Allowances - Post Living Differential (PLD) [MERGED]

[Eye In The Sky]

At this point for me, I’ll have to wait to see their actions in the near future. Sad, really but there’s not much faith at the tactical level from what I can see. I have heard a lot of “they f$$k up, we do DLN trg and more “mandatory” trg” comments lately.

 

[Halifax Tar]

At this point for me, I’ll have to wait to see their actions in the near future. Sad, really but there’s not much faith at the tactical level from what I can see. I have heard a lot of “they f$$k up, we do DLN trg and more “mandatory” trg” comments lately.

No disagreement. Any negative move with PLD will probably cause the utter breakdown of the release sections across the country, they'd simply be overrun.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

For those who don’t release, I am sure the level of presenteeism will increase accordingly.

This will be another significant dissatisfaction for people already tired of the nauss, the ridiculous amount of “mandatory training”, retro pay raises always; cost of living is ramping up fast and there’s talk of reducing peoples disposable income. SMH.

 

[rmc_wannabe]

It's becoming harder and harder to toe the line and motivate the troops when you know it's not a benefit to any of them.

The remedial trg. The culling of benefits that have little impact to those up top, but would bankrupt a Cpl/Pte. I had to staff up 2 requests for civilian employment today for troops because they cannot afford not to.

When my people have to choose before rent and food, but PLD is on the chopping block because "well its something we aren't mandated to provide..." I think reality has been skewed for our "leaders" at the puzzle palace.

If a full time, salaried military member is unable to make rent or afford groceries, and therefore has to work evenings and weekends to make ends me; we have failed immeasurably to support our people.

 

[dimsum]

I had to staff up 2 requests for civilian employment today for troops because they cannot afford not to.

Some reporter:

I would love to see the grievance if a member is TD'd, therefore unable to work their second job, and losing their house because of it.

 

[Navy_Pete]

Maybe I have Stockholm syndrome but I want to believe some of them still want to work for us all.

I've heard the idea of PLD floated for lower ranks for the NCR (and some other areas with high cost of living) which would have zero benefit for senior people but be a big help for people struggling.

If TBS or PMO isn't onboard though it goes nowhere, so sometimes stories like that hitting the paper is the only thing that seems to get the OGDs onboard.

 

[Halifax Tar]

I've heard the idea of PLD floated for lower ranks for the NCR (and some other areas with high cost of living) which would have zero benefit for senior people but be a big help for people struggling.

If TBS or PMO isn't onboard though it goes nowhere, so sometimes stories like that hitting the paper is the only thing that seems to get the OGDs onboard.

I really hope those it Ottawa get some relief. I've never been posted there but I can't imagine it's financially easy.

 

[QV]

No disagreement. Any negative move with PLD will probably cause the utter breakdown of the release sections across the country, they'd simply be overrun.

And that's why it is time consuming and difficult to promptly release from the CAF.

 

[Halifax Tar]

And that's why it is time consuming and difficult to promptly release from the CAF.

Je comprend. It's good to be on the 30/30 plan now.

 

[OldSolduer]

I really hope those it Ottawa get some relief. I've never been posted there but I can't imagine it's financially easy.

Many many years ago the CAF was in this very pickle or at least close to it. In the late 70s if you lived in Calgary the corporals/privates that were married often had to work second jobs - and some were reported to be on welfare.

It did not look very good in the papers.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Many many years ago the CAF was in this very pickle or at least close to it. In the late 70s if you lived in Calgary the corporals/privates that were married often had to work second jobs - and some were reported to be on welfare.

It did not look very good in the papers.

Isn't it something like that that caused the big pay bump in the mid 90s ?

I remember it being talked about when I joined the reserves back then.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I think there was a story about a LS using food banks etc in Esquimalt that preceded PLD.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Many many years ago the CAF was in this very pickle or at least close to it. In the late 70s if you lived in Calgary the corporals/privates that were married often had to work second jobs - and some were reported to be on welfare.

It did not look very good in the papers.

Such as the frontpage headline in The Calgary Herald 19 October 1979

"Troops on march to welfare"

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[Halifax Tar]

Such as the frontpage headline in The Calgary Herald 19 October 1979

"Troops on march to welfare"

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I can't imagine a current GO/FO speaking so earnestly to the press as those in your article.

 

[dimsum]

I can't imagine a current GO/FO speaking so earnestly to the press as those in your article.

Especially not if PLD, etc is on the table with TB.

I'd keep my mouth shut too.

 

[OldTanker]

I was in Calgary during that time. The big problem we had was the pay for junior ranks was never designed to support a family, but was enough to keep a single soldier in beer and cigarettes. Once we started to see privates getting married and having children, the pay was simply inadequate. As a married Lieutenant with a child I can tell you we lived from payday to payday as well. We also had a generation of general officers who had wartime experience and were less inclined to be "politically correct". I knew Pat Mitchell and this was very much in keeping with his personality.

 

[CountDC]

Could be interesting to see the final results. The NCR is the current baseline so Ottawa gets nothing but supposedly the new look program replacing PLD will be of benefit to members posted to Ottawa. Guess I will read about in the news as with the way they drag everything out I will be retired before it happens.

 

[OldSolduer]

I can't imagine a current GO/FO speaking so earnestly to the press as those in your article.

But it was Pat Mitchell. He spoke up regardless.

 

[Blackadder1916]

I can't imagine a current GO/FO speaking so earnestly to the press as those in your article.

Though BGen Mitchell expressed his opinion openly to the press, when the fit hit the shan back then, he had already (IIRC - I was a Cpl back then, in Calgary) been raked over the coals more than once by the wives at public meetings. Still, his comments to the press were more candid than can be found from the current generation of GOFOs. As well, the second page of the article provides a good quote from the then BAdmO (LCol Winfield) - ". . . a reading of my commissioning scroll dictates that the well-being of my troops must reign supreme . . . and I don't like my troops to be Canada's working poor."



One of my memories from that period was of a Bde Comd's Annual Inspection (while Mitchell was Bde Comd) of 1 Fd Amb. While he was going down the ranks, occasionally stopping to speak to soldiers, he asked one of our MSE Ops (a Cpl, much older than the average Cpl, Czech immigrant, didn't really give a f**k about military BS) his opinion about a recent pay increase (yes, we did get pay increases, but a couple of percentage points of f**k all was still f**k all). Slav's response was "my pay didn't go up much, but you must have gotten a good f**king raise". The general chuckled, but the Bde RSM and our RSM were left sputtering.

 

[Oldarmyguy77]

I'm an old guy, with almost two decades in, and I've seen the quality of life greatly diminish over the last few years. Military salaries have not kept up with inflation, and if you are a basic cpl with no spec or feild pay, expect to clear around 3000 a month give or take a bit, maybe add a few hundred or less for pld. There are many parents clearing that amount on child tax credit alone, if they have around 4 kids. 20 years ago, 3000 a month allowed you to buy a modest home and a car in most places across Canada, still have enough to live. My first morgage in 2005 was 164,000, and my house payment was 750 a month. My last posting, my mortgage for the same type of home now cost 1700. Most pmqs were between 500 to 850 until around 2012. There are so many military members delivering food just to be able to make rent, and eat. Years stuck in a dead end job, with no career progression because now they need a stupid amount of immediates to even merit for some hope of a promotion. Don't get me started on the higher ups, and the stuff I've seen over the years. Pld is very little money in most bases expect maybe Victoria and Toronto. I think after tax it's really only a couple hundred a month, maybe a tank of gas now. I have always been on bases that recieved 0, so can't speak much about it. I believe the younger generation sees the the military as the working lower poor class. They are not impressed by medals,,and stuff like that the older generations.
Cheers ,but Glad I'm out in a few more.