Please help me with this letter for work

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Member since 5/05

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Name:
Jennifer

Please help me with this letter for work

Good? Bad? Suggestions?
ETA: This is not someone I want to burn bridges with and I'd like to continue to have a good working relationship with him...so please let me know if it's good in light of that

The letter explains everyhing, but I worked as a personal assistant to this guy for 4 months, then I started working on a show he was producing as Stage manager and associate producer. Right when it came time to negotiate how much I would get paid to Stage Manage (he was completely lowballing me), he started in on how I'm not a good assistant, and I didn't do this, this and this, which really upset me at the time because he had never communicated ANY of this before and was basically completely uncommunicative. Now, I feel like it was just a tactic to get me to accept a lower rate. Once rehearsal starte3d, he told me he could no longer pay me as a PA, that it was one or the other. I explained I'd be doing both inevitably (which I did), and suggested a higher total number for both, he reluctantly agreed instead to pay me hourly for that work, which I have not even bothered to bill for.

Dear Boss,
I think we really need to discuss when I will be paid the considerable balance remaining for my work as a PA and as SM. I have tried to be patient and polite, especially because I do like you and have enjoyed working with you and everyone on {the play} and I understand how much debt the production has. However, I worked very hard for months on this production, longer than the designers (who have already been paid), and did a lot of the work that made it such a success. I wish we had discussed it in more conrete terms at the time, but I assumed, as most people do, that I would be paid by load out, as is customary for a Stage Manager. It's been almost a month since then. We also agreed in our conversations during the week of the first rehearsal that I would be paid hourly for any PA work and work that did not fall under my job description as Stage Manager. Throughout rehearsals and the run of the show, I performed countless hours of work that did not fall under that category, such as fielding calls from press, buying props, spending hours dealing with the box office and ovation tix, communicating with designers on budgetary issues, liasing with equity and arclight staff, ordering and picking up programs, finding, hiring and training staff, etc,etc. It would have been impossible to even count those hours, which is why in the beginning I originally suggested one round number for both functions. Now I feel that even if I did bill for those hours, I would never see the money. I think the amount of time I've waited for this money (and my 1099 for 2006) is bordering the legal limits, and I'd rather not get into that with someone I consider a friend. I've tried to hint about how much I really do need the money, and I understand budgetary constraints, but most of everyone else has gotten paid. You would not have had a show without a Stage Manager and without my work as Associate Producer, and I think the amount of time that has gone by is ridiculous. Aside from the legal and financial considerations, I feel that my hard work and dedication throughout the past 6 months has not been appreciated. Please look over your budget and calendar and let's discuss a date by which I will be paid in full.

Thank you,
Jennifer

Message edited 2/27/2007 9:16:13 AM.

Posted 2/27/07 9:14 AM