marcwales

Hi all,
Do any of you work for the power company OPG in Darlington by any chance? Do any of you know of anyone working there? We would like to emigrate to Canada (wifes' canadian), and I've heard through family and other sources that OPG are a very good employer. I'm a Planning Engineer in high voltage currently. Although there is a lot of news about the economy slowing and talk of a second recession, I also hear that Engineers are in short demand at the moment. If any of you know different, please tell me!
I know of the plant in Pickering as well, but I understand it is closing by 2020? I'm assuming that all the guys from Pickering will go to Darlington, so actually getting in from outside will be very difficult (if not impossible), but I want to find as much info as I can. I was also wondering, as they are civil servants effectively, are they going to be subject to any austerity measures (i.e. job losses) in the near future?
Thanks for any info...

dbd33

I've worked on and off for OPG for decades. My role has been to "shadow" an employee. The way it works is that someone is hired, because they're a mate of the boss or because they fit that year's hiring quota (no shit, a black lesbian in a wheelchair would be ideal) and someone is contracted at an hourly rate to do the actual work. My guy's about to retire so his nominal workload has slowed right down but, for 15 years or so, I got 40 hours a week of billing out of it.

As the foregoing suggests, education and skills are not important to the hiring process. Everyone must have a degree but any degree will do so long as you're well connected. OPG operates a binge and purge hiring policy, some years loads of people are hired, other years they're laid off with a generous package. It used to alarm me that nuclear power stations were run in a such an apparently casual fashion but, in truth, none have exploded so I don't suppose it matters that the place runs on a friends-of-friends basis.

Anyway, if you don't know someone there already, you'd better be able to bring special talents to bear, follow the Geri Halliwell strategy.

marcwales

I do know someone connected with the Company in some way. What kind of wages do they pay? What I really want to know is the difference between what you earn gross and net (i.e what % of your gross wages are you left with after paying tax, pension, and what ever other deductions are included). Do you know anyone working there now who could let me know please?
I understand everyones salary is personal to them. If I could find out what sort of % is taken out of the gross figure, it would give me a better idea of the sort of lifestyle I could afford if I came. I have done a lot of research on cost of living in the area. This is the next piece of the puzzle I need to get a better understanding of my potential financial situation. I heard from someone who said they were left with 66% of their gross after tax, etc, but he was showing other deductions that maybe OPG wouldn't charge.

Thanks for your help.

huddm

marcwales

I worked for Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and did work for OPG. The first question are you an engineer i.e honours degree and chartered? Canada is very hung up on degrees. Even a plant operator will be hired with a degree.

What level engineer are you in the UK. If you make $40K in the UK, then target $80K. It not uncommon as immigrated to get 80% of your Canadian peers salary doing similar job. In 2005 I paid $50K for a graduate Engineer, $65K with 10 years experience, $80K 20 years experience(Senior Engineer) at AECL. OPG are paid better.
As stated in Canada its who you know to get jobs, unfortunately they do not have the same level of enforcement of equality laws etc as we have in the UK.

I had about 36% deductions. I took $5800 + bonuses home each month in 2005. I lived in rural Eastern Ontario and had a reasonable , low key life for a family of 4.
We lived both Alberta and Ontario found our basic living cost( cars/housing/food/utilities etc) took a much greater chunk of my net pay as it did and currently does in the UK.

Regards

Hudd

Novocastrian

There are links to tax calculators all over the board, most of which include standard deductions for CPP & EI. If you have a company pension scheme you can likely reckon on 3% of your gross (YYMV) going there.

But, without dbd33's direct experience, and without knowing if you have something unusual to offer, I'd say your chances of getting a job with OPG are slimmer than slim.

huddm

To get into OPG( Nuclear) I would agree you need to be in the industry within the UK at present. I got into AECL as the Director and 2 managers who interviewed me were from the UK nuclear industry and understood my qualifications and technical background. I agree it would be extremely hard to get into nuclear industry in Canada without a background in the same areas in the UK.

Hudd

Novocastrian

As I said, I have no direct experience, but I do have a long term friend who lives up in Deep River and works in Chalk River. Perhaps you hired him?

dbd33

I assume there are technical positions having to do with reactors for which there are only a few candidates in the world, in these cases I'd think merit enters the equation but, for a job which a lot of people can do, reactor operator, computer person, manager of a non-technical department, it's the ultimate jobs-for-mates environment. I don't there's any point in looking at OPG unless you have some non worked related way in, if you do have such a connection, milk it.

Be aware though that it takes a certain kind of person to work there. Employees go for weeks on end with literally nothing to do. Someone near me passed the time day trading, another was building his own house and used the day to talk to the contractors, without some interest of that type, becoming active in the union, "The Society" might be the best way to fill the time. You'll need Mandarin though, that's not an English language organisation anymore.

I can't answer the wage question directly as I was never on the payroll, but they pay very well, the fellow I shadowed was paid over a hundred grand ten years ago. At that time that was good money for a contract programmer, nevermind someone with an excellent benefit package. And they pay overtime. One weekend we played rummy up to 10,000 in the office just because my benefactor needed cash, we weren't there for any reason other than to play cards.

OPG's a dream place in a way. Lots of money sloshing about, no pressure at all. Other people know that though, there's a queue at the door.

marcwales

Thanks for the replies. One thing that is a concern is the "binge and purge hiring policy" mentioned. How often do they shed Employees? Is it a recession thing, or more to do with shareholders? Last thing I'd need is to out of work in 2 years time after going through all the hassle of emmigrating.
I've worked in engineering for over 20 years in various posts, but only in the last two years in high voltage (as a maintenance planner). Mostly auto industry before that. I do have a very good connection there, but that can only get you the interview, right? Does everyone there get offered overtime, is it seen as part of the culture? Not looking to go in as an Engineer as such, open to any position that pays well really.

dbd33

It's a QUANGO. It acts on perception of future government policy, there's no logic to it at all.

I think you're missing the point. You ask about being employed by OPG as if it were a business, an organisation with a facade of competitive hiring. It's not. If your connection is good, he or she can add you to the payroll, if it's not, he or she can't. It's like knowing the bouncer at a club.

Similarly, once employed, some people coast along, expensing everything, using hydro cars every weekend, having a shadow do their work, some are stuck working all the time for base pay. It's just about favourites, and, unless your connection, is the person who authorised Elinor Kaplin's sails as a legitimate expense to OPG, you aint the favourite.

So, you have a connection, ask him or her.

Novocastrian

As usual, dbd33 is brutally honest but entirely accurate.

dbd33

I thought I was being mealy mouthed. Kind to OPG.

I was recently asked to bid on a job for them. The procurement guy I know of old, he lives in the Beach.

Me "How come we're meeting at our office, not at 700?"

Him "They moved us, all offices are in Pickering now"

Me "You commute out?"

Him "Yes, and it's a problem because my car's worn out. I'd like to buy a new car but..."

****. It's like dealing with the WCB. First you buy the car, then you get a chance at the contract. It's just so much easier to deal with a reverse internet auction, such as GE America uses, than the greased palm stuff they have in Canada.

We'll try a year's lease, of course.

marcwales

Please excuse my ignorance, but I don't understand what you are getting at here. Can you explain it again please?

marcwales

I think you're missing the point. You ask about being employed by OPG as if it were a business, an organisation with a facade of competitive hiring. It's not. If your connection is good, he or she can add you to the payroll, if it's not, he or she can't. It's like knowing the bouncer at a club.

Similarly, once employed, some people coast along, expensing everything, using hydro cars every weekend, having a shadow do their work, some are stuck working all the time for base pay. It's just about favourites, and, unless your connection, is the person who authorised Elinor Kaplin's sails as a legitimate expense to OPG, you aint the favourite.

So, you have a connection, ask him or her.[/QUOTE]

You say a contact can put you on the payroll, but surely there has to be a job available in the first place? Also, how do they then determine who is made redundant when they have a culling?

nldfc

Marc to be honest OPG Darlington is probably up there with the most corrupt organizations East of Vancouver = if your "way in" is one of the chosen few then you will be fine - if he isnt then chances are you will have to be pretty exceptional at your job to escape a cull

I have been asked to bid on a workscope (same workscope every year )in that ******* place when I already know that a company in Sarnia has been awarded the job (I know the guys at the Sarnia company on a personal level)

I could offer to do the million buck job for 20 bucks and I can still be 99% sure i wouldnt be awarded it and would get the e-mail within a month saying "Thank You for bidding on the scope of work but unfortunately you were not within 10% of the lowest bid " - thats the way it works there