AME wages

pistonpounder · Post by **pistonpounder** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 1:22 pm

Why is it that the cost of living continues to rise yet industry still expects AME's to work for 25.00 hr. I have looked at several ad's and this seems to be the going rate, all oher mechanics make 10.00 to 15.00 hr more than our industry yet have none of the responisibility. There are 1 or 2 places out there that pay 30.00 to 35.00 hr for AME's on the floor but this is because they refused to work for less and I think this is something that our industry in general needs to do in order to change our pay scale.

Pat Richard · Post by **Pat Richard** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 7:42 pm

The reason you're still seeing that wage offered is that, even now, there are still jerkoff's content with it.
They're the same one's you will see on here telling you "If you don't like it, leave." because they can't come up with anything intelligent(sorry, "I love working on airplanes" doesn't qualify) to respond with.
The industry is extremly pigheaded in respect to upping the wages, and I think this will continue to make this business less and less attractive, as other trades continue to sweeten the pot in their favor, while leaving aviation behind with its head in the sand.
Very curious as to where this industry will be this time next year.

Meecka · Post by **Meecka** » Fri Nov 09, 2007 9:31 pm

25.00 an hour? I'd LOVE to be making that! And yes I am licenced, not newly so, and I HAVE been fighting for an up in pay.. and been told that my 20.50 an hour is industry standard, and should be happy to be getting that.

chowda · Post by **chowda** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 12:29 am

Dont know where you are working, but I made 20 bucks an hour 6 years ago as an apprentice, and went to 25 as soon as I had my license just after.
Not bad for then, and no offense, but a poor pay rate now. Id be letting my feet do the talking in your situation. How can you afford to live? I could not begin to get by with your pay nowadays.

yyc999 · Post by **yyc999** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 2:16 am

Where the hell are you people working, I am making colse to $30 an hour with a yearly bonus?

twotter · Post by **twotter** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 3:35 am

chowda wrote:Dont know where you are working, but I made 20 bucks an hour 6 years ago as an apprentice, and went to 25 as soon as I had my license just after.
Not bad for then, and no offense, but a poor pay rate now. Id be letting my feet do the talking in your situation. How can you afford to live? I could not begin to get by with your pay nowadays.

But chowda, you were a little superstar!!!

Hey, I hear you are coming back down this was soon. Come visit me when you do..

Cheers buddy.

chowda · Post by **chowda** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 4:35 am

Nah, just never broke stuff. But honestly, that was the rate at the shite hole I went to after I left yvr. There were apprentices making even a little more than 20 I remember. Anyway, it would seem the wages have'nt changed much since.

Yup, I'll be down there on Tuesday. See you then bud!

Meecka · Post by **Meecka** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 9:00 am

I live off of my visa! Unfortunately I'm far enough in debt that moving is something I look at with great trepidation. I'm in a pickle and don't like it one bit! Oh, I work in southern ontario, not that that makes much of a diffrence. It seems that AME wages are lower than they should be everywhere.

ourkid2000 · Post by **ourkid2000** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 10:32 am

I don't know where you high paid guys work but those numbers are not the norm for the industry!

I'm familiar with a few of the wages at some of the common places for AME's........for example:

- At Canjet, as an apprentice right out of school I made about 15 bucks an hour. Licenced guys made roughly 20 bucks an hour.........ACA's made about 27 an hour or so. Roughly those numbers anyways.

- Jazz's wages for apprentices are even worse than that. You'd start somewhere around 14 bucks an hour. Licensed guys start around 17-18........and ACA's start at 19-20. The absolute max you can make at Jazz is 28/hr.

- Currently I work at IMP and they started me at around 17 with the upper limit around 22/hr after about 3 years.

- Cougar helicopters offered 17/hr for apprentice

- PAL airlines offered 17/hr for apprentice

- I turned down a Cat 38 job with Air Canada in YWG and they were offering about 19/hr taking into account my 3 years school and 8 months in the industry as an apprentice.

- I'm pretty sure Westjet's wages are fairly similar to Canjets. Not 100% though.

SPOT · Post by **SPOT** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 1:55 pm

Last I herd westjet ACA started @48,000 and Canjet started @50,000. Though that was a couple years ago. Westjets payscale had bigger pay jumps though, so in only a couple of years you would be making more @ Westjet, plus of course Profit shareing (whatever that is these days). Like I say that was a couple of years ago so it may of change since. Jazz just Sucks!!

Pat Richard · Post by **Pat Richard** » Sat Nov 10, 2007 11:56 pm

All I can say is the piddle shit wages you guys are making is not the norm, at least in the west. Look at KFC, they're offering 25 to start for an M2, and they cant find people because it aint enough either, but I imagine you guys would trip over yourselves for that wage.So my next question is, whats wrong with you people???
Besides the maritimes, and maybe Saskatchewan, the cost of living is around the same, if not higher in Ontario, so why do you guys whore yourselves out? F*#!ing forklift operators make that out here, yet apparently its enough to bait some easterner's into releasing aircraft???
I have to say its a little shocking.

log sheet · Post by **log sheet** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 8:15 am

There is strength in numbers.
There are jobs everywhere, if there are 5 or 25 guys/gals in your Maintenance Department and your wages suck walk into the boss as a group. I know you just can't quit your jobs, thats not real life! There must be some poker players out there!lol

Again with this "CHEAPER TO LIVE ON THE EAST COAST THING".
I call BS on that. Was just home in NF for a couple weeks. Saw first hand this is not the case. I've said it before in another thread, Wal-mart is Wal-mart no matter what coast you are on!
Cheers!

jsmetalbashers · Post by **jsmetalbashers** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 9:08 am

I can't believe what I'm reading, I thought we were getting beyond the days of believing our bosses when they told us that 20 bucks was a good wage. I have a good friend that left here (Kelowna) to move to Northern Ontario and was started at 25/hour. I can't believe that people are taking 22/hour as a top wage and paying union dues every month, that is a scam.

pistonpounder · Post by **pistonpounder** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 12:10 pm

as far as where us high wage guys are working I have been at 3 places in nothern alberta, have never worked for less than 30 hr for 6 years now as an AME because i refuse to, what amazes me is that in the 604 industry i get paid 60 hr yet the commercial operator thinks that he can low ball every one, we as a demanded trade need to just say this is what we are worth, no discussions.

casey · Post by **casey** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 1:08 pm

Hi pistonpounder were are those jobs for over 30 hr and how do i get one You said you are makeing 60 hr where the hell would that be.

tellyourkidstogetarealjob · Sun Nov 11, 2007 1:34 pm

Meecka wrote:I live off of my visa! Unfortunately I'm far enough in debt that moving is something I look at with great trepidation. I'm in a pickle and don't like it one bit!

A lot of us have been there. I'm sure you have a lot of sympathy here. You didn't ask for advise but I'd recommend doing as much o/t as you can get the next three months ask for a visa credit increase, and then get out.

Your boss is lying to you - blatantly. The next time the subject comes up confront him/her they are lying to you. They won't fire you. You may be desperate but you don't have to take BS.

On your next job, SHUT UP about only being able to afford Kraft dinner. I'm guessing you complain about having no money from time to time. Big mistake. A user will always see that as having you by the short hairs and take the opportunity to squeeze.

Better luck on the next job!

OurKid...

Jazz is the gutter of aviation at the moment. Hence the constant advertising. Unless you have a pension and are just finishing your time off I couldn't imagine going there. I don't even know small companies offering what they do.

I don't doubt the numbers you quote but they are definitely lower than the rest of the country.

These days an endorsed AME should be pushing at least the $30 rate. A fresh license mid twenties. More if lifestyle sacrifices (cell phone slave, nights, weekends, no time off, outside in winter) are required.

Meecka · Post by **Meecka** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 1:39 pm

tellyourkidstogetarealjob

On your next job, SHUT UP about only being able to afford Kraft dinner. I'm guessing you complain about having no money from time to time.

Aye, the odd comment about being short on cash has come up. Only in conversation with the boys, I am afterall human, and not ever to the boss. Or within his hearing. I know better than mention to that one about living off of my visa.

ourkid2000 · Post by **ourkid2000** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 2:01 pm

What to do what to do..........

Well, i've never really wanted to live out west. I guess that's a big hindrance for me. Basically someone like me is forced to work for those wages if we want to stay relatively near the east coast.

Once I get my license maybe things will open up but right now its not looking good and personally i'm considering a career change. There's too much responsibility and not enough money for my liking.

Pat Richard · Post by **Pat Richard** » Sun Nov 11, 2007 8:54 pm

Once I get my license maybe things will open up but right now its not looking good and personally i'm considering a career change. There's too much responsibility and not enough money for my liking.

I hear an awful lot of the same from multi-endorsed AME's with 10+ years in.

To be quite honest, 30 a/hr does'nt bring the experienced guys running either, as for that wage the employer generally figures they have ownership of you. (tellyourkids lists the evils)
Time to start thinking/accepting 40ish a hour to get the experienced people they need, and even then, lifestyle will still come in to it. I know heavy duty mechs making almost that in non union shops who have an almost normal lifestyle, except for the bush callouts. But they signed on for that, and it was optional, not mandatory. Nobody owns them.

This thread has however, answered for me why I see so many easterners out west working. The east bites dog balls in terms of wages, and you guys are nuts to accept it.

KISS_MY_TCAS · Post by **KISS_MY_TCAS** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 1:09 am

I won't get outta bed for less than $30/hr, and I love the private side jobs since I will quote a rate, say $xx up front, and the rest upon completion BEFORE the log is signed. Makes jaws drop all the time, but have never had a problem with payment. My dealership works on my truck for $105/hr. shop rate (and no, it is not an extravagent truck, it is a Chev 1/2 ton) so I don't feel guilty nailing a private owner with a heavy hourly rate. Of all the companies I have had contact with in the last year, NONE of them can find AMEs that meet thier experience requirements so they settle for apprentices or low experience AMEs. From what I hear the colleges are running at less than capacity too, so the situation will become more critical in the next few years. I think the industry will see big changes in the next few years, experience is getting harder to find (on line maintenance anyway) but companies are screaming for it. Supply vs. demand. I am shocked there are still AMEs in Canada working for less than $25/hour, and even that wage is sub-standard.

ourkid2000 · Post by **ourkid2000** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:16 am

I'm a little worried that if things do go the way you guys are expecting and the wages start going up that we will price ourselves right out of jobs.

The loonie is so high now I can't see U.S. businesses sending their planes here and with the growing trend of outsourcing to foreign companies overseas and in South America it seems like a no win situation for us.

jsmetalbashers · Post by **jsmetalbashers** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 9:52 am

Ourkid, your right about the high dollar making it harder to turn a profit, the way I see it, its time for management to earn their money. Where I work 70% of the mechanics are at top rate which is about 33/hr plus bonus and endorsements. Apprentices are making nearly 22. We have heard that times are going to be tight, but management has yet to say that we aren't worth what we get and that it's out wages that are making it tough to make money. So many companies are run by pilots and mech's with no management or planning training. Efficiently run operations will survive before low paying poorly managed places.

ourkid2000 · Post by **ourkid2000** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 10:11 am

The other big problem is that most places, especially the airlines, have contracts.........most of the places I mentioned earlier are represented by a union (IAMAW, CAW, etc) that has negotiated their wages. What can you do?

jsmetalbashers · Post by **jsmetalbashers** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 11:13 am

I can't believe that the union at IMP negotiated a 22/hr top wage. That is deplorable, obviously they don't give a dam about you guys. They are more concerned about collecting union dues than how much you guys are making. The only thing that you can do is get involved in the next contract, get the guys that work their to understand that they are making a subpar wage at a large union shop, they could easily pay you 5/hr more than they are.

god9 · Post by **god9** » Mon Nov 12, 2007 2:04 pm

What do you guys advise for a career change?

AME wages

AME wages

Wages