Topic: Army Communication & Information Systems Specialists (Sig Op, Lineman and LCIS Amalgamation)

[PuckChaser]

It's a damn shame as the quality and usefulness of a Pte (T) Aciss tp has greatly suffered as a result.

The quality of the ACISS-Core DP1-qual'd Signaller is a direct result of the ACISS gongshow that thought being a SigOp was a secondary duty. They gutted the TacRad/Core skills, and paid lip service to the sub-occ training to save training time, and created someone who needs maximum supervision at the unit level.

[c_canuk]

So I got my pay statement for end of may.

It shows the regular payment going into my account, however there are a bunch of deductions called Compulsory re muster and an equal number of additions for the same amounts with the same heading (checked on a spread sheet, they added then removed a payment for every month since Jul 2014).

My closing balance is negative almost a grand because I was taxed on the payments but not refunded tax on the deductions.

If the spec payments are taxed after landing on my balance, why isn't the full amount deposited onto my balance? spec pay for a MCpl 4 in 2014 was not 225.23 it was $688.

Anyone else see the same on their sheet?

[ringo598]

Same here, clerks tell me DMPAP is doing stuff and my pay still shows the "in progress" notes and not the completed notes and my pay should be normal regardless of all the notes until the final payout.

I give this a 60% chance of being accurate, a CFSCE pass as it were.

[211RadOp]

Wait, you're doing your sigs DP1...in Gagetown?  Not CFSCE in Kingston?  Huh, didn't know they did that.

I have nothing useful to add, my DP1 was years ago and I'm told things are much different now, hopefully someone who did it recently can chime in.

CFSCE has not taught a PRes ACISS DP1.0 in a while.  Having said that, there will be PRes on the DP1.0 starting in June so that it can make Min Load.

[211RadOp]

... Seems like CFSCE is actively trying to get out of the actually teaching courses game.

I don't know where you go this little tidbit of information.

[ringo598]

On Topic Update:

Got paystub today and confirmed with most of the guys at the shop they got it too.  We started getting spec pay as IST's, at least that's what the base amount shows.  The rest of our pay is all messed up, some guys are +thousands and others are -thousands.  I went from 5B-Incentive 4 to 5B-Spec-Incentive 3, not sure if that's correct, but at least the switch has been turned on.

[c_canuk]

no new developments for me yet, some of my guys have gotten it though. So far no back pay, other than the digit they probed me with rudely last month.

[Alpheus]

So latest RUMINT is the new tech trade will be Sig Tech 000385.  And for the chaser, when the new trade is stood up, it apparently has to be at standard pay rate as per Treasury Board rules.... :-D

[PuckChaser]

Not surprising, why would a trade that is brand new with that has not gone through the pay review process be granted spec pay? Would you rather everyone get Spec 1, and TB rule its not a Spec trade so all your troops are forced to pay back thousands of dollars?

Just because LCIS had it, doesn't mean any other incarnation of Technician will get it. You guys get to go through the process like anyone else.

[Alpheus]

Just because LCIS had it, doesn't mean any other incarnation of Technician will get it. You guys get to go through the process like anyone else.

I know why they can't start as spec, same reason CSTs didn't start as spec.  That's not the point.  Everyone's pay is still effed up from the last time we went "through the process", and that took what, 7 years?  This is only going to make things worse.

[Eye In The Sky]

AC Op is a standard pay group, but when they are quald/employed as PAR (Precision Approach Radar), those folks get Spec 1.  Maybe the new Sig Tech trade can match specific quals to Spec 1 like AC Op does for PAR folks?

[PuckChaser]

I know why they can't start as spec, same reason CSTs didn't start as spec.  That's not the point.  Everyone's pay is still effed up from the last time we went "through the process", and that took what, 7 years?  This is only going to make things worse.

I think you underestimate how fast this trade restructure process will take. Likely 3-5 years is the estimates I've heard. The reason why the CST pay was messed up was because changes were forced through the system before a proper pay review was done (to correct an egregious error that froze legacy LCIS pay after the COT to CST). The pay review took so long because DPPD and TB were working on a new "streamlined" process for pay reviews because of the multitude of MES restructures (The RCN did a major one as well) that were going to bog the system down. This new system would also allow them to periodically review Spec and Non Spec trades to see if the pay groups were still relevant (Comm Rsch was warned they may lose Spec due to this). Because we're going back to literally square one, it'll give DPPD time to sort themselves out and get a process that can be measured in less time than it takes someone to complete an entire terms of service period.

Also, a lot of the folks that screwed us with ACISS are retired/out of their positions so we won't have the same poor leadership ramming changes through.

EITS: It's likely something like that will come into effect. SigOp in certain OSQs won't stay non-spec for long, and there are IST/CST/Sig Tech jobs that likely won't meet the threshold for Spec 1. Line could also be thrown into that mix with some of their high-demand civilian qualifications they can obtain.

[c_canuk]

All I have to say is that if I don't get spec pay before they start the next round of this crap, I'm going to be very put out.

[renegade]

On Topic Update:

Got paystub today and confirmed with most of the guys at the shop they got it too.  We started getting spec pay as IST's, at least that's what the base amount shows.  The rest of our pay is all messed up, some guys are +thousands and others are -thousands.  I went from 5B-Incentive 4 to 5B-Spec-Incentive 3, not sure if that's correct, but at least the switch has been turned on.

I should be a Cpl Pay incentive  4 this month, but because of the aciss project i have been set back to Pte pay incentive 3. The clerks have helped me out a bit but hardly really. I hear this has happened to a lot of people. The clerks at my unit have their hands tide. anyone have any ideas in what i should do? at this point I am ready to call Ottawa myself. This is wrong on so many levels.

[PuckChaser]

I should be a Cpl Pay incentive  4 this month, but because of the aciss project i have been set back to Pte pay incentive 3. The clerks have helped me out a bit but hardly really. I hear this has happened to a lot of people. The clerks at my unit have their hands tide. anyone have any ideas in what i should do? at this point I am ready to call Ottawa myself. This is wrong on so many levels.

Cpl's calling Ottawa usually works out incredibly well. There's also a lot of information missing here if you are actually looking for guidance. There's no way you should be dropped out of your current rank if you were already being paid at it.

[renegade]

Understood, yea i didn't think it would work out to well, just kind of fed up. So what has happened is they have to recreate my career history from the ground up. They put me back to pte 3 and literally left me there, this is the 3rd month i have been paid at this rank. As well as I am supposed to be cpl 4 today and it did not change anything. Pretty much what i was told is to wait out, Ottawa has to fix it.

[Zarack]

Lots of people are in that boat.

Most of the guys I work with got at least their spec pay, though some of them were put into a lower pay level in the same rank(Should have been 4, they are 3)
They were told to wait out until the PRZ note is removed then they will be able to act.

As for me, i saw activity early May, got some cash out, some in, at the end i'm sitting with a balance of -$8000, then nothing else.
Was also told to wait out, and if I end up with no pay, to immediately go see them and they would give me some.

Still no spec pay for me, and I'm sure, a lot more.

I still don't understand why they are stripping the pay file and rebuilding it the way should have been... Why are they just not calculating the difference with both?
Oh well.

[c_canuk]

At this point I think they are doing it on purpose, I think they're betting on how high they can drive the attrition rate before it all implodes. Paying some people but not others randomly just before guardian hit, then stopping until Guardian is "fixed" is all part of the machinations. I felt that brief bit of hope that I might be able to plug the leak in my savings that being posted to the NCR caused, just to have it dashed again with no ETA in sight...[/sarcasm]

Somehow, if this was affecting Officer's pay, I don't quite believe this would have gone on so long. I don't like thinking like that, but it is what it is.

[Zarack]

Sent: July-18-18 2:57 PM
To: Guardian
Subject: Re: Specialist Pay Update / Mise à jour - Solde de spécialisté
English text – French text follows
Texte anglais – texte français suit
Specialist Pay Update
The MPMCT Project and DHRIM staff have identified the underlying causes for the issue related to Specialist Pay. We have developed the solution and are presently testing the solution to confirm that it correctly resolves this issue. We hope to confirm that the problem is resolved by the end of this week (Friday 20 July). The moratorium on the entering of transactions affecting Specialist Pay will be lifted once the solution is confirmed as working. Look for a communication to this effect next week.

Mise à jour - Solde de spécialisté
Le projet TCGPM et le personnel du DIRHG ont identifié les causes sous-jacentes de la question liée à la rémunération spécialisté. Nous avons développé la solution et nous validons actuellement la solution pour confirmer qu'elle résout correctement ce problème. Nous espérons confirmer que le problème est résolu d'ici la fin de la semaine (vendredi 20 juillet). Le moratoire sur la saisie des transactions affectant la rémunération spécialisté sera levé une fois que la solution sera confirmée comme fonctionnant. Attendez-vous à une communication à cet effet la semaine prochaine.

So they found an error and testing a solution, sadly i'll be on leave next week to see what they have to say about it!

[Pre-flight]

So they found an error and testing a solution, sadly i'll be on leave next week to see what they have to say about it!

Excellent. It really feels like they are not lying to us this time!

[rmc_wannabe]

Excellent. It really feels like they are not lying to us this time!

Yes.... feels......

[alxthegr8t]

Hello,

I am currently in the process of becoming a Specialist in Communication and Information Systems. I am at the stage of making an appointment for my first test. I have 2 questions. First, I would like to have the opinion of a soldier who works / has work in the field to know how a day in this business is. I would like to hear what people on the ground have to say about this job. My second question is related to the fact that the profession is currently in demand by direct enrollment (which I did). To what extent does the CAF actively research trades that are "currently in demand"? I know it's rarely possible to set a wait, but if a trade is in demand, I guess the process has to be relatively faster than normal?

Thank you very much!

[ringo598]

Update:

To: +Guardian-Gardien-Communications@CMP MPMCT Proj@Ottawa-Hull <P-OTG.MPMCT-Communic@intern.mil.ca>
Subject: Re: Specialist Pay / Groupe de spécialisté

English text – French text follows

Texte anglais – texte français suit

The issue associated with Specialist Pay has been resolved. The moratorium for entering Specialist Pay is now lifted, and you may resume entering transactions for members in receipt of NCM specialist pay.

All Specialist Pay transactions previously submitted, that were held back from the CCPS to avoid issues with members’ pay, have been successfully processed.

[rmc_wannabe]

Update:

To: +Guardian-Gardien-Communications@CMP MPMCT Proj@Ottawa-Hull <P-OTG.MPMCT-Communic@intern.mil.ca>
Subject: Re: Specialist Pay / Groupe de spécialisté

English text – French text follows

Texte anglais – texte français suit

The issue associated with Specialist Pay has been resolved. The moratorium for entering Specialist Pay is now lifted, and you may resume entering transactions for members in receipt of NCM specialist pay.

All Specialist Pay transactions previously submitted, that were held back from the CCPS to avoid issues with members’ pay, have been successfully processed.

That's a bold strategy, Ringo. Let's see how it works for them. Especially when DMPAP stated all pay reviews were on hold until Fall  2018...

[Buck_HRA]

Hello,

I am currently in the process of becoming a Specialist in Communication and Information Systems. I am at the stage of making an appointment for my first test. I have 2 questions. First, I would like to have the opinion of a soldier who works / has work in the field to know how a day in this business is. I would like to hear what people on the ground have to say about this job. My second question is related to the fact that the profession is currently in demand by direct enrollment (which I did). To what extent does the CAF actively research trades that are "currently in demand"? I know it's rarely possible to set a wait, but if a trade is in demand, I guess the process has to be relatively faster than normal?

Thank you very much!

I am not an ACISS so cannot speak on the day to day work of an ACISS but I believe there are some siggies on here that can comment.

In regards to a "faster" file, short answer is no your file will not get preferential treatment and receive faster processing.  In Demand means that there are currently more openings for an occupation than the CAF has in the training system which creates an "In Demand" requirement.  What can/might happen is that once you reach the Competition List you will receive an offer faster than someone else who is applying for an occupation that is not "In Demand".