<HTML>Ahhh, you finally hit on something which other profess= ions associated with schools  have, which we, don't have...a union for = collective bargaining.  This is the one area where unions have been suc= cessful at protecting the interests of the workers and forced institutions t= o follow strict guidelines. If we were a member of a Technicians Union then maybe some of this could be = implemented into the hiring process.  That being said, it has been my u= nderstanding that the general population of techs, are not in favor of tight= ly kept regulations, such as entry level standards, ongoing education, etc, = which comes with this territory. Personally, I'm in favor of more regulations as the bigger picture provides = more stability for our industry. However, and painting with a broad brush, the majority of piano technicians = are far too independent and enjoy their freedom to whatever and whenever the= y please. Everything comes with a cost. Tom Servinsky, RPT</HTML>