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

[RedMan]

I would hope that there would be absolute clarity regarding:

Who will be getting Spec Pay?

-only legacy LCIS who were already getting spec pay (QL5,CPL and higher)  ?
-legacy LCIS who were QL5, but not yet CPL before the freeze?
-legacy LCIS who had POET, QL3, but had to do CST 2.1 Mod 2 (QL5 equivalent)?
-legacy LCIS who had POET, but had to do ACISS CST 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 2.1 Mod 2)?
-legacy LCIS who were QL5, CPL and higher getting Spec Pay, and became IST?
-what about back pay?

This would sum up all those who joined as LCIS techs and had some legacy training. This doesn't include the rest who joined as LCIS and were sucked into the ACISS storm. They all made what they thought was an educated decision about becoming a land communications and information systems electronics technician that gets Spec Pay (like all other equivalent techs in the CF) for the Army, only to be screwed over and be fed b/s for years.

If there is a decision made, and a statement to be passed on, it needs to be very accurate, and clear with full details. NO MORE hopes and guesses. These guys has been treated like crap for long enough. Stop passing on "fluff" in hopes to hold on to the leftover techs who've had enough and haven't moved on yet...


I'm no longer part of this mess, and I'm still pissed for you guys!

 

[JSRSith]

Only a Canforgen will give the answers we all seek. Only believe it when that Canforgen comes out stating what amount, who gets it, and if there is back pay, if any at all. Right now it's a lot of people saying "I heard it through my chain of command", "I heard it from the school", "They promised me so I know I'm going to get it", etc. This isn't doing any of us any good listening to people that are too low of a rank that have "friends in higher places", and those people that say "they heard from a bunch of people on course", or areleased or retired person that "still have their connections"....all of these people are obviously too far displaced from anyone that makes the final decision, which is the Treasury Board. When the decision is made there will be a Canforgen drafted and approved by a higher chain than any of the people we know, and it will be sent out to every chain of command and disseminated accordingly. No one is going to hear about it before it comes out, so if anyone is skeptical about a rumor then go review the Canforgens for the last couple of months and if you find it, post it here.....and yes, it's Friday night so I don't see anyone racing back to the office to check on this until Monday morning. I personally, am not holding my breath because any approval of spec pay and any back pay means that those whom get it will have to adjust our taxes for just that many years worth of back pay. Then those whom do not get it will either accept it, put in their release, VOT to another trade, go Air force, or try to switch to the trade that gets spec pay.

 

[armyman7877]

Does the spec pay include lineman as well?

 

[PuckChaser]

Does the spec pay include lineman as well?

No, this decision is to fix the legacy LCIS pers who got pay frozen and screwed. The longer term is a pay review for all of ACISS.

 

[JBP]

Well... With that all said. I'm too far out of the loop now days to know anything either!

I'd like to pass on some revelations of some type, but I pulled pin awhile back as someone in the thread alluded too and I'm now a civilian.

I had a huge post all pre-typed and thought up in my head but, what it comes down too is personal choice... I made mine, I'm out but I'm still working fully in the trenches of the RCCS world, just get to pick what I wear and how long to grow my hair! I'll keep trying to help our sordid mess of a trade, in a new way now. Hopefully in a more effective way. I don't need to lament or rant about all the problems as we mostly all agree on what the problems are. If anyone wants to know why THIS specific ex-IST viewed things and what assisted in my decision to release/retire, PM me.

All I can say for those still in or joining the ranks, keep up the fight! Hold your heads high no matter the challenges of the day and do the best you can. Nobody can ask more of you, so give that while you serve and you'll do just fine!

I'll be seeing some of you around the halls at CFSCE, it's been an 11.6 yr slice, CHEERS!

 

[RADOPSIGOPACCISOP]

Well... With that all said. I'm too far out of the loop now days to know anything either!

I'd like to pass on some revelations of some type, but I pulled pin awhile back as someone in the thread alluded too and I'm now a civilian.

I had a huge post all pre-typed and thought up in my head but, what it comes down too is personal choice... I made mine, I'm out but I'm still working fully in the trenches of the RCCS world, just get to pick what I wear and how long to grow my hair! I'll keep trying to help our sordid mess of a trade, in a new way now. Hopefully in a more effective way. I don't need to lament or rant about all the problems as we mostly all agree on what the problems are. If anyone wants to know why THIS specific ex-IST viewed things and what assisted in my decision to release/retire, PM me.

All I can say for those still in or joining the ranks, keep up the fight! Hold your heads high no matter the challenges of the day and do the best you can. Nobody can ask more of you, so give that while you serve and you'll do just fine!

I'll be seeing some of you around the halls at CFSCE, it's been an 11.6 yr slice, CHEERS!

So I guess that means in you got your spec pay through alternative means

 

[c_canuk]

Seen some new info, it appears at DRCCS request earlier this year, DPPD is seeking approvals to undo the pay freeze for LCIS QL5, but it still needs approvals. So yeah, big grains of salt and don't expect anything soon.

One sentence in it made me see red for a bit. It's one thing to suspect something based on deductions and rumors, another to see it in writing.

Also apparently none of this has ever made it past DPPD because the file was incomplete and arrived a lot later than normal. Then they were given 4-5 months to fix the problems however DPPD was shut down just as the files came in. Why it took from Jan 2012 to Dec 2014 to provide these files that should have largely been completed well before ACISS was put into practice is something I'd like explained.

This is a positive step forward though, assuming it gets approved.

Hopefully this is only one piece of the effort and the rest of the promised Spec Pay effort is realized.

 

[Jom]

Has everyone seen the new RCCS update?

summary, no change for spec pay, former LCCS spec pay unfrozen when approved, blue berets will be for everyone or no one but no decision yet.

there are a couple other things but it seems this was the important stuff for the forum

 

[Avail]

Has everyone seen the new RCCS update?

summary, no change for spec pay, former LCCS spec pay unfrozen when approved, blue berets will be for everyone or no one but no decision yet.

there are a couple other things but it seems this was the important stuff for the forum

Don't forget the 20K (two payment) signing/CT bonus.

 

[PuckChaser]

That bonus is only if you have no prior RegF service.

Sent from my SM-G935W8 using Tapatalk

 

[PiperDown]

Just as I suspected. Former LCIS techs are a long way from getting their pay sorted.
The CMP recommendation is the FIRST step ( and that took a year!)
Now, a file has to be prepared at DPPD for CDS approval. ( ie another year probably) Then, a process to figure out any back pay will take time.

I realize CMP recommendation is a positive FIRST step, however approval and implementation is a long way away.
Given the snails pace thus far, I would speculate late 2017 or even mid 2018 for a resolution.

 

[buzgo]

Ref the signing bonus, I gather that it is to attract people that could go into the CST/IST sub-occupations. The thing is, we haven't got a mechanism to fast track them into being CST or IST. They can PLAR the courses but the still have to go through the stages of DP1 common, work as an ACISS in a unit, get streamed into an ISS or CSS job, complete DP2 then they can become a sub occ.

So that works out to 3 or 4 years on average.... right?

 

[PuckChaser]

It could attract anyone from the PRes, we had it in the mid 2000s due to pressures from Afg deployments. Once a trade is sitting at ~78% PML for years without signs of recovery, they do things like this to attract CTs from the PRes.

 

[buzgo]

OK tracking that, but the issue I see is red sub occupation numbers driving the whole occupation to be red. We need to generate more CST, IST and even LST members than we are currently able to.

Recruiting reservists isn't going to really help out with this as the reserves don't have CST and ISTs. So unless you get a reservist with a tech diploma/degree, you get an ACISS core.

It is becoming increasingly clear that our recruiting and personnel systems need some tweaking. It would be awesome to be able to recruit candidates into sub occupations.

 

[PuckChaser]

Since when have we needed more LST? They were over 100% PML every CM brief I've ever been to. CST was knocked down a bit because of those who went to IST. Saying that we're red because 2 small sub occs are red ignores the fact that ACISS can't attract regardless of sub occ, and it was an issue for 2 of the 3 pre-amalgamation trades.

 

[upandatom]

Just as I suspected. Former LCIS techs are a long way from getting their pay sorted.
The CMP recommendation is the FIRST step ( and that took a year!)
Now, a file has to be prepared at DPPD for CDS approval. ( ie another year probably) Then, a process to figure out any back pay will take time.

I realize CMP recommendation is a positive FIRST step, however approval and implementation is a long way away.
Given the snails pace thus far, I would speculate late 2017 or even mid 2018 for a resolution.

I do not see this portion taking that long. They have realised an error made, and are correcting it. If they postpone/draw it out any longer, you are going to have even more frustrated personnel. Yes it is alot of work, however they managed to get that severance pay sorted out within a year for most CF members as a whole. This is working with on average 400 personnel? a few hundred still serving, the other half in other trades or jumping ship.

This will though, cost them a pretty penny, as myself, doing the math for the frozen pay, commensurate with promotions, and pay incentives, adds up pretty quick over a period of 4 ish years, and gets messier with deployments in that timeframe, as that pay now becomes tax free, for in that year.

 

[PuckChaser]

This will though, cost them a pretty penny, as myself, doing the math for the frozen pay, commensurate with promotions, and pay incentives, adds up pretty quick over a period of 4 ish years, and gets messier with deployments in that timeframe, as that pay now becomes tax free, for in that year.

If you still made $8 grand a month or less. Anything more is taxed, making it even more of a mess.

 

[c_canuk]

I figure it will take minimum 6 months, I'd be very surprised if it was less than a year however.

 

[Avail]

OK tracking that, but the issue I see is red sub occupation numbers driving the whole occupation to be red. We need to generate more CST, IST and even LST members than we are currently able to.

Recruiting reservists isn't going to really help out with this as the reserves don't have CST and ISTs. So unless you get a reservist with a tech diploma/degree, you get an ACISS core.

It is becoming increasingly clear that our recruiting and personnel systems need some tweaking. It would be awesome to be able to recruit candidates into sub occupations.

I fall into that category, and it's going to take a lot more than that signing bonus for me to switch sides. If you're a good network or systems admin the standard pay rate just isn't a reasonable offer for your skills and experience. To recruit good IST's it's going to take Spec 1.

 

[Jom]

Don't forget the 20K (two payment) signing/CT bonus.

glad they are willing to pay people to come in, but won't give the ones already trained any incentive to stay