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So I know you guys are the ones with info, seeing as I've hit a brick wall on this one.
I got to Trenton in March, and was told if I was living in, I had to pay rations. I thought it was only if you were on course, or a training base, but when I asked about it, they said, no, this was a new thing, all people in shacks were being forced to pay rations. So as I had no choice, here I am on rations, to the tune of $427 a month. Now, before I get a "Oh, suck it up, cupcake, >" here's my reasoning.
*8 AMS people are on 12 hour shifts. 0600-1800, and 1800-0600. The mess opens at 0600. This means, in order to eat breakfast, I have to be late for work. My staff is okay with it, mostly because they have no choice, they know we have to eat. It also means I have to leave in the middle of a dayshift for lunch, and that can be an ordeal, sometimes the lines are out the door, so you're looking at 1 hour+ there. We also leave 15 mins early at the end of the day, because the mess closes at 1830. So we can never be at work for shift handovers or anything that happens at the start or end of a shift.
*Because we work nights as well, we're missing our lunch meal due to sleeping. We asked if we could simply pick up extra dinner when we're there to eat, to bring to eat at midnight. We got a great big "NO," and have been eating box lunches ever since. I don't know about anyone else, but I feel like my $427 is going to waste when I get ham sandwiches and juice boxes for my midnight dinner, every night shift.
*Freedom of choice... If I want to go out to eat, I can't afford it. Paying $427 a month for food, would feed a small family. So how am I, 5 feet tall and all of 110lbs, going to eat that much food at the mess? I'm not... So what am I paying for? I'd like to be able to pay per meal, so I can choose where I'd like to eat, and be able to bring my own lunch to work. Sure, I could bring my own stuff now, but I can't afford it on top of what I already pay.
*Those of us on meal cards are not allowed to take out food. So no snacks, no drinks, nothing. I don't like having to pay extra for those things at a store when I'm supposed to be fed in the mess. Also,it's very hard to eat healthy there. The variety is just not there. For instance, dinner today was either deep fried fish, chicken nuggets, pasta with meat or alfredo, or pizza. Not too healthy. I'm tired of eating yogurt and salad for dinner.
Anyway, enough ranting. We were told that Petawawa started doing it first, for reasons I won't get into here, can anyone verify that people in sq's in Pet are being forced on as well?
Also, people who arrived here before I did, did not have to link up... There was an email printed out and taped on the wall that said that the personnel currently de-linked would be forced to link with a 3 month grace period. This has not come down yet, and those not paying rations, have not been told that they will have to re-link.
I guess my question is, can I fight this? How come I don't get a grace period? There are only a few of us being forced right now, and we'd like to know if we have any options. I talked to my chain, and they said nothing could be done on their end.
And yes, I would get an apartment or a Q, but a)I can't afford it right now, being a P3, and b)I'm going to be on course for 8 months next year, out of Canada, and I don't want to pay for a place I'm not living in for that long. I will be getting out of shacks as soon as I can afford it, but I'm stuck until then.
Any ideas? Comments? Anyone seen this before with an operational base, and residents who aren't on course? I'm just frustrated here, as being de-linked would allow me to bring my own stuff to work, and also to put away money for a place in the future.
Thanks for your time. ;D
edited to add info since I was awesomely linked to another post on this I didn't find before.....
In reference to the post linked below this one, they are not offering us the mon-fri meal plan or the 2 meal per day plan. It's $430 a month, for everyone, all the time. Mon-fri wouldn't work for us, we run 24/7 shifts, so we need the weekend eats, but I still think a pay as you go plan would be the best way to go.
I got to Trenton in March, and was told if I was living in, I had to pay rations. I thought it was only if you were on course, or a training base, but when I asked about it, they said, no, this was a new thing, all people in shacks were being forced to pay rations. So as I had no choice, here I am on rations, to the tune of $427 a month. Now, before I get a "Oh, suck it up, cupcake, >" here's my reasoning.
*8 AMS people are on 12 hour shifts. 0600-1800, and 1800-0600. The mess opens at 0600. This means, in order to eat breakfast, I have to be late for work. My staff is okay with it, mostly because they have no choice, they know we have to eat. It also means I have to leave in the middle of a dayshift for lunch, and that can be an ordeal, sometimes the lines are out the door, so you're looking at 1 hour+ there. We also leave 15 mins early at the end of the day, because the mess closes at 1830. So we can never be at work for shift handovers or anything that happens at the start or end of a shift.
*Because we work nights as well, we're missing our lunch meal due to sleeping. We asked if we could simply pick up extra dinner when we're there to eat, to bring to eat at midnight. We got a great big "NO," and have been eating box lunches ever since. I don't know about anyone else, but I feel like my $427 is going to waste when I get ham sandwiches and juice boxes for my midnight dinner, every night shift.
*Freedom of choice... If I want to go out to eat, I can't afford it. Paying $427 a month for food, would feed a small family. So how am I, 5 feet tall and all of 110lbs, going to eat that much food at the mess? I'm not... So what am I paying for? I'd like to be able to pay per meal, so I can choose where I'd like to eat, and be able to bring my own lunch to work. Sure, I could bring my own stuff now, but I can't afford it on top of what I already pay.
*Those of us on meal cards are not allowed to take out food. So no snacks, no drinks, nothing. I don't like having to pay extra for those things at a store when I'm supposed to be fed in the mess. Also,it's very hard to eat healthy there. The variety is just not there. For instance, dinner today was either deep fried fish, chicken nuggets, pasta with meat or alfredo, or pizza. Not too healthy. I'm tired of eating yogurt and salad for dinner.
Anyway, enough ranting. We were told that Petawawa started doing it first, for reasons I won't get into here, can anyone verify that people in sq's in Pet are being forced on as well?
Also, people who arrived here before I did, did not have to link up... There was an email printed out and taped on the wall that said that the personnel currently de-linked would be forced to link with a 3 month grace period. This has not come down yet, and those not paying rations, have not been told that they will have to re-link.
I guess my question is, can I fight this? How come I don't get a grace period? There are only a few of us being forced right now, and we'd like to know if we have any options. I talked to my chain, and they said nothing could be done on their end.
And yes, I would get an apartment or a Q, but a)I can't afford it right now, being a P3, and b)I'm going to be on course for 8 months next year, out of Canada, and I don't want to pay for a place I'm not living in for that long. I will be getting out of shacks as soon as I can afford it, but I'm stuck until then.
Any ideas? Comments? Anyone seen this before with an operational base, and residents who aren't on course? I'm just frustrated here, as being de-linked would allow me to bring my own stuff to work, and also to put away money for a place in the future.
Thanks for your time. ;D
edited to add info since I was awesomely linked to another post on this I didn't find before.....
In reference to the post linked below this one, they are not offering us the mon-fri meal plan or the 2 meal per day plan. It's $430 a month, for everyone, all the time. Mon-fri wouldn't work for us, we run 24/7 shifts, so we need the weekend eats, but I still think a pay as you go plan would be the best way to go.