No training just figure it out. Hired over 1,000 consultants (US/India) for knowledge/expertise and workforce. Employees ended up training them anyway.
Nepotism at it's finest here. No work/life bal. 24/7 on call. Still into the in-person workforce. Working from home allowed only when they need you and even then may request you come into the office (Montreal or States). Bare minimum employees in the States yet core controlled in Canada the HQ.
Employees train their managers. "Fake it till you make it" commonly used proudly by management. Many come from the field/craft, lack professionalism, formal education, and knowledge of the law not to violate employee rights. Invest in new systems yet not in the development of employees for the system(s). Rely heavily on each one teach one yet managers know that elimnates job security so you will get limited info. CEO and Executive team disconnected from employees leaving middle management (VP, Sr., & Directors) too much power and control.
If it's not in writing don't trust it. If it is in writing they may find a way out of it even if it's walking on your rights. The legal system can get them to play ball fairly and they count on many not going that route. Yet better to deal with on one on one basis and hush them than the masses. Be careful of their internal HR investigations - it's also to discover any liabilities. If union - get to know non-union counterpart(s) and vice-versa.
Hours of Service (HoS) used to avoid
ProsBenefits - yet Vet and govt employee benefits are better.
ConsManagement, Pay, Hours, Workload, Travel, Lack of Training, the "pro-cess"
2.0
Senior System Engineer | Homewood, IL | Jul 15, 2020
IT Pays well, but it's mostly downhill from there.
CN is mostly a decent place to work. In IT, salaries and benefits are good and work schedules are mildly to moderately flexible. The culture, however, isn't for the faint of heart. In the US, there is almost no room for advancement. Every year comes with a "less than the" cost of living raise and even the slightest little hiccup causes the upper class to declare no bonuses for the peons. Individuals who are passionate and knowledgeable are discouraged and rarely given the resources they need to improve themselves or the company.
Small decisions are bogged down with red tape and the inclusion of individuals who don't understand the details. Large decisions are made in upper management by people who don't know what's needed on the ground. Over and over you'll hear "upper management has approved this process". Any criticism of these decisions, or bringing light to their deficiencies, is considered "making noise" and is quickly squashed.
Don't anticipate being formally trained, or even cross trained between groups. Silos are ever present and exceptionally strong. The company pats itself on the back that they're "One Team", but that's just a way of shutting employees up when someone complains that another team isn't pulling their weight or is screwing things up.
When you leave the company, they magically change the vacation policy. Suddenly, even though the vacation policy is based on years of service with no accrual, they will pro-rate your vacation when you leave. If you have
Great Pay, Management need more training, Systems are very out dated
Tips
1.Joining a Union was a waste of money because its no good to you while you are on probabtion.
2. I was trained at( 2) different sites- 1st site was awesome the trainers thete was very helpful and very informative about the railroad life etc.
The second site I was trained at was horrible, i was trained by (4) different employees and out if (1) of those employees well she was so helpful and had patience. She really was a great person who allowed you to take notes and ask questions.
Those other (3)individuals i hope are retired or was forced to another desk. Those ignorant individuals were extremely childish, racist, and definitely wanted to see a person fail for no reason. It was so bad that i put in a bid for a new position which by the way i was rewarded but was not able to go right into like a new hire was able to. (Which by the way that new hire hide a specific bid so she can get off the same desk as i was on due to how she saw i was being trained) But i was hired a month before her but she won that bid immediately.
Anyhow a day before my probation ended i was evaluated by Sequia out the blue and waited till about an hour to my shift was over to have me come to her office for my evaluation and was fired. She listen to those 3 horrible people who had bipolar issues etc.
Remember what goes around comes around God dont like ugly .
ProsGreat pay, don't trust everyone, you will figure out who's real or not
ConsHave a backup job or career just in case your let go off for no reason, save your money while you are working in the railroad, it's a Cutthroat company
CN likes to call itself the best railroad in North America, which is true if it was a toy train set going around a Christmas tree. Management especially at Fond du Lac has no clue on anything to do with a railroad. The only thing they care about is trying to fire and intimidate employees. Here you will pay union fees that are so extremely high so the union officers can go be buddy buddy with management, your fees will do nothing to protect you. If you want to work for a company that pride's itself on trying to fire all it's employees the day it hires them while the union helps them, please do go work here. I enjoyed my job as an Engineer, but that's as far as it goes. The company makes up policies that are great for them at any given time, and the union just sits there and agrees, if you don't believe me, in your interview ask the company for a sick policy or even a safety policy, there aren't any but get the flu and stay home sick and wait for your investigation letter in the mail. The WCL was a great railroad to work for, since the CNR and Hunter Harrison (blessing where he is now)took over everything is to please the stockholders. This company hates all employees and customers. Good luck with future years of intimidation and not knowing if today will be your last day either by BS charges brought upon you or the lack of any safety at this company.
Ever heard of a 4 month suspension because your work boots weren't laced through the top eyelet? It can happen here. No, it wasn't a situation where the employee was told multiple times. We make $120k/yr... that's basically a $40k fine for shoe laces. It's cheaper to get 4 DUIs.
They will terminate you at the drop of a hat. If they don't like you (maybe your attendance isn't where they'd like it to be, maybe you follow the rule book a little too closely), you're outta here.
They tend to leave me alone, but people around me are dropping like flies. I'm at the point where I don't feel save or secure anymore. Every week somebody is being suspended or terminated and I'm just waiting to make one mistake myself and they give me the boot.
The work itself is enjoyable. I really like the job, but the management is truly vicious. Your co-workers are typically very easy to get along with and enjoyable to work with.
Feel free to apply, but beware all the reviews are true (except the couple random good ones. Must have been written by some kind of shills).
ProsGreat pay and pension
ConsExcessive discipline for even first-time or minor mistakes
i would show up to work in my work truck hop on the track and inspected the track for 60 miles, you have to get off the track in between trains, mark bad areas, make sure crews are fixing the problems, clean snow from switches, keep inventory on weld, and rail defects, watch for other traffic at crossings, make sure lights work at crossings, ensure everyone is working safely, order materials if short, budget so we aren't spending too much, time management, make sure each job is entered into computer properly and has a charge number. ive learnt that I have a lot of responsibility and I can work under pressure to meet deadlines. Its a high pace high demand work with a lot of quality in these high pressure work projects. Managing time was the hardest with social life work life plus all the different work projects it was hard to balance everything to make everything work smoothly. I love the out doors and seeing the country side and meeting alt new people was really enjoyable
I'm content with my current supervisor but most managers or higher ups are liars and a pain to deal with. Kiss up and kick down mentality here. This company is so focused on being efficient that they are extremely inefficient. Redundant work and jobs are created for management, while boots on the ground employees are treated like children and told how thankful we should be because we have a good job and we are just dumb railroaders. Certain people in senior management enjoy toying with people and play favorites. Benefits get worse every contract. Pension is the only redeeming part of this job and its a long wait. They are looking to get rid of as many in house employees as possible. Morale is low here too few employees and way too many managers. If you stare at a computer and crunch meanless numbers all day your probably ok for now. Till everything can be automated, then times up. Future prospects look bleak as a seasoned employee of this company I consider myself lucky if I can retire from here.
Great place to work if all you care about is a good check and solid benefits.
Working at CN Memphis was a mediocre experience. I definitely could have worked there and made a good wage and good benefits as well as a pension supported by railroad retirement, but that being said there is more to life than good pay and good benefits. I was pretty much going out to pasture working here. I would have been stuck on nights pr evening shifts working weekends for years, as well as little to no personal improvement opportunities. That being said I worked with great locomotive electricians, but they were far and few between. The job is not good for young people aspiring for a fulfilling and rewarding career, but great for those who want to bet on a sure thing with known sacrifices like working weekends and off shifts for 10 years plus.
ProsUnion shop(paid breaks, rep backing, etc), good pay and great benefits
The culture of this organization is designed for you to fail. Management does not understand that we are all human and make mistakes. As a new employee you will not receive adequate training and support. Thus when you do make an error you can pretty much plan on being suspended. They don’t believe in effective communication but rather yelling and shouting at you like you are 3 years old.
The only great benefit for working here is the compensation and medical benefits. If you have a life outside of work then this isn’t the company for you. Be prepared to come into work expecting an 8 hour day and forced to stay for 16. You have to work an entire year before you get 5 vacation days. You have to work an additional year before you get 5 sick days, which by the way you are penalized if you in fact are sick and need time off. In plain terms CN Rail sucks!
Let me begin with the postivies, there are none. While the pay and benefits are very good, your quality of life will be poor. There are no sick days or time off except your vacation. It is possible you could be working seven days a week, twelve hours a day. If you have a family look elsewhere. These people are micromanagers and the bottom line is money for the stockholders. They are good at it. You will be expected to do anything with nothing. Managers lack education and expereince. One of the chiefs I work with has never taken a college level course. He reminds me of a three year old. He screams and shouts when he does not get his way. Whoever shouts the loudest gets promoted at this place. They tell you up front it is not a career, but a way of life. That is exactly true. Forget time with your family, or any outside activity. Be ready to live out of a suitcase and spend time with your boss in the bar.
Good pay & benefits, but its not all sunshine and rainbows...
CN has a great extensive training program for new conductors. They fly you to Winnipeg if you hire in Canada, and you're there 7 weeks. They pay for flights, hotel the whole time, and all meals, plus pay you a weekly salary for attending class 5 days a week. During those 7 weeks though, they make CN sound like the best company to work for ever.
Sure, you read online and hear about the on call 24/7/365 thing, and for the most part, with exceptions, that's true. It wouldn't be a huge issue for single guys like me, or even family men, if their train lineups were accurate ever... you'll show going out at 6am so you decide to go to bed at 10pm to be tested. Suddenly your phone rings to go work for 12 hours on a train at 11pm. If you say no, you're hauled in for an investigation and discipline.
If management would update the lineups and not hide random trains on lineups, we would have a better idea when we're going to work.
You do make good money. Will you make over $100,000 a year as a conductor? Not at the beginning, unless you go to a few select terminals like McLennan or Roma Junction where they're always short guys and pay a very good salary to entice people up there. But for other terminals, you could make 75% of that, but after a few years, you definitely could make 6 figures.
It's definitely not your average job and it is what you make of it. But I'm posting this at 4am, because I'm awake waiting for my next call to take a train. That should tell you what to e
Ask any employee here, its any wonder this company makes money. Management has no idea what they're doing, are frequently way under trained, misinformed, and pressured to discipline employees excessively. It comes to the point where we come into work and wonder if we are going to get fired today. They always have some excuse, or reason to write you up, remove you from service, or assign demerits, or provide a failure on what they called random safety testing. Safety culture looks great on paper, means absolutely nothing in reality. The rules are written to cover the companies butts, and discipline employees and not actually keep anyone safe for the most part. The company and its constant monitoring, baby sitting and supervision of its employees makes you feel like your 12. They spend so much time making sure your actually working and following policy and rules to the exact letter you no longer actually focus on your job rather to make sure you aren't breaking any rules. Management also makes these amazing decisions on having the newer or less-experienced employees train the brand new employees instead of having the season and experienced employees do so. This is part of staff shortages and refusule to assign extra OJT (on the job trainers) to assist training. Other then that, the pay is awesome, benefits vary by union, the places to go, things to do are awesome! You spent your first months in a training facility either in Homewood IL or Winnipeg MB to learn.
If you've always dreamed of getting paid to hate your life - CN Rail!
(To be clear from the outset, there are definitely good people working at CN Rail. Unfortunately, almost none of them are in management.)
CN brings an exciting 19th-century mindset to the 21st-century job market!
As a working-class employee you will serve as an entirely disposable cog in the corporate machine as it railroads its way through pristine water sources and across the pockmarked Canadian landscape.
Any and every small mistake you make will be treated with the utmost attention, guaranteeing plenty of quality time with every supervisor within discernible cell range.
Don't sweat it though, because no matter how badly anyone screws up the share prices will just keep climbing, leaving no substantial reason for anything to ever change in the way things are done on Canada's National Railroad.
Innovation! Every month brings a new way for management to track exactly where you have been and what you have done.
Dedication! Once you buy that lifted truck you've been eyeing up you're basically locked in for life.
Self-Preservation! Hint: it helps if you're jaded before you even start.
Looking for a career that is sure to leave an irremovable mark on your soul? Then look no further than CN Rail!
ProsDecent pay, no skills/ knowledge required to advance through into management
With CN Rail it has been a great place to work this far. The environment has been a little bit on the Toxic side due to backlash with some of the management changes and changes to how CN is running things inside of the shop. Management is trying to change the culture in the shop to work steady and produce quality work safely while giving full respect to each other. Some people are immune to thinking anything that involves the word "change". Other than the environment right now it is a good career path. You get your schedule so you can plan for your days off, you get 2 weeks vacation per year to start, you get great benefits, stock options and paid training in Winnipeg's CN Campus. Management doesn't push you to get things done very fast as they prefer having quality and reliability with their services then getting a Locomotive out of the shop and having it break down 5 miles down the track. Sure at first you have to deal with Seniority and working nights for approximately 5 years but after that it's gold! You will have work stability as long as you strive to get better at your job and work by the book safely. Lastly you get to be home with your family every day and nothing beats that when you've worked out of town for ages!
ProsBenefits, Stock Options, Pension, Stability, Home with Family
Working at Canadian National Railway was both satisfying and rewarding,
Work as a rail car technician allowed me to acquire skills and was varied enough in it's day to day activities to keep me interested and motivated,
Working in the traffic yard kept you on your your toes around moving equipment. taught the importance of teamwork to achieve deadlines and departmental goals. It also taught the intricacies of inter-functional communication and prioritization. working on the mainline as a wagon repairer taught you foresight, planning and safety. working either alone or with a mate Safety is paramount on the railway. not only will an accident affect me, it will slow down traffic, possibly shut down the plant if serious enough. Mainline accidents affect all involved not just the injured party, they may affect the running trades, rail traffic controllers, supervisors and workmates.
ProsWorking for the railways you arer well compensated, base rate for a RCT is 72.000/year. depending on the hours you wish to put in you may earn up to 140, 000/ yr.
Consthe railway works 24 hrs a day seven days a week 365 days a year, in all inclement weather, the worst thing on the railways are level crossing accidents, you only need to attend 1 fatality to understand no one ever beats a train.
I'll give you the honest scoop. Railroading is a tough lifestyle. Whether you're working in the yard or on the road. Unless you have enough seniority to hold a yard shift with scheduled days off. Otherwise once your booked rest is over (you can book up to 24 hours rest after a shift) you have to be prepared to answer your phone at any time. And there is an inherent risk of serious injury or death when you're working with equipment as massive as a train. That's why the pay and benefits are so good. And it's not grunt work. Training involves hitting the books. You need 100% on your signals final. And there's 119 signals to learn. You then need 90% on your rules exam. And some of the rules are a little mind bending. That being said, I don't want to discourage anyone. You'll receive excellent paid training. The instructors are great. And like any job you'll have good days and bad days. And you'll work with some good people and some bad people. As for the culture, CN is 👍. So far they've treated me welI. I previously worked for CP and the management-employee relationship was very adversarial. Morale was rock bottom there. I'm much happier at CN. I'm not a CN cheerleader, I'm just telling it like it is.
ProsPay and benefits
ConsIrregular schedule, exposure to the elements
Questions And Answers about Canadian National Railway
What is the most stressful part about working at Canadian National Railway?
Asked Aug 19, 2017
Dealing with unprofessional "Management"/Supervisors with NO experience in the crafts. Constant retaliation for bringing up Safety, or ideas on how to improve day to day tasks. #5thplace
Answered Jan 20, 2020
Management.
Answered Oct 18, 2018
Will you get fired if you get a DUI?
Asked May 29, 2019
With all the headaches it's a wonder there aren't more DUI'S
Answered Nov 26, 2020
Yes, Upper management.
Answered Nov 24, 2020
How many days do you work in an average week? Total hours?
Asked Apr 19, 2018
5 days but if you in Mobil gang they can do up to 8 days straight
Answered Jul 18, 2021
6 days per week, and 12 to 14 hour days.
Answered Jul 2, 2021
How often do raises occur at Canadian National Railway?
Asked Sep 8, 2017
Yes, sit on a couple books.
Answered Nov 26, 2020
Once during the 5 years of being there working.
Answered Sep 18, 2017
On average, how many hours do you work a day at Canadian National Railway?
Asked Aug 19, 2017
Depends on craft and position I have worked for CN 15 years Transportation Dept starting as brrakman to conductor to locomotive engineer! Work regular job work 5 days week some jobs 6 most are 5 days minimum 10 hours a day Max 12 federal law mandated max can be on duty linger just can't do any work! Work extra board on call 5 days week on call 24 5 get 48 hrs off every week plus is guaranteed 5 days pay at 10 hours get called work once in week get full 5 days pay if stay available don't call off sick FMLA miss one day lose 1 day pay two days is 2.5 days pay 3 days missed forfite gurantee for that week and only collect what u actually work time in half after 10 hours and or work days off the whole day is time plus one half!
