[CAUT] Reasonable job descriptions

[Paul T Williams]

Jim,

That's clearly not enough $! (it's more than me tho, but I've only been 
here 2 years)  Don't you guys have hundreds of pianos?  How many per tech? 
 Do you have full tuition for your kids? I know Oberlin does and some of 
them have several kids!  I would be much happier with my salary if UNL 
could offer at least that.  I know my dream is just that and the average 
Joe has no clue what a good tuning is, but performers do, especially at 
the university level which is one reason why we should be so much more 
compensated for our talents.  If universities require so much experience 
with concert level tech ability, then they should cough up the bucks and 
pay for it.  Their reputation is on the line. There's got to be a way to 
open these folks eyes to see what they have to lose, but I don't know what 
it is.....

Hang in there and get out of debt!! I like listening to Dave Ramsey on the 
radio. He's got great strategies...

Still in debt myself!

Paul





Jim Busby <jim_busby at byu.edu> 
Sent by: caut-bounces at ptg.org
09/08/2008 04:20 PM
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Re: [CAUT] Reasonable job descriptions






List,
 
Oops! Ok. So now you all know what I make. Don’t tell anyone, ok?
 
No harm done.  Anyone can comment if you want.
 
Jim
 
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Jim 
Busby
Sent: Monday, September 08, 2008 1:20 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Reasonable job descriptions
 
Paul,
 
I’m posting this to you privately because I don’t want it in the “public”. 
I’m currently at $48K but the benefits package is incredible. They say 
it’s worth about another 20K. still it’s not enough for me to live on due 
to some stupid debt I have. Essentially, I have to earn about 1K a month 
more to maintain my life style (which is modest!) and I still don’t have 
enough time to do much in the way of personal/family time.
 
Knowing that, if I were making about 20K more it would be about where I 
should be, IMO. We all would like to make more, but this is where I am…
 
Now, in your last paragraph you state that we should stand together. 
Therein is the problem, as I see it. There are so many technicians (hacks, 
most) that would jump in here in a heartbeat that I don’t know how we can 
try to push our way around in the least bit! Our profession seems to be 
one of about 30% incompetent hacks, about 20% top notch and everyone else 
somewhere in the middle. But here is the problem; No one (administration) 
can tell the difference!! At least, not with the middle of the road techs. 
A colleague of mine goes in an toons the piano and when he
S through it’s not top notch. But no one cares! Even some of the best 
pianists seem to let things go. It’s not too bad in that I think it would 
clearly pass the RPT test (that says something, doesn’t it?) but it’s a 
pretty close SAT tuning with some not too wild but out unisons! And he’s a 
CTE!!
 
My heart sinks when I see what people think are good tunings. It makes me 
wonder why I even care sometimes. 
 
Soooo…. What does this have to with the price of rice in China?? I just 
wonder how we can stick together when only about 1 in 5 are PTG members, 
and about half of them are green or not soing high level work! What is the 
key to making a better living here?
 
I dunno. Sometimes I get frustrated and seeing a post like yours get’s me 
hoping and wishing for more, but then my pragmatic evil side kicks in and 
I write rants like this.
 
Best.
Jim
 
From: caut-bounces at ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces at ptg.org] On Behalf Of Paul 
T Williams
Sent: Sunday, September 07, 2008 2:15 PM
To: College and University Technicians
Subject: Re: [CAUT] Reasonable job descriptions
 

Richard, et.al, 

I'm with you.  I'll take the catagory IV at $200K. ;>)  (like that'll ever 
happen)  Kidding aside.  If we can stick together on this issue,  and it 
has to be ALL of us, maybe we can get the average salary for full time 
large universities up to 60-70K or 80-90K as that would be far more 
in-sinc with the supply/demand curve that is currently warped...-not in 
our favor.  That higher figure seems to be in line with the 
better-than-average college prof who has the same relative education in 
their field.  Our field is so specialized, it should actually be more $ 
for us. 

Who can do what we do??  Architect's are a dime a dozen, and so on. If the 
pianos don't work...the university won't work.(school of music speaking) 
For a good point, our purcussion professor, who is charge of all the 
student convos. invitied me to come in for the meet and greet introduction 
to the freshmen.  I was able to tell everyone what I do and to keep all 
the stuff off the pianos.  He continued after my very short rant as to 
what I REALLY do for nearly 4-5 minutes!!  What a wonderful thing this 
was!!  I was not expecting this at all.  He really does appreciate what I 
do and what the pianos are worth etc,. He told all that I can build a 
piano from the ground up (a little over-emphasized there, of course)  Out 
sourcing is still key to all of us.  Time and space wise.  DO IT all all 
of you!!! It's worth the bucks! 

 It was interesting to see that our UNL chancellor and president were 
overwhelmingly approved for between 15-30% raises when their salaries are 
between 200-350K/year.  Just the raise for the president is nearly  what I 
make in a year!!  And yet they say it's to keep up with other large 
universities in the country.  Yet, WE all stay at nearly the same, other 
than the very pretigious private colleges. I only got a 4% raise for this 
coming year.  Other than full tuition for their offspring, it still not 
enough.  It's still less than the football coach who makes a couple 
million..THAT'S BIG BUSINESS..AND ANOTHER STORY for another day (we'll 
never be a super star)        .... I get a few hours of college credits 
per year that I can use or a percentage of that I can transfer to my wife. 
 NO credit building is allowed year to year.  That, I don't understand.  I 
can build up vacation hours up to a VERY  large amount (to  a limit, of 
course), but tuition credits do not build up.  My son is 12 years old.  At 
this measly salary, it will be manditory for him to get scholarships for 
him to attend a "regular" university or superior private school out of 
state... There is no way I'll be able to cover my son's tuition. 

I hope we can all stand together and make our profession worth more than 
what it is, currently.  I don't think "they" know what they have!!".  IT 
SHOULD BE WORTH GOLD!!!!! What we do is getting harder and harder to find, 
and if possible, should get to the point that our "offspring" will enjoy 
what we deserve.  Let's also find more tech students to carry on our 
knowledge, otherwise, we'll all go digital!!  That would be a shame.... 

Enough said. 

On to another week in the grunge!!  A 1926 M in the middle of a "rebuild"! 
 We can't afford a new one!!!!!! 

Paul. 




"rwest1 at unl.edu" <rwest1 at unl.edu> 
Sent by: caut-bounces at ptg.org 
09/07/2008 11:16 AM 


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College and University Technicians <caut at ptg.org>



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Re: [CAUT] Reasonable job descriptions
 








On Sep 6, 2008, at 11:04 AM, Ralph Onesti wrote: 
  
I was hoping you could help Vincent write a reasonable job description for 
the new tech as you are in the trenches and who knows where they are. 
  
I think this would be a great exercise for this group, with the results 
being added to the Guidelines for Institutional Maintenance.  Or better 
yet,  the results could lead to a CAUT brochure, "Hiring the Piano 
Technician-A Resource for Colleges, Universities, and other Educational 
Institutions." 

I don't think that there is a one-size-fits-all description.  For example, 
the description for a part-time contract position  would be different than 
for a full-time position in a large, land-grant type university which 
would be different than for a full-time position in a conservatory 
situation.  The many descriptions would let the institution decide which 
description was appropriate.  Salary ranges should be included as well as 
descriptions of the type of person that would apply (see below). 

Having this kind of information available would accomplish several things. 
 First, although the various descriptions may not be all that different, 
expectations should be different, including the pay scale and type of 
applicant that the institution could realistically expect.  Secondly, it 
would leave it up to the institution to determine where it falls in the 
various types and pay scales.  Expectations would match the self-image of 
the institution.  Thirdly it would inform institutions what the pay range 
should be.  I don't think many people outside our group know what 
full-time technicians working in the private sector can make.  Doing the 
math for those involved in hiring would be helpful.  Finally, a beginning 
technician would be less demanding in salary and benefits, than an 
experienced RPT who has been around the block and wants to get paid 
appropriately.  Institutions need to know that all technicians are not 
created equal. 

Just to get some discussion going, here are some off-the-top-of-my-head 
ideas about types of technicians that could be matched to various 
descriptions. 

Type of technician 
I.  Technician, Level I:  $12,500 to $25,000, working part time, less than 
one year experience, tunes fewer than 5 pianos per week 
II. Technician, Level II:  $35,000 to $50,000, working full time, three to 
five years experience, tunes 15 to 25 pianos per week 
III. Technician, Level III:  $40,000 to $70,000, full time private or 
university, 5 to 10 years experience, tunes 5 to 15 pianos per week, has 
regulated and voiced 10 to 20 pianos over several years, regularly 
schedules full or partial action regulation 
IV. Technician, Level IV:  $50,000 to $200,000, full time private or 
university/conservatory, 10 to 15 years experience, tunes 5 to 10 pianos 
per week, has regulated and voiced pianos in concert venues,  is familiar 
with restringing, new parts installation, action geometry, hammer 
selection, key weight, piano touch, and dealing with the concert artist 
concerns. 

I would add that I think it's time for CAUT to develop an alternative to 
the Guidelines document.   It has been helpful, especially to technicians. 
 But it is, IMHO, too long for most administrators to deal with, and, also 
IMHO,  the document's underlying message is too self-serving.  A brochure 
is a better alternative. 

Richard West, retired but still working 


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