[CAUT] Getting paid for non-university events

[Rick Florence]

Rob,

 

At ASU we are paid for such events one of three ways.

 

1.  For events hosted by the School of Music (all considered rental
situations) the School invoices the party with tuning an itemized charge
the same as events staff and hall rental.  The Party writes a check to
the technicians which is collected by the events staff and delivered to
the technicians.

 

2.  For events taking place in other facilities like theatres and
Gammage Auditorium, the technicians will bill the organization (theatre,
public events, etc.) and is paid as supplemental pay on our paychecks.

 

In both of these situations, we discount around 20% of our private fees
as we see the pianos often and the travel time is minimal as we can
usually do it during the day while on campus (not on ASU time).  If the
events call for extra travel and call backs, we bill accordingly.

 

3.  If there is a question of who's responsible to pay that is not
easily solved, we tune on ASU time.  If the business managers and
Director feel the School of Music is being taken advantage of, we let
them do the fighting.  They have more leverage than us.  There are times
we will rent a piano to another party on campus.  In these situations,
we charge a rental and moving fee, which is transferred into a local
parts account.

 

____________________

Rick Florence

Senior Piano Technician

Arizona State University

School of Music

________________________________

From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Rob Goodale
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 12:56 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: [CAUT] Getting paid for non-university events

 

For those full-time university staff techs:

 

I have been getting regularly ripped off by the Performing Arts Center
hall.  As typical I am responsible for tuning and maintaining pianos for
UNIVERSITY business, (i.e. music department staff/faculty, orchestras,
etc).  However, when non-university outside groups come in such as
visiting orchestras, high school competitions, pop bands, etc, I should
be getting paid for my services.  These groups are charged for renting
the hall, use of the piano, AND a charge specifically for the tuning.
Sometimes I even have to come in on weekends or late evenings for these
events.

 

During the last few years there has been virtually a complete turn-over
of the music department personnel.  Only a small handful of people are
still here that were present when I arrived 8.5 years ago, including
administration.  For all practical purposes it is a completely different
school.  Over time my getting paid for outside groups has been slipping
through the cracks.  I have been protesting this for some time and the
current administration hasn't a clue how to fix this.  The chair says
"talk to the department accountant".  The department accountant says
"talk to the performing arts hall administrator".  The PFA says "I don't
know how to fix this, go talk to the chair".  No one wants to take
responsibility for the paperwork to pay me.  I made the suggestion that
I check with some other university techs to see what procedures are used
to pay the tech for these kinds of events.  They agreed that would be
helpful.  Then they would have something to copy and can agree that it
was done correctly.  Whatever.

 

So... for those university techs in similar arrangements, please tell me
the typical procedure for how you get paid for outside events.  At the
moment the hall has been forwarding an annual. (or simi-annual), lump
sum for my services to the music department which goes into the piano
maintenance account.  Then it sits there while I protest and not get
paid.  Last year I discovered someone stole about $3,000 of it to repair
a bassoon!!

 

Thanks for your help,

 

Rob

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