[CAUT] Getting paid for non-university events

[Richard Brekne]

Hi Rob

The only way to have this come out right is to have this kind of thing 
clearly spelled out in your contract.   Whatever arrangement you and 
your administration can agree upon is up to you... but it has to be 
clearly spelled out.

In the meantime... I suggest you give them a deadline for re-negotiating 
your contract to deal with the situation and that after that point you 
will cease to tune for outside arrangements not strictly covered by your 
present contract.  Put your foot solidly down... in the most respectful, 
fair and professional way possible.  But put it clearly down. 

For what its worth.... I am on an hourly basis at UiB / HiB.  31 hours a 
week is what they get...plus whatever little bit of extra I always make 
sure and contribute.  Beyond that... they pay market price per tuning as 
if I was an outside source.  If they want to fudge... it is possible but 
then the school pianos loose time.  If I see any tendencies towards that 
kind of thing getting out of hand I remind them that my primary mission 
is not to tune concerts for the local concert hall down the road but to 
take care of university instruments.  Thats usually enough to keep 
things on track.

Cheers
RicB



    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