[CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?

Porritt, David dporritt at mail.smu.edu
Wed Nov 14 15:01:21 MST 2007


Full time.

dp

____________________
David M. Porritt, RPT
dporritt at smu.edu
 

-----Original Message-----
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of David Ilvedson
Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2007 12:45 PM
To: caut at ptg.org
Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?

Are you a part-time tech or full-time?

David Ilvedson, RPT
Pacifica, CA  94044

----- Original message ----------------------------------------
From: reggaepass at aol.com
To: caut at ptg.org
Received: 11/14/2007 8:45:04 AM
Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?


>Yo.

>Alan Eder


>-----Original Message-----
>From: David Ilvedson <ilvey at sbcglobal.net>
>To: caut at ptg.org
>Sent: Tue, Nov 13  11:48 PM
>Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?


>     Another question, how many CAUT's work outside of the university in 
>addition to their positions?  

>David Ilvedson, RPT
>Pacifica, CA 94044



>        Original message
>From: "Ed Sutton"
>          
>To: "College and University Technicians"
>          
>Received: 11/13/2007 10:00:32 AM
>Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?


>        Jeff-
>         
>         What is the point of your thread?  Do you think we're not aware 
>of the conditions you describe?
>        Do you think we should not bother to try to improve things?
>         Things were pretty messed up when the Guild was organized.  Do 
>you think it was worth the bother of keeping up the Guild for the last 
>50 years?
>         And how about this RPT exam so many people have worked to 
>develop and maintain?  Just another waste of time?
>         Are you saying the effort to create a CAUT standard, and 
>curriculum should be cancelled?
>         Do you mind if the people interested in developing the concept 
>dedicate some of their lifetime to it?
>         
>        Ed Sutton

>          ----- Original Message -----
>          From: Jeff Tanner
>          To: College and University Technicians
>          Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2007 12:11 PM
>          Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT credential vs. academic program?





>                On Nov 13, 2007, at 9:18 AM, Jon Page wrote:

>                    Bottom line for Universities is that they will pay
>                     more only if they feel they are getting enough 
>return.


>                    I see that I missed a perfectly good opportunity
>                     to stay out of this discussion but where some 
>positions
>                     don't even require RPT status what good are merit 
>badges?


>                     Raise the bar on RPT for your desired recognition. 
>In this
>                     association, RPT should be reclassified to 
>Apprentice status
>                     and after the 'tests' a Journeyman, with Craftsman 
>as the
>                     next step to Master Craftsman. (bring back Allied 
>Tradesman).
>                     If the term RPT had real teeth to it there wouldn't 
>be a need to
>                    even have this discussion.


>                     It doesn't matter how many clinics or seminars you 
>attend,
>                     if there is no budget for salary increase those 
>certificates are
>                     simply wallpaper.  If the organizations thought 
>your services
>                     were worth more, they'd offer more. But then if no 
>one would
>                     accept the positions, a larger salary would be put 
>on the table.
>                    Supply and demand economics.


>                     Any job opportunity has some sort of coping skills 
>attached.
>                     Time management and schmoozing are not marketable 
>items
>                    for a labor-oriented trade.


>                    Speaking of time management...
>                    I better pound some bridge pins in...
>                       
>                    --


>Regards,

>Jon Page




>             Unfortunately, Jon is absolutely correct.  We are paid what 
>we are paid already because that is what human resources departments 
>are finding the market to be.  That market value comes with the 
>assumption that we are already supposed to be equipped with the large 
>palate of skills we are trying to identify with an endorsement.

>               As long as qualified piano technicians are willing to 
>accept the current pay levels, that is all we will be worth.  And what 
>is happening out there is that there are very qualified individuals who 
>are accepting lower salaries because they are in unique positions of 
>being able to live on lower incomes.  If we were to equate what is 
>happening out there, it would be like one RPT charging half or less for 
>tuning prices than everybody else, just because he or she doesn't 
>require as much money to live on.

>               It is free market economics.  But salaries are what they 
>are because CAUTs are too willing to lowball their worth.  It has 
>nothing to do with qualifications or certifications or the lack 
>thereof, and it has nothing to do with how good a concert technician we 
>are.

>               Guilty as charged.  I made the mistake of taking a lower 
>salary during the first year until my skills had been evaluated with 
>promises of salary improvement if everyone liked my work.  Nine years 
>later, we are finally starting to get the the salary to where it should 
>have started.  That's my fault.  I honestly didn't know any better at 
>the time.  But that salary improvement is not coming about because in 
>the meantime I became an RPT.  It isn't coming about because everyone 
>likes my work.  That was established in year one.  It is coming about 
>because I am threatening to leave because the university job is keeping 
>me from being able to properly provide for my family.  The amount of 
>moonlighting I'm having to do to compensate is compromising the quality 
>of my work at the school, and I have made no secret of that.  So far, 
>that is all that has worked.  Flashing my RPT certificate didn't do a 
>darned thing.  Getting rave reviews from visiting artists and comments 
>along the lines of "I'd fly him to Oklahoma to work on my pianos," or 
>"your pianos are better than at Eastman" had nothing to do with it. 
> They don't want to lose me because of the quality of work I've shown. 
> But I've had to be a real pain in the behind around here to get 
>raises.  But at the same time there will be a brick wall in the 
>process.  At some point, the dean is going to say, "no, I can get 
>another technician for less than that."  

>               Because he's probably right.  Somebody else will be 
>willing to come in here and sign up to work for half of what they're 
>worth.

>              Jeff










>              Jeff Tanner, RPT
>              University of South Carolina









>___________________________________________________________________
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