programmer analyst

information systems technician

technical assistant

swim instructor

laborer

CITY OF WINNIPEG

I would like to start this review off by stating that I can ONLY comment on my experience working in the Planning, Property, and Development Department. I have worked a variety of jobs starting from factory work all the way to construction project management. It is unfortunate that a place like the City of Winnipeg, that used to be known as a great place to work, has become a thankless workplace filled with bullies, liars, and spineless management. The lack of support and succession planning within this department is mind boggling and is the main reason as to why I left. Current management does not want to see staff grow and succeed and they trap you and once your wage it maxed there is no growth. Because this is a union environment you either have to wait for someone above you to quit or die in order to move up and even then candidates are not selected based off of their skills and capabilities, but by the number of years that they have put into the city (which can be a LOT and a long wait to be able to advance if you’re even given the chance. Current management would rather see external staff in management jobs instead of providing current staff the opportunity and support to grow and advance. They also try to cover up hiring mistakes by bullying people out of positions so that they can accommodate unqualified staff. If you are not awarded a position, you will never get a straight answer OR be told things like “the only reason you received an interview was because it was a courtesy interview, you would never have been selected for that job.” Working in the Planning, Property, and Development department is a soul sucking and crushing experience. In some cases, job promotions are given for a CUPE staff to a WAPSO staff based off of a popularity contest. Not to mention that the hard working staff are consistently shot down while unqualified and irresponsible individuals are given raises. Dirty dirty place to work. Very fortunate to have gotten out.

I saw adding machines with paper rolls because they wanted to "keep records" of the transactions despite the windows calculator being able to export a list of the performed functions.

The company directory is just Name. First/last, last/first, and all manners of initials are glommed together in one stressful directory.

I explicitly asked if there was on call work. I was told no, and then magically I was on call for three weeks at a time, 24 hours a day to basically drive out to 7-11s to reset Transit iPads.

One month in I had to learn a whole new job to cover for someone's stupid vacation, as if it were my problem.

When i worked at handi-transit, they were very disrespectful if my personal time and constantly called me from 6am to past midnight expecting me to come cover for people. If i didn't answer, they would call again, and text, and email, and text again. They would also change the schedules, sometimes overnight and acted as if it were my responsibility to check the schedule between bed time and my afternoon shift.

Everything is worded to shift responsibility off them and on to everyone else. They talk about efficiency, but would rather waste FULL DAYS doing manual math and needless reports all while poo pooing automated spreadsheets that cut the workload by hours at a time.... But chose to nickle and dime me over phone use at the office, meanwhile management walks around chatting and hanging out like its some kind of club. They protect their slow way of working and get annoyed when anyone tries to take real initiative.

The job gave me alopecia and nightmares. My hair has since grown back.

I worked as a CSR for 311. I learned a lot about the City of Winnipeg. The job itself was very stressful. You had to answer calls for all the City Departments. Citizen who called were generally upset about something. They called expecting to speak to a member of a certain department and instead got a 311 operator.  The pay did not match up to the amount of information you had to know or access to relay to the citizen. (26 or so different departments to answer for) The pay at $13.90/hr was not a living wage. The benefits were great but it didn’t make up for the low pay. The training was long but very little training on the phones. My training class started out with 25 people. By the time I left the job 6 months later, only 4 from that training were still working at 311. The hours were all over the place. It made it difficult to arrange around a school schedule or to have another job. If you want to get your foot in the door to work for the City, 311 is not the best way. It is an ok job if you are very young or this is your first job. But if you are supporting a family, not good. They required (at the time) 311 operators to work at 311 for a year before applying for other jobs at the City. The management and higher ups seemed very unhappy and the atmosphere at 311 was somber. There was little interaction with coworkers and generally a depressing place to be. It was not a great experience. 

Typical Day
A typical day of work started at 7am with a meeting and discussion of the work to be done, a drive to the site, safety audit, and working until around 1pm at which point we took lunch. After lunch we cleaned up the site and drove back to the yard for around 3pm, or just after, unless there was approved overtime available. 

What I learned
I learned how to repair roads, sidewalks and curbs. Framing, dismantling, and finishing concrete. I also did asphalt work when required. 

Management 
Excellent management that will always work with you to explain expectations and work through interpersonal conflict between employees respectfully and professionally.

Co-Workers
For the most my co-workers were great, there were a few egos here and there but generally once a positive work ethic was displayed an individual didn't seem to have too many problems at work. 

Hardest part of the job
Id say teaching new employees or employees from other departments how to work in street maintenance while meeting the expectations and time frames was the hardest part of the job.

Typical days looked like clocking into your shift, was never sure if I would get a break or for how long it would be, then eventually going home. Through working here, I was given examples of bad management. If I were to ever progress to a higher position where I was managing other people in any other job, this place is exactly what I would NOT base my management style off of.

Despite being a swim instructor and lifeguard, holding people's lives in my hands, I somehow had to send many, many emails, to management. Regarding my schedules, recertifications, and going on medical leave was probably one of the most stressful aspects of this job. Even more so than actually being injured by ripping the muscles in my shoulder ON THE JOB. The bureaucracy of this workplace made it incredibly hard to make my leave official, and I was constantly being redirected between levels of management.

While this job was rough, especially being 16 years old and it being my first job, it did give me the opportunity to work with kids, which I learned I really enjoy. 

I had a good time with my co-workers who weren't management for the most part, the wages you get are decent too and there's a chance for Sunday premium work if applicable/chosen. However, laziness is the name of the game with city employees and the gardening job is nothing more than taking care of glorified flower beds like grandma does. We spend over $1,000,000 on water alone for the flowers we plant each year, which is honestly a horrible waste. I planned on quitting in my final 3rd year there but was unceremoniously terminated less than a week before the end of season after word got around to my boss that I was going to quit. This then screwed me out of E.I. benefits for the winter, and I struggled immensely that winter just to get by and find a job.

Just goes to show you, don't trust anyone when it comes to the City of Winnipeg employees.

Working for the City of Winnipeg for 3 summers was great  for the most part. The second summer I received 2 flat tires while driving a patch of gravel road. Having received no previous disciplinary actions the supervisors removed my driving privileges and stripped me of my seniority. 

Receiving a call from the city to go back to work the next year I was reluctant but went ahead with it. Before my first day I was told that i had been let go the previous summer and that i couldn't come back, told I could come back because of a clerical error they had made, then told i was on the "naughty" list for something i had previously done but they weren't sure what it was as they had thrown out my file. I was then relocated to a different branch furthest from where I lived.

The staff overall was very respectful, organized, and hardworking. The supervisors for the most part lacked professionalism, competence, and organizational skills. Some of whom could not read, operate a computer, and would brag of the work they did in the good ol days where they would slash open chemical pesticides into and emptying there contents into ditches while they smoked.

A solid entry-level and part-time customer service position with great flexibility and people, but it can be emotionally demanding and lacks growth opportunities.

Pros:
- Good place to work for a part-time job due to flexible scheduling
- You can choose your work hours and workdays, which is very convenient
- Supportive and friendly coworkers and team leads
- Management is generally kind, understanding, and accommodating
- Decent entry-level role to gain customer service and public-sector experience

Cons:
- The job can be very stressful and draining at times, especially when handling frequent complaints from the public
- Limited opportunities for promotion
- Probation period is quite long 
- Office environment could use improvement (some outdated or non-functioning computers, broken chairs, and insufficient lighting in certain areas)

Call center at water billing had some of the worst workplace culture ive ever experienced. Management run by S.Atkinson offered no positive feedback and an environment constantly  under appreciating its employees. The job itself is incredibly stressful and you’re under constant abuse from citizens. In return you are: charged for your own christmas party ($16-25 a person), the clerk c’s payed their own money for employee appreciation lunches, you arent allowed to use the bathroom on the clock and they will not take dr’s notes if you have a health condition.  
Benefits are meh. Bare bones and not 100% coverage. 
Would not recommend. The opportunities to advance are competitive and based on seniority. If you’re looking for entry to work in the city youll be stuck in the call center for years before getting a new position 

Wish I could go back. 

I was on the research side of the entomology lab, collecting specimens and removing wasp nests, and I loved it. I felt so incredible out in nature, dealing with what I enjoy most--bugs. 

Sadly though, life with the City was not to be. As a seasonal position, you had to reapply every year, and HOPE you got in. I was lucky enough to be there 2 years, but by the third I had another job offer elsewhere and couldn't work there. When I reapplied the year after, they never responded to my application. 

I've heard that things have changed much in the way of management and how the employment structure is set up, meaning different departments and job descriptions. I would definitely go back to this job in a heartbeat-- if only the City would ever mail me back.

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Programmer analyst 3 salaries reported	$21.49 per hour
Information systems technician 3 salaries reported	$86,243 per year
Technical assistant 3 salaries reported	$21.00 per hour
Swim instructor 3 salaries reported	$18.67 per hour
Laborer 3 salaries reported	$45,667 per year

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