<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"> <head> <meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">  <style>  </style>  </head> <body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple> <div class=Section1> Wim,<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I like the idea of a CAUT brochure…I don’t think we should directly mention salary in there but anything we can do to enhance the concept of hiring experienced, qualified people for these positions rather than the lowest bidder will hopefully accomplish the same thing.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> I’ll see what we can do.<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Eric<o:p></o:p> <o:p> </o:p> Eric Wolfley, RPT<o:p></o:p> Director of Piano Services<o:p></o:p> College-Conservatory of Music<o:p></o:p> University of Cincinnati<o:p></o:p> <div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'> From: caut-bounces@ptg.org [mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org] On Behalf Of Willem Blees Sent: Wednesday, August 20, 2008 4:51 AM To: caut@ptg.org Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT position announcements, CAUT Academy<o:p></o:p> </div> <o:p> </o:p> Instead of us discussing amongst ourselves how bad a school is for offering a sub standard salary, perhaps it would do us more good to "educate" the school. Although it is important for "us" to know how to approach a school and ask for a salary commensurate with our abilities, it will ultimately be up to the school to decide how much to pay a piano technician. But since most school do not know how much a competent piano technician needs to be paid, and more importantly, why, perhaps the best approach is for CAUT to develop a brochure outlining the why a school should hire a qualified piano technicians and pay him/her a salary commensurate with his/her abilities. This brochure would be sent to schools who are in the market for a piano technician. Just a thought. <o:p></o:p> <div> Willem (Wim) Blees, RPT Piano Tuner/Technician Honolulu, HI 808-349-2943 www.bleespiano.com Author of The Business of Piano Tuning available from Potter Press www.pianotuning.com<o:p></o:p> </div> -----Original Message----- From: Wolfley, Eric (wolfleel) <WOLFLEEL@ucmail.uc.edu> To: College and University Technicians <caut@ptg.org> Sent: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 3:53 pm Subject: [CAUT] CAUT position announcements, CAUT Academy<o:p></o:p> <div id="AOLMsgPart_0_0d67b0da-88f2-49ea-83dc-34148d5eb3aa"><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>Jeff and All,<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>You've touched on some things here which I am convinced should be<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>included in our "CAUT Academy" as part of the basic curriculum aimed<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>towards a CAUT endorsement. For those who haven't heard yet, we are<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>planning our first CAUT Academy seminar to be held at the home office in<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>the Spring (probably late March). It seems quite obvious that we should<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>include courses aimed towards employment enhancement topics such as how<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>to figure out what you ought to be worth in salary as an employee and<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>how to successfully apply for jobs and negotiate starting salaries and<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>benefits. There are certainly similar classes taught at business<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>seminars and I could even see hiring a job professional to teach that<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>segment. <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>How many people out there would be interested in attending such a<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>seminar? It would be very instructive to learn just how many technicians<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>out there are contemplating applying for a CAUT job, either for the<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>first time or hoping to move up to a position of greater challenge that<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>could truly be helped by attending a CAUT Academy seminar. If anyone out<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>there is in this position, please contact me privately. We'd really like<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>to hear from you.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>My perception is that a lot of schools are having trouble finding<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>qualified technicians to apply for positions that don't have attractive<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>salaries. Some positions have gone unfilled for quite a while. Such a<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>scenario should put upward pressure on salaries but as you point out<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>Jeff, as long as somebody eventually takes the low paying jobs (for<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>whatever reason) the institutions have no incentive or need to raise the<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>salaries. Our hope with establishing the CAUT credential is that<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>institutions will recognize the value of hiring a technician who has<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>demonstrated a desire to gain the large pool of knowledge needed to<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>perform CAUT jobs effectively and will pay them accordingly. By<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>including curriculum aimed at improving job negotiating skills,<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>hopefully we can give a CAUT endorsee some more leverage to be able to<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>put some upward pressure on salaries. Institutions should be bidding<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>against each other to get the most qualified and highly trained<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>technicians.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>As you say Jeff, this will likely be a long, slow process but I am<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>optimistic that we can make a difference.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>Eric<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>Eric Wolfley, RPT<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>Director of Piano Services<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>College-Conservatory of Music<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>University of Cincinnati<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>-----Original Message-----<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>From: <a href="mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org">caut-bounces@ptg.org</a> [<a href="mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org?">mailto:caut-bounces@ptg.org</a>] On Behalf Of<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>Jeff Tanner<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>Sent: Monday, August 18, 2008 6:00 PM<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>To: College and University Technicians<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>Subject: Re: [CAUT] Position Announcement, SIU, Carbondale, IL<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>Ric B wrote:<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>> Heaven Help Us.  Essentially the above words claim that workers have<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>no <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>> rights anymore... and any attempt by workers to band together to look <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>> after their common interests is a federal crime.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>What I essentially meant was that it seems to me to be in the best<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>interest <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>of our profession as a whole, and thus the Guild, to somehow find a<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>legal <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>way to encourage members, and nonmembers alike (because their market<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>value <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>also affects that of members), that when they are seeking out a full<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>time <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>college position, to bear in mind that the salary they accept will<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>affect <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>the salaries of all other CAUTs, at least in their geographical region,<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>and <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>to be able to provide some tools to assist in that process.  To bear in<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>mind <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>that just because they are single and nearing retirement, and have <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>everything paid for and have no debt that that may well not be the case<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>for <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>a young talented technician who may be trying to start a family, and<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>that <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>his worth will be decided by the concessions of the tech who simply has<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>a <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>lower cost of living and is at a different place in life.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>That is not market econ for the value of the skill, folks.  That is <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>demographics econ.  Has nothing to do with the value of our skill.  It<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>isn't <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>much different from the Wal Mart greeter.  Doesn't it seem legal for us<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>to <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>simple encourage one another to negotiate based on the value that our<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>skill <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>would bring elsewhere, rather than by our age, health, marriage and<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>family <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>status?  Otherwise, it is no surprise that human resources departments<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>will <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>determine that that is what our skill is worth.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>It seems legal that we should be able to encourage others to take into <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>account the value of the skill they possess and how that pertains to<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>others. <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>The Guild publishes a brochure designed to peak interest in our craft,<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>and <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>it is available for download off of the PTG web site.  Historically, the<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>lucrative nature of this occupation has always been one of its most<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>enticing <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>characteristics (my former dean indicated that the lucrative nature of<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>the <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>market for our skill is THE reason he intends to pursue our craft after<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>he <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>retires).  That brochure (now at least 4 years old?) indicates that <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>established technicians can average between $35K and $75K (I am quite <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>curious where those figures were derived), and that that income can be <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>further supplemented with sales of accessories or retail piano sales,<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>etc.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>It seems somehow that we should be able to suggest to those among us <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>pursuing university employment that a reasonable method of negotiating <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>salary should be to take the number of pianos one can reasonably service<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>in <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>the private sector in an 8 hour day, multiply that by an average fee in<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>the <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>local market, and by how many one can reasonably schedule in the same<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>number <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>of workdays or hours that one would be required to be present at the <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>university job per year (and not discount what one would charge for the <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>unusual hours often required of FTEs if he or she were self-employed), <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>account for the value of the benefits that the employer will contribute,<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>as <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>well as the amount the employee will be required to contribute and you <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>should be able to come to a reasonable figure.  (I figure 20 piano <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>equivalents a week at 44 weeks a year to account for leave and holidays,<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>then subtract benefits)  It does not matter whether we are actually <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>performing 880 tuning equivalents a year.  What matters is that we have<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>that <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>capability and that that is the value of the time we are yielding by <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>committing that same amount of time to the employer. It also seems that<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>we <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>should be able to look at the current offerings and see just how far<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>short <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>of that figure these salaries have been falling.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>Folks, the value of benefits is not forty to fifty thousand dollars a<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>year <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>and a complete willingness to have someone else dictate your life<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>schedule. <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>There should also be a value we place when the odd hours of university<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>work <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>prevent us from pursuing other interests and make it difficult for us to<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>commit to other things we could otherwise commit to enjoying.  For<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>example: <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>if they require you to frequently come in to do one tuning on a Sunday <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>morning, that could be preventing you from committing to being a Sunday <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>School teacher or church choir director or even choir member or other <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>musician -- there is a value there, and the reality is, when you do the <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>math, you may see that you are doing that tuning for free, AND it keeps<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>you <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>from committing to something else that may be very important to you.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>As we contemplate the necessity for a CAUT endorsement, it seems to me<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>in <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>the best interest of the PTG and the CAUT committee that there be an <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>economic reward for an individual to pursue such an endeavor.  It will<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>not <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>be an easy pursuit and it will not be something that will be able to be <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>accomplished in a short period of time.  The truth is that colleges<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>already <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>expect such a level of knowledge and skill from the technicians it hires<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>and <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>we have seen very clearly the value colleges that have been recently<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>posting <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>vacancies assign to what is supposedly the cream of our crop.  (Although<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>there is currently no mechanism in place for establishing what we<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>consider <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>to be "cream of our crop", that is what the college search committees<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>are <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>looking for and these are the salaries they apparently believe should be<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>sufficient for compensating the "ideal candidate".)<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>> Perhaps I misread the above... but it sounded to me like the author<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>was <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>> quite willing to accept bending big time over in order to have the <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>> privilege to smile through the entire proverbial shaft.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>No.  The author who wrote that is not an employee.  He is a very well <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>respected and well established self-employed technician, which explains<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>his <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>perspective on the matter.  As a self-employed business, he is<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>absolutely <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>correct.  But it seems to me that his answer in this case reflects<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>exactly <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>what the laws were designed to prohibit -- that businesses or college <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>entities are actually engaging in what would seem to me to be an illegal<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>act <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>of collusion, price-fixing, whatever you call it, by communicating with<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>one <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>another to set salaries for employees.  Isn't that exactly the argument<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>he <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>is claiming is illegal, just on the other side of the employer-employee <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>relationship?<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>Ed's point about CEOs is quite easy to rebut.  Don't for one second<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>think <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>that the CEO at Ford doesn't know exactly what the compensation package<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>for <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>the CEO at GM is, and don't think it isn't brought up when it is time to<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>negotiate his compensation.  That is exactly what I am suggesting that<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>the <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>PTG should be able to assist with.  We need to be able to have some sort<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>of <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>database for those among us to research when negotiating salaries.  I <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>realize that FTE CAUTs represent a pretty small percentage of PTG <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>membership.  But in many ways, they may also hold some of the most<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>visible <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>and prestigious positions in our field.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>There is no reason why we can't provide a database where if someone is <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>looking into a job, they can take tools with them to the negotiating<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>table, <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>and advice on how to use those tools to negotiate for higher salaries.<o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt>Tanner <o:p></o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre><pre style='margin-left:.5in;background:white'><tt><o:p> </o:p></tt></pre></div> <div id=u8CAD0B90E4F34C7-7E4-18A> <div class=MsoNormal align=center style='mso-margin-top-alt:7.5pt;margin-right: 0in;margin-bottom:0in;margin-left:.5in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center> </div> <a href="http://mapquest.com/toolbar?ncid=mpqmap00050000000010" target="_blank" title="http://mapquest.com/toolbar?ncid=mpqmap00050000000010">Get the MapQuest Toolbar</a>. 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