pipefitter

welder

safety specialist

safety officer

structural welder

Alstar Group of Companies Ltd.

If you don’t fit into the click you will have a very hard time working at this company. Their is a lot of poor management within the field. A lot of the people in the management positions do not treat people fairly, they discriminate and they have favouritism. But I mean how can you not favour certain people as a supervisor when you go out drinking with them every night. A few sites have management that like to degrade and strip you of your dignity for their own feeling of self worth. I have even so much been directly called names by supervisors. It’s a small price you will have to pay if you wanna work for alstar, the paychecks continuously flow as they under bid a lot of jobs to keep you working. Expect to work a 24-4 shift, expect to be under paid for your knowledge. Expect to be under paid for trying to be a leader. I will say they do have a very good safety program and not once have I ever felt like I wasn’t given the time to do my job safely but that doesn't take away from the fact the many times I felt and seen a supervisor personally attack me and or other workers around me. I do believe that alstar has burnt many bridges with the work force in Alberta and if they wanna grasp a skilled work force in their future projects, I would suggest that they reevaluate their management strategies. I believe a lot of supervisors could benefit from formal training in their positions to teach them the right way to speak and deal with workers. By reading this I don’t want you to think the entire alstar team is like this, but I do want you to be aware. Every site has their supervisor that acts in these manors I have mentioned. On a final note to Human Resources for alstar that is reading this, I suggest you look through your records of supervisors that have a high turn over rate of workers, a bad reputation with clients and maybe even reports from employees of harassment or discrimination. Also I would look for supervisors that might only have bad things to say about people when they speak to dispatch about who they would like to come on their job. With this information I’m sure you can very easily figure out who I’m speaking of. Signed a previous employee.

When I started with Alstar, at first it was so promising. I felt there was real opportunity with this company. That's what I thought at first...
 So let's begin, I thought the staff was super welcoming. So I'm not going to get into exact details, on what a work day is like.
 So Christmas vacation comes around, everybody is all excited to head home. So everything was going smoothly. Jan 2, get a call not to to return to site and wait for dispatch. So I did that, why? I have no idea why I sat around waiting for a call from dispatch. Because I was the one who called them wanting to get back in the field. This is what I got, "Yeah, I'm looking at your name right now. I call you back this afternoon." Only not to get a call back. They had me sign paperwork in January, and then by February I received my benefits card. Still in regular contact, and got a complete run around. 
 Then they terminate me, but ... Heaven forbid if they would go out of  their way and handle that properly. I didn't get a phone call from them on my employment situation. Apparently no one in HR or Dispatch could use a computer and type a letter stating that I was let go, or find the energy to make a simple phone call. I had to find out through Service Canada that they terminated me. Let me ask HR this, is it the responsibility of Service Canada to tell you employees they've let go? Because the way I see it, it's not their job!
 Do you have any idea how bad you've messed up my financial situation? You don't, why? Because you've already gone out there and found another soul to take a spot. 
 I have a good reason that there are good companies out there, with this one... Looks can be very deceiving. I couldn't find it in my heart to recommend this company to anyone. Who knows how many other people who have been negatively treated have been mistreated, But those who live to tell their stories would tell you, there are better places out there.

Let me just start this by saying I have worked for the same company for years before signing on with these guys. I would be embarrassed to own this company. Guys hate working there, I worked side by side a guy that worked there for 10 plus years and he personally showed me the reviews that all are 5 stars... on the same day in march they have such a bad rep they told there guys to go put 5 stars on the reviews. The guys are deadly to work with but the management makes it unbearable. The funniest part about this all is you can talk for hours but as soon as managment comes around your supervisor will change the conversation to work related... everytime.... the workers here are so scared to lose there job and it's sad. Alberta is picking up and they are gonna lose half there work force. Have never heard anything good and should have listened to friends in the industry. I refuse to be bullied and will always stand up for what's right. It also doesn't matter if you cant blast or paint because if you simply volunteer for a lead hand position they give it to you!!! Instead of the many guys that are qualified. Guy is a complete potatoe but that's what they like stupid people that are just gonna do what they say.They also had a huge injury to a supervisor and they blamed him for everything. Let me add he was forced into that position.... STAY AWAY!!! Excited to start at a real compression shop.

Had some good times working at the Calgary shop for the better part of two years, along with some of the finest fabricators in the industry acquiring some lifelong friends in the process. 
Unfortunately, too many corners were being cut by management in order to meet project deadlines. Deviating from engineered prints & stepping out of fitting/welding procedure were very common daily practices approved by managers which actually hurt the company very deeply. Others were very accurate in stating that the overall safety at this location falls dangerously into the category of facade. To add insult to injury, paychecks took a hit and are now below average. Layoffs once per year are standard, and you'll start fresh at the bottom as a "new hire" after being re-hired on multiple occasions throughout your time here. Sadly, this loophole still exists and it will prevent even the best of highly skilled enthusiastic workers from gaining any type of seniority or career traction. There are worse shops out there, that's for sure. Definitely consider this one as a temporary or supplementary position as current management has deemed long term career suitability out of the question for now, disappointing given the potential @ Alstar.

So I worked with Alstar, and I have to say I am extremely disappointed with the way they handled me, and my situation. I was hired  guaranteed some promising outlook. I worked hard to get back to work after a disappointing 3 years with loss and sacrifice, and I worked my butt off to get back. I felt happy, and complete going back to the oilfield. 
 So I was just disqualified from collecting EI because of not enough hours in to collect. Sounds familiar? As a result I’m in a bad situation again. To top it off, I NEVER received a phone call, or a letter from Alstar saying that I was terminated. I had to find out from Service Canada. How bad is that? That’s not professional on any level. I was in regular contact with this company, and the only thing I got back in return was “We’ll call you back this afternoon”. And I got nothing back, I wasn’t even worth the time to them. 
Unfortunately that’s was the final straw for me. Thanks to this wonderful company, I have zero intention of going back to the oilfield again. Thanks for destroying my opportunities, and positive outlook. 
 My advice, don’t do it. There is a reason why they are always looking for people.

What is the best part of working at the company?
I want to express my appreciation for this company’s supportive leadership and positive work environment. Our managers are always approachable and ready to help, which creates a sense of trust and respect. The team atmosphere is friendly and collaborative, making it a great place to work and grow.
Thank you for building a workplace where people feel valued and motivated.


What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The most stressful part of the job is the early start — our shift begins at 5 a.m. However, you get used to it surprisingly quickly, and over time it becomes a normal part of the routine.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The work environment and culture in the company are positive, supportive, and team-oriented. People treat each other with respect, and there is a strong sense of cooperation and trust. Managers are approachable and ready to help, which creates an atmosphere where employees feel comfortable asking questions and growing professionally. Overall, it’s a workplace where everyone feels valued and motivated to do their best.

Worked with Alstar in multiple disciplines. Personnel are poorly treated. Senior management does not lead by example. A lot of lip service. Quick to point fingers when employees are set up to fail and they do. Unrealistic expectations. Tough to grow a company when senior management has never worked anywhere other than Alstar. Weak upper management. 

Having said that there are some good people and some good managers.  It’s painful to watch them struggle daily. They’ve really taken advantage of employees with the current economy. High turn over rate. Even managers and key players have been leaving. They just had another long term manager just get up and walk out. Everyone is hush hush about it. 

They push their mission and values, but only when it’s convenient. No consistency. It’s a shame. Could be a great place to work. 

Client management is very poor. Favouritism is high. Poor leadership. I hope they recover and turn their culture around. It’s going to hurt them when it’s gets busy again. 

Best of luck. 



My experience at Alstar was terrible for my mental health! Management was very aware of the aggressive bullying going on but did nothing, as far as I know there were no consequences and it was not addressed. There was very visible favoritism /politics going on for promotion/pay increase and you couldn't do anything or talk to anyone about it.  There was a period that the environment was so toxic that I actually needed therapy to get by and was anxious to go to work!  Employee Turnaround was quite high. Worked with a few nice co workers/managers but most of them have left/laid off. Pay was low (at that time) but it is a small company can't expect too much. Silver lining is that they have a somewhat new structure/HR department so I am hoping they recognize how to treat people better especially visible minorities. I have completely moved on from that situation and I wish them the best.

Alstar has kept me busy for over 9 years. If you show initiative, strong work ethic, good attitude and the aptitude and desire to learn in the industry this is a great place for growth and job security in a relatively unsecure industry. There is the ability to progress in this company and move into leadership roles. The main crew that makes up the base of the workers is all very easy going and guys are here to mentor and make the most of your work experience.
The best part about Alstar is their ability to stay busy when other companies are not. We bid jobs aggressively so we can keep a steady crew of manpower working consistently and we also make safety our #1 commitment so everyone can go home to their families at the end of the day.
Lots of apprenticeship and career opportunities to suit your needs.

Cons:
-Management micromanages their staff. They monitor what time you get to work, make you submit a weekly summary of all your tasks you’ve completed & make snide remarks & embarrass you if you’re late or take a sick day.
 -Senior employees verbally abuse junior employees (and are not reprimanded by ANY management for doing so). I have seen many senior employees yell at and cuss other employees 
-Workplace culture is SEVERELY lacking…they make their employees pay for a ticket to their Christmas party (which includes a cash bar) & they never have team building events…only the occasional bbq every 4 months or so where we just eat and are told to go back to work after 30 minutes 

Pros:
You will learn a lot because of how much they will overwork you, and you can use that experience as a stepping stone to bigger & better things…use them wisely. 


Top Job Titles	Average salary
Pipefitter 5 salaries reported	$38.96 per hour
Welder 10 salaries reported	$31.95 per hour
Safety specialist 3 salaries reported	$32.50 per hour
Safety officer 2 salaries reported	$73,820 per year
Structural welder 4 salaries reported	$24.00 per hour

Working at Alstar Group of Companies Ltd.: company overview and reviews

Alstar Group of Companies Ltd.

Alstar Group of Companies Ltd. ratings

Popular jobs at Alstar Group of Companies Ltd.

Salary satisfaction

Job seeker tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected