[CAUT] FW: Univ. of Tenn. Job Opening for Piano Technician

[Fred Sturm]

On 8/16/06 10:32 AM, "David Ilvedson" <ilvey at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> I would be interested in what some benefit packages really are...?   For
> instance, what generally does retirement give?   1/2 your salary + health
> insurance?   If you have to work on the cheap, what do you get when your done?
> 
> David Ilvedson, RPT
> Pacifica, CA  94044
> 
Hi David,
    As Jeff's post points out, it is anything but simple and
straightforward. I'll give a few specifics from my situation to add to the
mix. Our state retirement is 2.35% times the number of years service times
your average last five year's salary. IOW, depends on length of service, 25
years being a pension over 50%. But that depends whether you take it for
your own life span, or for the life span of you and your surviving spouse
(which adds a level of complexity to the calculation, depending on relative
ages).
    Health, dental, etc is rather complex. For me, one of the biggest
benefits is actually being part of a group. What the University and I pay
together for HMO is less than I was paying for mega big deductible
catastrophic. And the company wouldn't cover my wife for specious reasons I
won't go into. IMO, health insurance is the biggest financial problem facing
all of us, including individuals, big corporations, and government entities.
But I won't go into that rant, simply point out that this is the big hook
for many of the institutionalized. I'll note that while I have had very
generous raises over the nine years I have been "employed," virtually every
cent has gone to health insurance increases. This is compounded by the fact
that, as half time, I pay a much larger portion than a full timer (70/30
versus 30/70 match), but it IS rather discouraging.
    Added to the complexity is the fact that all our benefits at UNM are
paid AND DEDUCTED "pre-tax." IOW, I get taxed on my income after my hit for
health care. I don't get taxed on the money the university contributes to
health and pension, or on what I contribute. This is a pretty big benefit,
though I don't have the patience to do the figuring. You can work that kind
of system out as a self-employed, but you probably take an enormous hit from
an accountant to set it up.
    Bottom line: I like being half time. My net pay from the university
sucks, but I have health coverage, the prospect of a pretty solidly
guaranteed pension, and the opportunity to improve my chops trying out all
sorts of techniques on the department's pianos pretty much at will. Then I
can use those chops working on outside pianos and charge the top dollar I'm
worth. 
    Plus I happen to be an academic sort of guy, and having full access to
the library including interlibrary loan, being in a higher education
environment, plus any number of other "intangibles," like exercising my
trade where it actually makes a difference, means that I am quite willing to
take the bad with the good.
Regards,
Fred Sturm
University of New Mexico