[CAUT] re: weekend work

Porritt, David dporritt@mail.smu.edu
Wed, 23 Feb 2005 10:05:54 -0600


Eric:

Thanks for your information.  Weekend work is not really an issue right
now so I'll probably just let sleeping dogs lie.  However, I'm keeping
your emails in case this becomes a problem in the future.

Thanks again,

dave

David M. Porritt
dporritt@smu.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Wolfley, Eric (wolfleel)
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 3:13 PM
To: 'College and University Technicians'
Subject: RE: [CAUT] re: weekend work

Dave,

I've never seen anything written out regarding weekend work in our job
descriptions and it would probably be a good idea to have it inserted
somewhere in case a new administrator comes into the picture. It might
be in
the policy section of the Performance Management Department. I'll have
to
check on that one. My direct supervisor is the Assistant Dean for
Performance Management and she is the one who generally protects us from
weekend work. She is very good at saying "no"...kind of like that guy on
the
commercial.

Eric Wolfley, RPT
Supervising Piano Technician
College-Conservatory of Music
University of Cincinnati


-----Original Message-----
From: Porritt, David [mailto:dporritt@mail.smu.edu] 
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 11:27 AM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: RE: [CAUT] re: weekend work, was "mind bender"

Eric:

Is this arrangement precluding weekend work part of the contract, part
of the normal work rules or what gives it "teeth" beyond the gentlemen's
agreement?  Weekend work here is uncommon, though I probably have to
come in 4 or 5 times a year on a Sunday afternoon.  At the moment I'm
only 17 miles away, though I hope to move within a month so that it will
then be a 40 mile trip.  At that point a single tuning on Sunday
afternoon will be more of an inconvenience.

It would be good to know how others have salvaged their weekends.

dave

David M. Porritt
dporritt@smu.edu

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of
Wolfley, Eric (wolfleel)
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 9:46 AM
To: 'College and University Technicians'
Subject: RE: [CAUT] re: weekend work, was "mind bender"

Jeff has very valid points here...Of course it his choice to work where
he
does and I'm sure he loves his work. It is also his choice to try to
improve
his working conditions and compensation. Why should he have to leave his
home community and family to do so? We are in "show business" here and
we
often have to do things because "the show must go on", but as Jeff
points
out it should be the exception rather than the rule. Here at CCM there
are
around 1,000 performances a year on 6 stages (and more at times) and
everybody's performance is "special" to them as it well should be. If we
were required to work weekends we would never have a day off! Our
predecessors (thanks, Rolf!) worked very hard to establish the no
weekend
rule and we (and thankfully, our supervisor) rabidly protect this policy
against erosion. Like Jeff said, if Horowitz is playing a solo recital
here
on a Sunday, hey, I'm here...no problem. But if a faculty member decides
the
only time he/she can schedule their recital is on a Sunday afternoon,
they
get the Friday tuning. Students are not allowed to schedule recitals on
weekends, period. A recent production of a Handel opera required 2(!)
harpsichords in the pit. The production was required to contract one of
us
at standard rates to come in and tune for the weekend performances. This
policy also keeps productions from getting too extravagant and induces
some
"real world" (economic) constraints. There are people here who use the
"crisis production" method of trying to get people to do things they
would
not regularly be required to do. They need to learn that poor planning
on
their part does not constitute an emergency on our part. A firm policy
against weekend work is our protection against such methods. 

Eric Wolfley, RPT
Supervising Piano Technician
College-Conservatory of Music
University of Cincinnati


-----Original Message-----
From: Don [mailto:pianotuna@accesscomm.ca] 
Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2005 2:44 AM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] re: weekend work, was "mind bender"

Hi Jeff,

It is your choice to work under those conditions. If you dislike it then
you can vote with your feet and leave. Or you can choose to enjoy the
many
benefits your position gives you beyond what those of us in private
practice have, such as a pension, medicare benefits, paid holidays, sick
leave and etc.

At 07:56 AM 22/02/2005 -0500, you wrote:
>
>On Monday, February 21, 2005, at 04:42 PM, Don wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>>
>> We sometimes forget we are artisans rather than artists.
>>
>> Horowitz preferred 3 p.m. on Sundays for recitals. Would you presume
to
>> refuse to service his piano?
>
>If Horowitz showed up on Sunday, that would be a special event.
>
>>
>> I do realize that often University Techs are under paid and over 
>> worked.
>
>No, "often" would not be the word you were looking for here.
>
>> The trade off is a paycheck that is stable and other benefits.
However 
>> in
>> "private practice" I have been required to tune pianos at 2 a.m., 
>> which I
>> did quite cheerfully, and as it was a concert hall where I was the 
>> resident
>> tuner, there was no "extra" remuneration involved.
>>
>
>Except that you're not doing the tuning for a take home check of $14.  
>Then, you have to take your travel cost out of that.  I live 16 miles 
>away.  At 37.5 cents a mile that's $12 round trip.  So, if I have to 
>come in on Sunday to do a single tuning, I take home $2.00.
>
>That's what I'm talking about.
>Jeff
>
>
>Jeff Tanner, RPT
>School Of Music
>University of South Carolina
>
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>

Regards,
Don Rose, B.Mus., A.M.U.S., A.MUS., R.P.T.
Non calor sed umor est qui nobis incommodat

mailto:pianotuna@accesscomm.ca
http://us.geocities.com/drpt1948/

3004 Grant Rd. REGINA, SK, S4S 5G7
306-352-3620 or 1-888-29t-uner


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