Canadian National Railway Reviews

Pros

The job itself is fun, when you're left alone to do your work. Also, there's lots of interesting scenery to see when you're out on the tracks. And you get to play with trains all day which is a plus if you like trains. There's also some "fringe benefits" that it's possible to take advantage of, such as discounts at certain retailers. And the pension plan and stock purchase program are definite assets which help one plan for the future. You get to work with a great group of people for the most part, and there's a strong comaraderie amongst your fellow conductors and engineers.

Cons

Three words: managment, management, and management! They totally don't know how to ballance their job while mantaining employee morale. They govern in a pseudo-military "do as we say, when we say it" style regardless of the labour laws, collective agreements, or past operating practices. This attitude comes from the top down, starting all the way to the CEO and President, Hunter Harrison. Managers will literally sit in the weeds with binoculars, or treck through the ditch at the side of the tracks just to observe employees and wait for them to do something they don't approve of. And after they observe them they'll come down on them like the Hammer of Thor.

In a skilled job where you're literally paid for what you know and how well you do it, the management wants an ignorant and ill-trained workforce that they can boss around. Senior employees are harrassed to the point that they leave or are fired after 25+ years of service, and junior employees are rushed through training to the point that they don't know even the basics of doing the job. Which may be fine in some circles, but doesn't seem like the best way to run and organization that routinely transports dangerous and toxic chemicals in heavily urbanized areas, using equipment that can easily cause someone to lose a limb or worse.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop treating the front-line supervisors like human garbage. Maybe make the entry-level management positions somewhat appealing to the work force, and people with railroading experience will want to do them. This way, you won't have to hire off the street and someone who's "management experience" is a place like McDonald's isn't trying to tell me how to build trains. "Ok, you can run a deep frier? Go run a railroad! They're basically the same." And also realize that most of the operating employees aren't trying out to destroy the company, but are just average Joes who are just trying to put an honest day's work for an honest day's pay, and then go home to their families.

Pros

Great pay and excellent benefits. You also have the ability to move up and a fast pace. You also have the option to transfer to a different job if you are unhappy. The coworkers and supervisors are very helpful and will teach you all the skills you will need to be successful at this job.

Cons

About as much over time as you can handle,and the fact that you are on call 24 seven. Also the company has a zero tolerance policy for alcohol even the amount in mouth wash. Another down side to the job is that you will have to travel all around the us until you get enough years in.

Advice to Senior Management

None

Pros

The pay is good .

Cons

The bullying tactics and discipline procedures are a joke. It's appalling.The blatant disregard this company has for union agreements is at its worse. They do what they want to anyone and seem to get away with it. They have sold off assets, cut jobs, treat their employees horribly, and jeopardize employee's safety over their lack of fixing equipment. Their attitude is as long as they can blame it on employee failure, its okay to do. Sad to see a company that was once a place you were proud to work, now an embarrasment. And the bottom line, it's all over greed and the all mighty dollar.

Advice to Senior Management

Start treating the employee's with respect. It's very hard to deal with a manager in your face telling you how to do your job better, when they have never done it themselves, but yet think they are superstars and can get everything done faster, and better. A little respect and a thank you goes a long way.

Pros

If you are good in politics then you will do good at CN. If you definitely want to work at CN (for whatever reason) try to become a consultant and then suck up Manager(s), you will have a blast, you will get paid lot more than regular employees and wont have a do crappy work employees do and wont be responsible.

Cons

If you are good at your job but not in politics then you wont get too far at this place. CN rewards people based on who you know not what you know. Middle management will play you around like a puppy.

Advice to Senior Management

Stop the bullying attitude.

Pros

The job is very easy to do does not require an extreme amount of effort or knowledge and they are willing to train you on any other job that you are willing to learn or any piece of equipment or machine you want to learn about. The senior staff is very easy going and willing to help you in any way to make your job easier. They are not afraid to spend money on new equipment if you can convince them you need it to make the work go faster or easier they will buy it. The pay is great for the amount and difficulty or the work.

Cons

The hours can be quite long they are shifts that work 12 hour days for either 3 or 4 days then they get 3 or 4 days off. Also normal workers are asked to work a lot of overtime and give up days off to work overtime on weekend but you are paid well to do it making 1.5 times for overtime and double time for Sunday's. While the overtime is not mandatory not working the overtime will make it difficult to make it into senior management fast.

Advice to Senior Management

Find more workers to your current ones do not burn themselves out with the overtime.

Pros

The employees, the wages, benefits and variety of jobs and hours. Railroading allows you to choose a variety of jobs and hours. There is a price to be paid, it's called "seniority", as it used to be , the longer you were with the company the better the jobs and the hours became. Now it doesn't change much with seniority but you will see a slight improvement in income.

Cons

Harrassment, school yard bullying by Upper management. Unfair and inconsistant disciplinary action on a daily basis. Cut and dried, anyone who refers to his employees as "snowniggers" in any context, pretty much shows how much he will respect you, your family or your needs. (12% approval rating?, his friends and family must have voted) If you want any type of "quality of life" I suggest you find someone else to work for. The up and coming management shows little sign of improvement.

Advice to Senior Management

Learn how to treat people, the employees you have are fully capable of running this railroad without your foot up their butts.

Pros

none come to mind except for the close relationships forged on the battlefield of managerial abuse that is rampant at cn. this company was created to bring the country of canada together and provide goods and services to canadians. many employees are third and even forth generation railroaders and the experiance they ( we) have imparted to the new employees is inspiring in light of the animosity that has endured in the reign of hunter harrasin. the money is decient depending on the job and your particular area of residence, providing you can live with the kindergarden mentality you will most certianly encounter at cn...

Cons

a manager, on his first day of a new assignment calls his employees together and says: i'm the new warden, points to his strategicly placed supervisors and says: these are the guards and you are the inmates. what's not to like about working for these people . if you are comfortable being refered to as a snow negro or an inmate then cn maybe the right fit for you. they will however promote apprentices who have one week of classroom training and no actual time in the trade to first level supervisor status and after a few weeks of coatail riding with another supervisor, give them an overwelming amount of responsibility. people who live near the cn tracks, be afraid be very, very afraid. these new stupidvisors are coached to get things done period. google cn prince george.

Advice to Senior Management

let your people go.....

Pros

Used to be a decent place to work, now after 33 years I just want to retire and move on. Can't really think of a good reason to work for CN and based on the turnover rate of their new employees, I'm not alone!

Cons

Harassment and bullying from the top makes it an difficult environment to work in. Unionized employees are fired for any reason and then several weeks later contacted and offered their jobs back with time dismissed to serve as a suspension. Older employees are targeted and dismissed for being sick or fatigued.

Advice to Senior Management

Try treating workers with some dignity and respect, you might be surprised with what you get in return. If you are going to flaunt your five principles then at least live up to them, employees are People and Assets! Here's one way out in left field you might want to consider. If you enter into a collective agreement with a workforce, live up to it instead of violating it every chance you get. Shame on you for tarnishing what was once the good name of CN.

Pros

Money is pretty good, pension plan, like my co-workers I work with, most are pretty good people. Scenery is always beautiful.

Cons

Long hours. Probably looking at 70-80 hours a week gone from home. Hard on wives/families. Still, CN wants the "slave contract" where your never home except for your annual vacation once a year. This would replace the 70-80 hours a week with 120-180 week because Hunter says 80 hours a week is just not enough! That's from the "steam engine days" and we now need something to reflect today's needs and desires of the railway. They have this already in the US. How does it work? Well, about 10 years ago we a lot of surplus employees here at CN who went and worked in the US because of their acute shortage with finding enough people for their railroads. Considering you have a country with 200-300 million people and a lot of low paying jobs, you would think that there would be no shortage of people vying for $80,000 and up jobs. Wrong! No takers! Gotta import 'em from Canada. What was it like for the workers that went down there. They were treated great. But basically a taxi took you from your residence to work, you made you round trip, and then you went back to your residence where you'd better get to bed, because in 8 hours you were gone again on another trip, and on and on it went. Finding time to do laundry after a week, or get groceries got to be difficult. But this is the kind of conditions Hunter wants to force on us. Legalized slavery. Plus they really don't value us. In my 30 plus years, there has never been a company staff party at Christmas for the running trades EVER! Christmas party, what's that? Their annual showing of affection is offering a free hot dog in a parking lot by the diesel shops in a dust storm. Oh you shouldn't have. Need I go on? Can you spot the pattern? Oh and the growing earings. Every quarter. It gets slower and slower and the earning go up at CN-ron. Skies the limit.

Advice to Senior Management

Grow a brain and join the human race!

Pros

The people I work with.

Cons

Erratic schedule, disrespect shown unionized employees from senior through and even to junior managers, no predictability to work life, benefits are very poor when considering company's respectable proftis.

Advice to Senior Management

Listen to your workforce. We are what makes this company succeed. Be seen to be treating employees fairly.