Stephen

That's correct, being that this is the last year of the current contract, that will go up as well when the new one comes out. Also if you guys are curious of the pay scales of the different TA titles, you can have a look at the link below. http://www.twulocal100.org/sites/twulocal100.org/files/wage_rates_final.pdf

Honestly it all depends. If people were placed on medical holds, or any other sort of holds, that would have placed them in earlier classes, they will get priority. The highest list number for the October class was 415, after the February and March class it hit 521, and the latest April is up to 601. According to what one of the instructors told us, there is a possibility of 3-4 more classes after the current April one. If that turns out to be true, being an early 700's list number he should make it in. As long as nothing on his end jambs him up, specifically medical holds. To answer your question in regards to the next class. From what I see as far as list number increments, I would say 640-670 will most likely be the highest. It could also be lower, besides medical holds, people who've turned down an earlier class also have the opportunity to restore their name to the list. That alone will slow it down for anyone with a higher number who is waiting to be called in.

It's supposed to, but I've heard of it going 18 months. I'll find out for sure come this time next year. Some specialist jobs have a 3 year lock in, and that's the full rate ones only, not the dual rate.

Here's an update from DCAS: As of 5/8/2016, since that's when the system is updated: The last number certified from the list is 1896. The last number appointed into the 4/25/16 class is 601.

Honestly you'll probably be a dual rate for a long time. Especially in capital, and especially a driving job, since they are the most coveted positions in track. The full rate operator spots are pretty much locked up by the senior men. I'm hoping to pick a dual rate wet saw job next pick. Even though I'll probably have my CDL by then, the only driving job I want is crane operator. So it'll be a long long time for that, but again, myself and anyone could get lucky, especially with people in those spots retiring.

You have a good shot at getting a dual rate sooner than others, since most require a CDL. Not sure about now since the change over goes into effect 5/15. Unless a bid sheet comes out, and you bid on a dual rate job. But definitely at the next general pick. If you're looking for a driving job there are plenty, but you have to start as a dual rate first. I know in capital, most of the dual rate operator jobs are driving the bobcat/pay loader. You'll see notes in the pick book where it says you'll have 30 days to qualify in the title, or they'll put you in the next available trackworker vacancy. Yes they do train you. When your in school during your first 6 weeks of employment, and you do your crane signals, the guy who teaches the class is also the same guy who trains the crane operators in track. But full rate specialist operator titles require allot of seniority. The full rate operator in my gang, his seniority number is in the 200's, and I'm in the low 1800's, so again you get the picture.

In order to pick and actual specialist job, you have to start off as a dual rate first. Dual rate from my understanding you only get paid the specialist rate, when you are doing the particular job you picked. So if you're a dual rate welder/burner, or dual rate wet saw operator for example, you will only get paid the specialist rate when you are doing those particular tasks. Whilst someone with a specialist title will get the full specialist rate whether they do 2 welds a week or 200. From looking at the pick book, the full rate specialist titles require allot of seniority, especially in capital. You would have a better shot at getting it sooner in a maintenance gang. But you have to start as a dual rate first. To give you an example, the specialist welder/burner in my gang, his seniority number is in the low 100's, ( 30+ years on), and I'm in the low 1800's lol. That's a capital gang. But in a maintenance gang you could see a specialist welder/burner with a seniority number in the 700-1300 range. But there are plenty of opportunities for a dual rate job. You'll find out more once you're in.

Capital days are 8am-4pm if you are on the structure. From looking at the pick book, and asking around, the 6am-2pm tour, and also 7am-3pm tour is at Linden Shop. From talking to one senior man, according to him Linden Shop is the Shangri-La for Trackworkers. It takes a minimum of 8-12+ years on the job to even have a chance of picking a job there. The majority of the jobs are Dual Rate, or Specialist jobs, which require a CDL A or B. Linden Shop is where they make the panels pre-fab for the structure, and where they do all the CWR welding. As far as picking days in general, you would have to be very lucky, and get it as an X job out of school like the fortunate few in my class had. Same thing as I mentioned, to get a day capital or maintenance job at a general pick will take you quite a while. I would say realistically 8-10 years on the job. For me personally nights are better. I'm not married, and I have no kids, plus I get to enjoy a little of the day before I go to sleep. But mentally prepare yourself that you'll be working either 10pm-6am which is either capital or maintenance, or 11pm-7am which is another maintenance tour.

Yea I was with them last night, only 4 of us from the whole class took capital nights. I met up with them at Hoyt St, and we got our real orientation, and welcome into capital from some of the higher ups. After that we were sent up to 168th for our first round in the field, and I liked it allot. I have Mon Tues RDO, so I don't go back in till Tuesday night.

16th and 8th, capital nights. The whole class got X jobs, problem is there were allot of day jobs, both in maintenance and capital. The job I got there was only one spot. There were capital days spots at E180th st in the Bx. Allot of senior guys found out up there, and it started a shit storm. There is a chance the some, or all of the X jobs could go out to bid. I'm hoping that's not the case at least for my spot. There's an even mix of senior guys, and new guys in the gang I'm in, from looking at the pick book. Most of the low seniority number guys, have either the welder/burner spot, or the specialist operator spots. I'm glad I did get a capital spot though. I've worked in construction most of my life, and the capital environment is more for me.

School finished for me today ( 3/28 class ), now I have to stay up till noon tomorrow, so I can readjust my clock for working nights. I go in tomorrow night 10pm-6am. Allot of guys who used to post on here stopped doing it. I'm going to at least try and keep it going, and hopefully people with higher list numbers join, to keep people updated on what's going on down the road.

Dundas stopped by 38th st yesterday, and told us there are 24 in your class.

No problem Moose. The classroom instructors are Dundas and Spezzano. Both really good guys. I've been at 38th st yard training, we have this foreman "Leeks" or "Leaks", another good guy as well. Even all the senior guys there have been good to us. I haven't really seen one miserable person that works for Transit yet.

The class I'm in started 3/28, we have about 2 more weeks left of training. The last number appointed into the class I'm in is 521. There is another class that just started Monday 4/25. If I were to make an educated guess they might have reached anywhere from 560-600 range. DCAS usually updates the latest appointee every 2 classes, so the information there will be fairly old. The instructors also made a note that there might be 3 or 4 more classes after the 4/25 one. The key word is might, so if your friend is in the 790 range, he shouldn't worry at all. It took Transit an entire year and change just to get to 521.

CDL class A or B will help you the same. The Class A drivers work in Fleet Ops, which is the Tractor Trailer division of Track. The drivers I've seen at the 38th st yard, were delivering material on 50 ft flatbed trailers. Also seen a few driving dump trucks, not sure if the dump truck is an A or a B license though.

If you have your CDL B, you'll be in a better position than most. But again those Specialist Chauffeur/Truck driving jobs are based on what's available in the job picks. The good thing about Transit is you only need your CDL B Permit to be able to bid on Dual Rate Specialist jobs ( the ones that require a CDL ). Transit will help you get your CDL on their dime, as long as you have your permit. Some Specialist jobs you don't need a CDL, such as Welder/Burner, and Concrete Wet Saw Operator. But you would have to start off as a Dual Rate, before you would qualify for full Specialist pay. From talking to quite a few senior Trackworkers, and Track Specialists, the information above is what you'll be told once you're in. As far as becoming a Foreman/Supervisor, my honest advice would be to learn the job inside and out, as in working 5-10 years on the Tracks. Take my word for it, I'm 34, and I've been in the construction trades on the books since I'm 18. I became a Foreman after about 10 years in my previous job/trade. Your men will respect you more once you establish yourself as a worker, and know the job from a practical standpoint. I know you can take the test for Track Inspector after 1 year on the job. Track Inspector is a Specialist title. But again, learn the job before you make the leap. You'll be working with guys with anywhere from 5-25+ years experience above you. Being a Foreman isn't hard, it's just more responsibilities. The hardest part about being a Foreman is having to be the good guy, and the bad guy. On top of dealing with the multitude of personalities you'll come across. From my personal experience outside of Transit, I wouldn't go near any Foreman/Supervisor/Superintendent positions. I would rather get into a Specialist title, and make my extra few dollars that way. That's my opinion from my own experiences, choice is yours though. Not too sure about working days off. I know if you work another job on the books, you have to fill out a Dual Employment Form. Since Track is a safety sensitive position, you need a certain about of downtime, and sleep. They'll explain that further at orientation those first 2 days once you're in. And you really don't wanna burn yourself out working another job, and getting 3 hours of sleep at night. It's very dangerous, and you need to have all of your mental, and physical faculties at 100% when you're down there.

The training is 6 weeks, plus the 9 days of flagging. You get paid every 2 weeks, and depending you deductions after taxes 401K/457, NYCERS Pension, how many dependents you have, you should clear anywhere from $1000-$1300. That's for 80 hours, and no OT. The 401K/457 is optional, but it would be wise to put a weekly percentage into it. As far as it being a struggle, everyone's definition varies. If you are used to bigger checks from previous employment, then yes it can be a jolt to the eyes, and the pockets. But in the long run with all of the benefits, and the eventual hourly increases, it's well worth it. Plus you can move into dual rate/specialist titles in Track, which can bump you into a higher pay scale quickly. But that depends on what is available in the job picks. Remember also, once you are in Transit you can take promotional exams ( when available ) if you want to go a higher pay scale. Just remember when you change departments, your seniority goes back to the bottom of the list, in whatever new department you choose. If I was told correctly, if you are unhappy with your new promotional title, you can go back to Track, within one calendar year, and you will still retain your seniority. Seniority basically determines the chances of you getting a better job such as Capital, where the OT is. Or getting a Dual Rate/Specialist job, which would bump you to top pay before the 6 years. Seniority will also determine the chances of you working days, or nights. But be prepared to work nights for a long time. Good Luck !

These were X jobs, so who knows how long they will last. There was one 10pm-6am Capital spot at 16th and 8th that I took. Allot of people were bitching about our jobs.

Class gets split into 2 groups, half goes to the Bronx E180th yard, the other half to 38th st yard. Tomorrow the 38th st group which I'm in will get split in half. The ones not selected to go to Coney Island, will stay at 38th st until May 2nd, which is our last day of yard training. On May 3rd we have to do Fire Evacuation Training. After that it's 9 days of flagging training.

Thanks man: As far as Structure Maintainers, the class now has mostly Carpenters, but there are a few Plumbers, one Painter ( provisional ), and one Welder. I've been talking to allot of those guys. The class before this one in February had allot of Ironworkers. I was talking to about 4 of them on the day I was sworn in at 180 Livingston. They were waiting to be sworn in as well. I just missed making the February Track class by one person. I know they have the test open now for more Plumbers.

There is an April class, from what I heard at school today it starts April 25th. If the class is not full, which I'm not sure of, you should get an email this week if you've already taken your drug test. But you also have to remember, you could have people who just got off a medical hold, that should've been in the class I'm in, possibly the one prior to mine, depending on the type of medical hold. In those cases they'll get first priority being that they were cleared by MAC. Unfortunately the medical holds do slow the list down a bit. Just remember and this goes for anyone waiting for the email, make sure your spam filters are off. Judging from the size of the February class, and the class I'm currently in ( March ), 27 seems to be the magic number as far as class size.

I'm also going do some math to give everyone a slight overview of the acceptance ratio for my class and the February class. This could vary from class to class. The October class, the last number appointed was 415, the last updated figure which was on 4/3 is 521, which is the March class, the one I'm currently in. 521 - 415 = 106 That's 106 applicants which were most likely processed for the last 2 classes. Being that there is 27 people in the February class and the current class, the acceptance ratio is roughly 50% on the nose. 54 being the total figure of the 2 classes combined. I would say for the most part since there aren't any education, or really any employment requirements for the job, I would say the other 50% mostly likely failed the drug test. Few could've had second thoughts etc etc. The only way your criminal history could affect you, is if you: A. Lie, since they are proactive, meaning if you lie you are done. They will find out. B. Or if you are honest, and have numerous convictions, as in one every year, or one every couple of years for the last decade, which basically means you never learned your lesson. Meaning if you pass medical, and make it to the interview, they could turn you away. They key word in that sentence is could. Meaning 50/50. They also don't ask you for your criminal history on the pre-employment application anymore, due to a new law in the city called the " Fair Chance Act ". Before this law went into affect, you had to hand in your dispositions, and they would send them upstairs for review. If you cleared, they would send you to take the drug test. But you have to mention all of your history on the CPD-B, which is the 21 page packet you'll get after you take your first drug test. Also have your dispositions, besides the other documentation you'll need when you hand in your CPD-B. Bottom line, as long as you don't have a boatload of convictions, and you don't lie, and try to hide it you should be good. But if your convictions are sealed, meaning the dispositions are stamped with either 160.50 or 160.55 under NYS law, those are sealed convictions, and you do not have to report them. Violations also do not appear in criminal history searches anymore. It's a new law that went into effect a few years ago. I mean criminal violations , not traffic violations. The only way a criminal violation will show up is if you were convicted of a felony, or misdemeanor on the same conviction date of the violation. Meaning for example, if you were convicted of Robbery 2, and Disorderly Conduct (Violation) on the same date, the violation will appear on the criminal history search. Meaning also you would have to report that violation conviction on your CPD-B. If you were just convicted of a violation by itself, chances are it's going to be sealed within 6 months to a year after the date of conviction, so you would good anyway. Traffic violations have to be reported, and paid, or else you won't be able to continue with the processing, they will ask you this at pre-employment. I know I posted this before, but some people have a hard time reading the thread. So before the question is asked for the 10th time, the answer is right here. Bottom line DO NOT LIE ABOUT ANYTHING.

Just to give everyone another heads up. The instructors did mention the April class, but also the possibility there might be 3 or 4 more classes this year. The key word in that sentence is might. The February class, and the class I'm currently in has 27 people. Again good luck to everyone who is patiently waiting, just make sure you have all of your stuff in order for initial processing.

Just an update so people waiting, and incomers know. Your seniority number does go by your DCAS list number. We got our seniority numbers today, and there is a person at my table who is exactly one DCAS list number higher than mine. When the numbers were issues his seniority number was exactly one number higher than mine. If I didn't know that small little fact about his DCAS number, I probably wouldn't have realized the seniority number, in relation to your DCAS list number. But the good news for anyone waiting is the seniority numbers in my class are in the low 1800's. According to a few people on here, Track Dept has to maintain around 2000 employees, according to federal regulations. So as long as jobs keep opening up, the classes should move at a steady pace.

Figs, not to come off as an a**hole, but read the thread dude. The last list number appointed into the class I am currently in is 521. You're in the 750+ range, now from what I understand there is a class at the end of April. The highest number I could see getting appointed into that class would be in the 600-610 range max. But it could be higher or lower. Depending on how the list moves, in regards to how many ppl turn down the job, fail the drug test etc. You could be in the class after the April one. Or possibly 1 or 2 classes after. It all depends. It took a whole year just to go through 500 people. The only time you have to worry is if you call DCAS, and the last list number appointed is past your list number. Especially if you didn't get a letter by that point. Just relax dude, the list is moving slow, but you're in a good place number wise. It's better to be 750 than 7500, think of it that way. Just live your life dude, you'll get your first letter soon enough. Even when you eventually get your letter, and go down for your first drug test, you might have to take a second one like I did. Track dept moves slow as far as people retiring. The classes are created as to the needs of Transit.