Working for Transport Canada?

priceless · Post by **priceless** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:43 pm

How many people have considered this? Is the pay all that bad, I have been to the site and can't find anything. The benefits seem really good as well as schedule. Stability looks good. Any thoughts from anyone? I dont care for this to be a Transport bashing topic just some honest pros and cons.

stratcat · Post by **stratcat** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:55 pm

been thinking about it.I think the coin is good around 80 or something,pension,schedule. Everything that 95% of aviation in canada is lacking.

noisyride · Post by **noisyride** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 12:58 pm

Yes, of course stability and benefits are going to be great (as with any government job). I can't comment on specific salaries, however, I do know of a couple inspectors who are making around 70,000.

I think the key thing with working for TC would be finding a position that you had a keen interest in; otherwise, it seems like it could be a very boring, mundane job. Just my .02.

55+ · Post by **55+** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 2:30 pm

noisyride wrote:Yes, of course stability and benefits are going to be great (as with any government job). I can't comment on specific salaries, however, I do know of a couple inspectors who are making around 70,000.

I think the key thing with working for TC would be finding a position that you had a keen interest in; otherwise, it seems like it could be a very boring, mundane job. Just my .02.

Yup........ correct when I was there for about 10 yrs. Pay(85,000.000) and benefits are attractive as well as time 8-4, weekends and all stat holidays off. Start at 3 weeks vacation to max of 5 weeks and you are NOT SUBJECT to operational requirements or depending on availability of other employees. That is the big bonus for those who have families and your better half will be content, believe me. Don't forget pension is another added attraction, not this profit share, RRSP etc. You will get a pension at the end.......... worth it believe me.

Con side: If you really like flying and that is your lot in life then stay away from TC. You only get 48 hrs total per year, that's it, over and out. Quite hard to keep current with such low and dangerous time but you always have a way out in that you are NEVER FORCED or PRESSURED to fly. If you don't like the WX, got a sore arse or the wife/boyfriend/husband or whatever didn't give it to you in the past month and you are not in the mood to get into an A/C.... well @#$! it. You can fly when you feel like it. period.

Also, there can be jackass managers(like everywhere else) and the bureaucratic way well, whatever. That is for another time/post.

bamboo · Post by **bamboo** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 5:42 pm

here you go!!

http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpub ... c150320140

55+ · Post by **55+** » Wed Feb 28, 2007 6:55 pm

bamboo wrote:here you go!!

http://www.tbs-sct.gc.ca/pubs_pol/hrpub ... c150320140

To that add $6000.00 per year for flight pay + O/T at time and a half.

priceless · Post by **priceless** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 5:58 pm

how does that scale work? whats the difference between CAI-01 and CAI-05? 55+ , did you retire there? did you ever regret working there? seems like the benefits you state are pretty nice and a pension would be nice as well. i guess one more thing to add is that it is somewhat of a stable job compared to industry layoffs in airlines and pilot surplus'. agree or disagree? i can imagine there are quite a few jerks in management but similar is true in many companies. just trying to get some insight on different jobs and my future. your thoughts anyone!

wrenchingirl · Post by **wrenchingirl** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:23 pm

CAI-01 and CAI-05 are classifications that are made by the folks in HR using the job descriptions provided by the manager. They take into account the duties to be performed, experience and skills requirements and ammount of responsibilties IE: Financial signing authority, ammount of employees under you etc. So an inspector starts at certain classification and if you want to be at a higher classification you have to get promoted. Each year you will get a raise until you hit the maximum payscale in your classification. I believe that the contract expires every four years, and it is always settled a couple years late so really you will always be getting a raise. I worked for the government for 3 years and I only made between 30K and 40K and my pension is at 16,000! I don't know what it's like at Transport but in the two Government departments I worked at there was allot of overtime. People who didnt like to do overtime were not promoted. But you are well compensated for your OT and if you say no, nobody can say shit to you.

55+ · Post by **55+** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:18 pm

priceless wrote:how does that scale work? whats the difference between CAI-01 and CAI-05? 55+ , did you retire there? did you ever regret working there? seems like the benefits you state are pretty nice and a pension would be nice as well. i guess one more thing to add is that it is somewhat of a stable job compared to industry layoffs in airlines and pilot surplus'. agree or disagree? i can imagine there are quite a few jerks in management but similar is true in many companies. just trying to get some insight on different jobs and my future. your thoughts anyone!

When I was there (pre 1997 as position transferred to Nav Can), there was no such thing as a CAI 1. Entry level was CAI 02 and for the National Capital Region (Ottawa) entry level was CAI 03. CAI 05 is the Managerial level.

Certainly no regrets working at TC but disappointing at times with re-organizations and some manager attitudes, don’t get me wrong though as 90% of the managers were good guys/gals who worked well together and tried to do a decent job with the best of intentions. As for airlines there would be the scattered airline pilot who got out and came to work at TC but it was mostly pilots who got a lay-off or an out of work situation do to airline (s) going tits-up.

In my view TC is for individuals say, late 30’s or 40’s whose dreams for that AC left seat position didn’t materialize or got caught up in mergers/closures or corporate pilots(like me) who got tired of on call/pager life style and wanted some stability and flying didn’t matter that much. Again, in my view (I suppose I can speak with some authority on the subject as I did work there), positives outranked the negatives by a long shot. If you fit the category give it a shot, I don’t think you will be disappointed. Also, consider Nav Canada (where I retired from), pay scales are much the same along with the benefits. NC does hire pilots in the NCFIO/AIS division as a matter of fact; I do believe there are openings there now.

Hope this is of some value. Good luck and stay positive.

Best
55+ close to 60-