<HTML> <HEAD> <TITLE>Re: take this job and shove it (was let's cut..)</TITLE> </HEAD> <BODY> Wim, Sorry, I would have replied yesterday, but I was out basking in the sun.<BR= > I can't take too much credit for the "esteemed" position piano te= chnicians hold here at ASU, much of that goes to my predecessors and Brent F= ischer, my partner in crime.  Nevertheless, the School of Music adminis= tration does consider our positions indispensable.  Arizona has gone th= ough just as many budget woes as other states and the university budgets hav= e taken more than their share of the cuts.  The fact is, groundskeepers= , carpenters, and a few School of Music staff members have been let go. &nbs= p;Even some faculty positions have not been filled while we have been told o= ur jobs are secure.  The ONLY reason for such security is the fact that= faculty would revolt in large numbers at the thought of not having staff te= chnicians on hand to keep up studio pianos and check every piano before ever= y recital.  Not so much because they like us or appreciate our hard wor= k, but because it would directly affect their performance.  I am not cl= aiming that all institutions feel the same way.  What I am certain of, = however, is job security comes from such faculty support and not through CAU= T guidelines, PTG certifications, or any other program generated by technici= ans. When I mentioned being creative, I wasn't talking about making our jobs mor= e exciting, I was alluding to finding new ways to working around our financi= al woes (like endowed positions).  I don't know very many university te= chnicians who don't supplement their salaries without some outside work. &nb= sp;If your faculty and director are on your side, there is quite a bit of le= eway in this field - from extremely flexible schedules, to extra time off, a= llowing outside work to make up for the wage that the director wishes he cou= ld pay you. I am aware there are college and university positions that are thought of s= imply as a necessary evil.  I truly am sorry such positions exist. &nbs= p;My point still remains the same, however, if it is that bad, leave.  = No one is holding a gun to your head. Rick on 6/18/03 3:12 PM, Wimblees@aol.com at Wimblees@aol.com wrote: <BLOCKQUOTE>In a message dated 6/18/03 1:= 52:35 PM Central Daylight Time, Rick.Florence@asu.edu writes: <BLOCKQUOTE>It seems to me = that real job security (and a decent salary) in our profession comes from tw= o sources:   </BLOCKQUOTE> Hey Rick This, I think, is what led Jeff to make his comments. Maybe you have a dece= nt salary, but there are lots of schools out there who are not paying enough= . Furthermore, job security lasts only as long as the budget holds out. If t= he state decides to cut the education budget, piano tuning is not going to b= e at the top of the list. It probably won't make it above groundskeepers, an= d maybe even the carpenters. So while you might be basking in the sun in your spare time, there are some= CAUTs who have to work over and above our regular day job to make ends meet= . No matter how good we are, and how much we think we are needed, and how mu= ch the faculty might appreciate us, it's when we get complacent that we are = the greatest risk. Yes, let's use our creativeness to make our jobs more exc= iting. But let's not get cocky, either. Wim </BLOCKQUOTE> _____________ Rick Florence Piano Technician Arizona State University, School of Music </BODY> </HTML>