best stick to just the flesh, but small amounts, then they canbe used as treats

if his more comfortable with your wife she can teach him, my nut will do most things for me, but she likes my partner the most, even though i give best treats an spend most time with her

but sit with him even if your not doin anything together, after some time he'll go to you, nut even goes to my son, even if it is just to bully him or beg for a treat

eat an apple in front of him and offer him some its how i get nut to try new or diff foods especially veg, but if his watching you eating, it might wet his appitite for some of what your having