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

[armyman7877]

My point is lineman is a tech trade and should be given spec pay. Our trade on the civilIan side does offer such pay bonuses and what not. To say lineman is not a skilled tech trade is insulting . I have hope  that we will fight to be payed equally like the rest of the techs. We develop cable plans, and yes most of us lineman  can so most of the tech stuff. They want us to be part of the tech unit do most of the work but get completely  left out of any compensation. I am hopeful our chain of command  will fight on our behalf for spec pay and fair compensation for the lineman.

 

[PuckChaser]

If there were a plethora of high-paying civilian jobs out there for LSTs, your trade wouldn't be the only green trade in ACISS (and even prior to ACISS). Line/LST has never had recruitment/retention issues, so clearly either your training is not up to industry standard, or you're being paid fair wage for the training you have.

Your trade on the civilian side is mostly hourly wages and very bust/boom dependent. I think a lot of trademen would kill to have a guaranteed $60K a year plus benefits for 25 years, instead of having to put in 80 hour weeks and then being laid off a couple months of the year.

 

[Swingline1984]

My point is lineman is a tech trade and should be given spec pay. Our trade on the civilIan side does offer such pay bonuses and what not. To say lineman is not a skilled tech trade is insulting . I have hope  that we will fight to be payed equally like the rest of the techs. We develop cable plans, and yes most of us lineman  can so most of the tech stuff. They want us to be part of the tech unit do most of the work but get completely  left out of any compensation. I am hopeful our chain of command  will fight on our behalf for spec pay and fair compensation for the lineman.

Reel your neck in, step back and take a deep breath. You do less now as an LST then the old legacy LMN did and you expect to be paid more for it? Put 100 Linemen in a room and ask what the OSI model is; then watch 3 raise their hands (probably folks who worked in the private sector first). Unfortunately my peers and yours decided not to grab on and wrestle technology to the ground when they had the chance, saying "we do too much already" while making grunting noises and banging their chests. So during MES we dropped the telephone switch which is evolving into VoIP; a technology which actually requires some depth of tech skill beyond climbing a pole (horrible example of what LMN do by the way). The trade/occupation has lost a lot of its skill sets with regards to OSP/ISP design and has ceded much of that responsibility to SSC and other civilians. I retired because I saw ACISS as a whole as a lost cause and got tired of banging my head on a rock. If I was a fortune teller (lucky for you I'm not) I would not see much future for 77 Line Regiment either beyond a lot of PYs all in one basket that can easily be wiped out and replaced with contractors then re-rolled into something more useful in the 21st century like a cyber operator or a drone pilot. I do, however have one recommendation for you if you want spec pay...don't sulk in your office, go out, sit on boards, argue to take on more technological responsibility, then change the system and earn it.

 

[armyman7877]

I have been serving in the military since 1997.  I have been around long enough to see many things over the years but 77 line regiment is running very well and as a whole we are not going anywhere.  My whole point being is that the line man are techs the same as the other trades. It's even in the tittle lineman technicians.  We often feel we get the little stick and by being bypassed on spec pay it feels like the icing on the cake. And yes i fo feel likewe should be compensated and no we do not do less work.

 

[LightFighter]

My whole point being is that the line man are techs the same as the other trades. It's even in the tittle lineman technicians.

Did you just add technician to Lineman? I’ve only ever seen the trade name as Lineman, never Lineman Technician. Or are you referring to LST, which is Line Systems Technologist

Also, even if it did have technician in the trade name, that doesn’t mean it should be a spec pay trade, eg Supply Tech, Med Tech(unless you are a PA or have a speciality within the trade).

 

[Swingline1984]

I have been serving in the military since 1997.  I have been around long enough to see many things over the years but 77 line regiment is running very well and as a whole we are not going anywhere.  My whole point being is that the line man are techs the same as the other trades. It's even in the tittle lineman technicians.  We often feel we get the little stick and by being bypassed on spec pay it feels like the icing on the cake. And yes i fo feel likewe should be compensated and no we do not do less work.

Just quit while you're behind. If you've been in that long then we probably know all the same people and you should also know I speak the truth. Your argument (if you can call a whiney rant an argument) is ludicrous...and just because I'm recently retired doesn't mean I don't know whats going on and don't talk to the guys still in. But whatever man...you do you...just stomp your feet on the internet, be jealous of your compatriots in arms rather than happy for them for getting a bonus and we'll just see how far it gets you.

To all the CSTs and ISTs out there; I'm happy for you...even if this guy sees your windfall as his soap box. Cheers.

 

[armyman7877]

Yes ' the linemen are every bit a tech trade as any of the  other trades. The reason why our trade has never been in the red is because it is  a technical job and most of the lineman find this trade very rewarding. If you think lineman is not tech and such an easy job then go try designing a Cable plan and go on the road for two plus months..  I'm just here to state the fact that our job is very technical  and deserving of spec pay the same as the other techs.

 

[PuckChaser]

You know you get TD on the road, right? Just because you have to travel doesn't make you a spec trade. You're already compensated for the travel.

 

[ringo598]

From my understanding (info comes from a pow-wow that had both CM's and D-DSigs) LST & Core were not submitted at all.  After the last attempt at spec pay it was seen that "on paper" the two other trades simply didn't have enough compared to civilian side to warrant further review of specialist allowance. 

It wasn't that they didn't work hard, or that they were not skilled.  It was a comparison to civilian compensation as a whole.  In the civilian world lineman make about or less what they do in the CAF. (AGAIN AS A WHOLE, I know someone will say but my line buddy makes 100k splicing single mode with Bell, but that's a one off, not as a whole).  Whereas techs and server admins make MUCH more as a whole in civy land (*Cough*Cough* civy contractors at CFSCE or 765/764 Sqns all make 100k+ and not just a few of them).

Its not a slight at all to lineman, its a comparison to civilian compensation AND retention.  My last look at that access file from CMP that shows the trade mannings showed Core & Line both healthy, while CST (78%) and IST (53%) both critically red was another factor.

 

[Alpheus]

I have complete faith that someone, somewhere, somehow will completely eff this up as usual.

I hate being right.  Went to my pay clerk today to ask about when I will see my back pay, was told that they have received direction from Ottawa.  Of course, that directive is to only pay to legacy LCIS with the old qual code.  Yay.  Oh, and those of us with f**ked up tax situations will receive a modified T4 in the spring to correct the pay balance issue.  I have complete confidence that this will not happen.

 

[rmc_wannabe]

I hate being right.  Went to my pay clerk today to ask about when I will see my back pay, was told that they have received direction from Ottawa.  Of course, that directive is to only pay to legacy LCIS with the old qual code.  Yay.  Oh, and those of us with f**ked up tax situations will receive a modified T4 in the spring to correct the pay balance issue.  I have complete confidence that this will not happen.

Sounds like they are just trying to figure out how to calculate 6 years of Back Pay for approx 600 people in the range of 30 to 100K on a case by case basis. Easy job, might take a day or so. No big deal...  :facepalm:

Stead on lads, steady on.

 

[Lumber]

You guys need to be less original with your choices of avatars.

 

[PuckChaser]

 

[JBP]

With due respec,t I totally disagree. We lineman are busy as ever doing work orders. I know most of the lineman can do all your jobs plus our own with no problem. If you really think lineman is not technical the  try  designing a cable plan and do our job. I'm sure most of you  wouldn:t last. It would be great if fellow lineman would fight for fair compensation and tech pay.

With all due respect... Most lineman can do all your jobs plus our own with no problem? I would actually pay a $100 bet to see ANY lineman in the Forces attempt to do what I do on a daily basis. Just the average stuff, not even anything advanced. Normal ACISS-IST tasks you would see a guy doing at CFJSR or on tour somewhere. You have no idea how far out of range you are with that shot. You don't actually know what you do not know and cannot know it until you've seen it or attempted to do it. ACISS-IST do not simply reset passwords and make user accounts. That's not all of it buds. That's a slice.

Linemen are technical yes, and splicing cable is complicated, but, when I have to instruct the linemen on the differences between a fiber and ethernet-based switch... When I have to explain to ACISS-Core guys that HCLOS is actually passing network traffic via microwave radio frequencies and not simply running as an RRB...

Anyway, congrats to everyone, I actually, never thought this would happen. Spec pay party for vanity to happen if/when I receive backpay!

Cheers

 

[ringo598]

Wait..are we supposed to wait for the backpay before spending it? Oh.  I did a bad thing...

 

[rmc_wannabe]

Wait..are we supposed to wait for the backpay before spending it? Oh.  I did a bad thing...

Why do I feel like I will be having this conversation multiple times on Monday with my troops....  :facepalm:

 

[ringo598]

But but Sirrrr

I needed that new Truck.
And snowblower...
And rifle...
And TV...

By the way sir, can you approve my memo for a pay advance?

 

[ringo598]

For any IST's interested, CDS order is being corrected, but some very good sources state that the pay/backpay/qual is:

"AKOX AND AKOF AND AKOH"

REF is CDS Directive 046/17, which currently has an OR in there, but its being changed to AND.

 

[PuckChaser]

There was a CCPS message go around this week to inform members that any spec pay change for ISTs is being done nationally, not at the unit level, so don't bug your OR asking them to turn on your spec 1.

 

[c_canuk]

For any IST's interested, CDS order is being corrected, but some very good sources state that the pay/backpay/qual is:

"AKOX AND AKOF AND AKOH"

REF is CDS Directive 046/17, which currently has an OR in there, but its being changed to AND.

AKOX - DP2 ACISS Det 2IC
AKOF - DP2.1 IS Admin Tech
AKOH - DP2.1 IS Net Admin Tech

I don't have AKOX on my MPRR (via MM) but I assume it's covered by my QL5 which isn't displayed with a competency on my MPRR for MM either. I wonder if that's going to be an issue.