Kent State tech position/CAUT Forum at Convention

[Mark Story]

Irregular, yes. If the position is State Civil Service, one would assume 
that a time sheet has to be filled out and signed each pay period (as I 
do). This puts your head directly on the chopping block if the sheets are 
audited. If you are working less hours than you turn in, you're culpable 
whether you have a wink-wink nudge-nudge agreement with the Chairman or 
Director or not.

If the position is not Civil Service, but Professional Exempt or something 
similar, the department or school can negotiate the position however they 
wish. This would be similar to an Instructor or Professor. The hours and 
pay could be flexible, as long s the job is getting done. The downside is 
that you lose the protection that CC affords.

I learned the ins and outs of this when I developed an occupational injury 
in my left hand that made tuning impossible for a while. To work around 
this, the chairman of the department suggested that I just pay someone 
myself for the tuning and collect my check. This is basically what a 
faculty member would have to do to cover their classes if they were ill for 
a while. The lesson here is that have to take responsibility for your 
position, sometimes in spite of how your supervisor views the situation.

Also, for the sake of your position and those down the road, think 
carefully about Administration desires to alter your position. Sometimes 
these offers sound good in the short term. Depending on your State code, 
your position may be protected from involuntary cuts or elimination in some 
way. Here in WA, an agency may not cut or eliminate a position and replace 
it with a contract position (this is statutory, not constitutional, which 
means the Legislature can change it with the stroke of  majority vote and 
Governor signature). However, the position may be altered with the 
agreement of the present employee - permanently. This is attractive to 
Administration because it gives them more control, no matter how it affects 
the employee and agency clients, which is what they lust after.

Mark Story. RPT
Eastern Washington University
Cheney, Washington


-----Original Message-----
From:	Bdshull@AOL.COM [SMTP:Bdshull@AOL.COM]
Sent:	Friday, May 19, 2000 1:14 PM
To:	pianotech@ptg.org
Subject:	Re: Kent State tech position/CAUT Forum at Convention


David and list:

I thought this was a typo at first, or that Kerry might explain in a later
post.  I know of one state college where the real life pay is commensurate
with a respectable retail comparison, but the posted pay is that of an
"Instructional Support Technician,"  which is in the ballpark of Kent 
State's
posted pay.  I wonder if Kerry didn't have an arrangement like that with 
the
music chair.  In the case I am familiar with, the tech submits a bill, and
the dept administrative assistant submits appropriate paperwork (enough 
hours
to pay for the service) so that the technician receives payment for his 
bill.
 Creative, but irregular.