production associate

assembler

summer associate

truck loader

stacker

North Star Windows & Doors

I worked at North Star for just under a year.  In my time I saw a large number of people quit.   The factory does not have A/C so summer gets very hot on the factory floor. Training is given on your first day,  and after that you are trained by other team members as opposed to actual trainers (for the most part).  As long as I worked there they were understaffed,  and as a result I often took on multiple duties at the same time due so lack of staff.  Work is generally straightforward, and once you develop a rhythm it becomes pretty easy.  The shifts are relatively long,  and Saturday shifts tend to be on a every other week basis.   Prior to COVID the factory ran 8 hour shifts,  but due to the current backlog they run 9 hour shifts, and just recently started 10 hour shifts.  Layoffs were not a worry due to the backlog and understaffing,  and it's my understanding there won't be any for at least the next year, given the backlog hasn't been dug out of yet. Much of the new employees are foreign,  and have lackluster English,  often times making communication difficult.  Wages are improving, but are still slightly below what other bigger plants are offering.  As a production member,  there is little room to grow in terms of salary,  unless you decide to become a trainer,  and eventually maybe even a team leader.  There is a cafeteria which has snacks and some ready to go sandwiches, wraps etc. as well as frozen foods which can be heated up in one of the microwaves in the lunch room.  The people at North Star are mostly nice.  The people who I worked with on a daily basis were all nice and I was able to develop good relationships with all of them.  Overall,  it was a decent job for me as I was saving up for school,  but unless you intend to work your way up the ladder,  I would not suggest North Star as a place to spend your entire work career.   


This company was very eye opening to me in terms of ethics in the work place. Worked as a saw operator there for a year a little while ago and still cannot wrap my head around some of the issues that occurred. I’ve previously tried to post about my experience but it was block, so I will be more vague and touch on some of my less alarming experiences there.

There was no work/life balance. It was the norm for time off requests to be denied. I recall putting in for a week of time off with over 4 months notice. Management tried to deny it with the excuse that no one else was trained for my position. This was part of my vacation time.

Management left much to be desired overall. Many lacked leadership skills and some were aggressive from day one. Employees had very little trust in management. 

I did have one manager that did put in an effort to provide support for my position. It was previously a job 2 person job that was transitioned to a singular position despite the work load not changing. However, said manager went on leave and by the time he returned I was so frustrated with the lack of support in the role and my overall experience at the job that I quit the moment I was offered a new position at a different company.

If you’re in a tight spot that pay will get you by if you’re in a tight spot but, it’s not a place I would recommend long term or in general.

Let’s start with the interview, if you can read a tape measure,you’re hired.It all goes downhill from there. They had a nice incentive to work there in the form of profit sharing, which was roughly 750$ every 3 months just for showing up. Late this year they got rid of that so everyone could get a raise, now you get roughly 250$ every 3 months. 9 hour days, five days a week, rotation shifts and mandatory Saturdays.there is a backlog of 90,000+ and some how it is the workers fault that North Star can’t keep good employees because of the toxic culture and bad reputation. There is a ladder system, 1st ladder is 18-19.95 2nd is 19.95-21 3rd is 21-23 4th is 23-26. I have met more than a dozen people who have been there 10+ years and management refuses to bump them past the first ladder. EVERYTHING IS THE EMPLOYEES FAULT AND NOT THE COMPANIES. You get hired on fridays, start on mondays and most people want to leave after a day.

No opportunities to grow, no incentives to stay or retain you if you are good, shifts every two weeks with more than 44 hours per week including most of the Saturdays, leaving you almost no time for your personal life and family. No rotation of positions, giving you serious injuries for repetitive tasks for 9 hours per day, 6 days a week. I left that job some months ago and I still have body issues in my arms and hands. If you make it to get hired full time, you will never gonna have time to study to improve your abilities or knowledge. They take too long to answer your requests or simply don't listen to your personal needs that require their support.

Terrible pay , low morale even the full timers recommend you leave as fast as possible because some people have been there for over 10 years and they make a dollar or 2 more then the temps, the benefits arnt competitive the work is extremely unsafe depending on where you're placed, they mandate you for an undetermined amount of time at the end of your shift and they write you up if youre unable to stay passed you're scheduled shift.  Overall the worst work environment of my life and I wouldnt recommend it to anyone unless they can't find anything else.

Even when they hire you on full time, after waiting a whole year before being able to use your benefits and no wage increase what so ever really makes me see theres not much difference between their temp employees or their full time ones. Few people I know who have been there for nearly 20 years earn right around 20$/ hour...  You had to put in 20 years of hard labor to earn that. Shows ya how much they appreciate their employees.

First of all, this place is really really hot all year, even in the winter since the machines produce so much heat but in the summer it reaches unworkable temperatures constantly but the company avoids labor laws by placing their heat sensors in the coolest places in the building. Secondly the management is bloated, too many hoops need to be jumped through to address anything. The supervisors abuse their power and play favorites a lot, and the refusal to actually do things efficiently really make this place an awful place to work.  

What is the best part of working at the company?
Not too much good to say about this employer.  The best part was the pay cheque

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The horrible toxic back stabbing corporate leadership and complete lack of management and support 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Extremely toxic and unhealthy 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Getting screamed at by clients and the complete lack of support from management to resolve issues

Working at North Star Windows and Doors has been a good experience overall. The workplace is fast paced and gives employees opportunities to learn new skills and gain hands on experience in manufacturing and customer service. Management is supportive when issues are communicated properly, and coworkers are generally helpful and team oriented. The company also offers stable hours and a positive work environment for people willing to work hard and grow within the organization.

What is the best part of working at the company?
Working hours straight days  Monday to Friday 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Management- cliquey and favorites who don’t do their own job

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Toxic 
Too many chiefs and not enough Indians

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Each day was different 
Very steady during prime season

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Production associate 1 salary reported	$22.50 per hour
Assembler 2 salaries reported	$22.60 per hour
Summer associate 1 salary reported	$21.25 per hour
Truck loader 3 salaries reported	$19.50 per hour
Stacker 2 salaries reported	$22.30 per hour

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