IMPROVE YOUR SAFETY PERFORMANCE USING STEP: ABC wants to remind members that the deadline to submit Safety Training Evaluation Process (STEP) applications in time to receive a certificate at the Cornhusker Chapter’s Safety Awards ceremony is February 27.
ABC’s STEP program recognizes the efforts of ABC members who consistently strive to achieve effective best safety practices on jobsites and provides contractors with a tool to objectively evaluate their safety programs, policies and procedures. All that a member company needs to complete a STEP application is their current OSHA 300 and 300A Forms.
Participation is encourages year-round, although applications must be turned in to the Cornhusker Chapter by the February 27, 2009 deadline to participate in the chapter awards ceremony. The forms are evaluated and awarded either Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum status based on safety performance and the applicant’s score on the “20 Key Components,” ABC’s innovative safety evaluation system.
For more information about STEP or to fill out an application, visit www.abc.org/STEP.
STIMULUS SHOULD FOCUS ON INVESTMENT IN CONSTRUCTION NOT WASTEFUL SPENDING: ABC Feb. 11 urged members of the conference committee for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1) to add language that would protect the ability of open shop construction firms to bid on the federal construction projects outlined in the package and to remove Davis-Bacon prevailing wage requirements that would make it more difficult for small businesses to bid. The U.S. Senate Feb. 10 passed a compromise version of the House-approved stimulus package by a vote of 61-37. Before the vote, ABC noted in a letter to Senators that there should be a sharper focus on long-term economic benefits and that the Davis-Bacon Act requirements should be eliminated from the bill but also expressed strong support for the construction and infrastructure spending contained in the bill. The House version of the stimulus package contains more than $160 billion and the Senate version contains $130 million in infrastructure funding for the construction of federal buildings, schools, highways, bridges, workforce development and additional programs.
“This package represents a great opportunity to improve our nation’s infrastructure and to gain back some of the one million jobs the construction industry has lost since January 2007,” said Jerry Gorski, 2009 ABC national chairman and president of Gorski Engineering, Inc., Collegeville, Pa. “In addition, small businesses, which make up the majority of ABC’s 25,000 members, will get help in the form of tax relief provisions and incentives for energy efficiency that will not only help them through this tough economic time, but will also help create more “green” projects..
REGISTER NOW AND SAVE FOR THE 2009 CONSTRUCTION EDUCATIOO CONFERENCE: ABC members are encouraged to register before March 11 to receive the early-bird discounted rate for the 2009 Education Conference to be held April 15-17 in Las Vegas. Read More.
ABC DENOUNCES EXECUTIVE ORDER THAT DISCIMINATES AGAINST 84 PERCENT OF THE CONSTRUCTION WORKFORCE: ABC denounced Executive Order 13502, signed by President Obama Feb. 6, which allows federal agencies to require the use of union-only project labor agreements (PLA) on federal and federally funded construction projects over $25 million. The order also repeals Executive Order 13202 which prohibited federal agencies and recipients of federal funding from requiring contractors to sign PLAs. “Today’s decision to repeal Executive Order 13202 opens the door to waste and discrimination in federal and federally funded construction contracts,” said ABC President and CEO Kirk Pickerel. “This action removes the safeguards that prohibited discrimination based upon union affiliation in the awarding of federal contracts.
A union-only PLA is a contract that requires a federal construction project to be awarded only to contractors and subcontractors that agree to recognize unions as the representatives of their employees on that job; use the union hiring hall to obtain workers; and obey the union’s restrictive work rules.
Construction contracts subject to union-only PLAs are designed to be awarded exclusively to unionized contractors and their all-union workforces,” said Pickerel. “Absent the economic benefits of competitive bidding, union-only PLAs are known to increase construction costs between 10 percent and 20 percent and discriminate against minorities, women and qualified construction workers who have traditionally been excluded from union membership. “Union-only PLAs drive up costs for American taxpayers while unfairly discriminating against 84 percent of U.S. construction workers who choose not to join a labor union,” added Pickerel. “All taxpayers should have the opportunity to compete fairly on any project funded by the federal government.”
To learn more about PLAs, visit www.abc.org/pla.
ABC SUPPORTS EFFORTS TO ELIMINATE PLAs FROM STIMULUS CONSTRUTION PROJECTS: ABC Feb. 11 voiced its strong support for the Government Neutrality in Contracting Act (H.R. 983), a measure that would prohibit federal agencies from requiring discriminatory and wasteful union-only project labor agreements (PLA) on federal construction projects. Rep. John Sullivan (R-Okla.) introduced the legislation. “All hardworking Americans in the construction industry need a fair shot at economic recovery,” said Jerry Gorski, 2009 ABC national chairman and president of Gorski Engineering, Inc., Collegeville, Pa. “The Government Neutrality in Contracting Act ensures that all contractors and all workers – both union and merit shop – have a fair and equal opportunity to participate on federally funded and federally assisted construction projects. Passage of this legislation is critical as the construction industry has lost more than 858,000 jobs since January 2008.
UNION ELECTION UPDATE: Recently, the research division of the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA PLUS) issued a report analyzing elections conducted by the NLRB during the first half of 2008. The report concluded that construction unions won the right to represent workers in 62.3% of 61 elections conducted during that time period. This win rate is up from the 55.9% win rate from 2007. The report noted that the most active unions in union organizing efforts were the Teamsters, the IBEW, the Operating Engineers, and the Laborers. The report also noted that unions affiliated with the Change To Win Federation participated in more elections and organized more workers than unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO. These results indicate that 2009 will be an active year for union organizing activities, especially in the construction industry. By Bill Harding, Chapter Attorney
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PRODUCTIVITY EQUALS PROFITABILITY
This is a one-day program that will help provide employees of self-performing construction companies with a realistic view of what must happen in the field in order to increase gross profit on every job. This program is designed for the self-performing general and trade contractors, owners, CEO’s, upper-;level managers, estimators, project and operations managers, general superintendents and field supervisors at all levels of responsibility.
This program is being presented by Michael Brunner and will be held at the Mahoney State Park on February 26, 2009
from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
COMMUNICATION & LEADERSHIP BASICS PROGRAM
This eight-hour program focuses on identifying, explaining and applying the basic concepts of both communication and leadership in the construction industry. The program is for anyone in the construction industry who holds (or plans to hold) a leadership or management position – presidents, vice presidents, project managers, estimators, field supervisors, foremen, crew leaders, lead men, etc.
This program is also being presented by Michael Brunner and will be held at Mahoney State Park on February 27, 2009
from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
CARD CHECK SEMINAR BY BILL HARDING, CHAPTER ATTORNEY
All workers, in every industry, deserve the fundamental American right to a federally supervised private-ballot election.
At this seminar learn what you can/can’t say to your employees regarding card check.
Other Topics will include: Hiring and Firing, DC Legislative Update, NLRB Appointments
and Supervisor and Employee Communications
This program will be held on March 3, 2009 from 12:00 – 2:00 at Quarry Oaks Golf Club
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Training Classes
Management & Safety Class Schedule
First Aid/CPR Classes
$50.00 each attendee – Member Price/$60.00 each attendee – Non-Member
Recertification only - $40.00 each attendee – Member Price/$50.00 each attendee – Non-Member Price
¨ February 25, 2009 – 7:00 – 11:00 a.m. – OMAHA
¨ February 26, 2009 – 7:00 – 11:00 a.m. – LINCOLN
¨ March 5, 2009 – 1:00 – 5:00p.m. – LINCOLN
¨ March 12, 2009 – 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. – OMAHA
¨ March 18, 2009 – 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. – KEARNEY
¨ March 24, 2009 – 7:00 – 11:00 a.m. – LINCOLN
¨ March 26, 2009 – 7:00 – 11:00 a.m. – OMAHA
¨ April 1, 2009 – 7:00 – 11:00 a.m. - OMAHA
OSHA 10 Hour Class
OSHA requires a competent person on all job sites. This course ensures that your people have the necessary training to comply with OSHA standards CFR 1926.32(f) for a competent person. Training includes OSHA Construction Standards CFR 29 1926, Scaffolds, Ladders and Stairways, Housekeeping, Personal Tools, Electrical Hazards, Fall Protection, Materials Handling, Hazardous Communications and much more!
**CFR 192 OSHA Regulations Book for the Construction Industry with new steel erection standards will be available for $25.00** each for class participants.
$135.00 each attendee – Member Price/$240.00 each attendee – Non-Member Price
¨ February 17, 2009 – 7:00 – 5:30 p.m. - OMAHA
¨ February 20, 2009 - 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – LINCOLN
¨ February 24, 2009 - 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – LINCOLN
¨ March 10, 2009 – 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – OMAHA
¨ March 12, 2009 – 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – LINCOLN
¨ March 19, 2009 – 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – KEARNEY
¨ March 25, 2009 - 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – OMAHA
¨ March 26, 2009 - 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – LINCOLN
¨ April 1, 2009 - 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – OMAHA
Forklift/All Terrain Training
The OSHA standard 29CFR1926.602(d) requires employees who operate forklifts be trained in both the classroom and through a practical exercise on the type of equipment that they will be running in the field.
$125.00 each attendee – Member Price/$200.00 each attendee – Non-Member Price
¨ March 4, 2009 – 7:00 – 11:00 a.m. – OMAHA
¨ March 5, 2009 – 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. - LINCOLN
30 Hour OSHA Class
Federal Law requires each company have a designated trained safety coordinator. This will give your foremen, supervisors, safety directors or safety coordinators the expertise to comply with all OSHA and State requirements. This is an in-depth look at CFR 1926 and 1920 and NE 757 as they affect construction. Price includes study materials
$395.00 each attendee – Member Price / $595.00 each attendee –Non-Member price.
¨ April 2, 9, 16, 2009 -7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – LINCOLN
PRODUCTIVITY EQUALS PROFITABILITY PROGRAM-Presented by Michael Brunner:
This eight-hour program focuses on identifying, explaining and applying the basic concepts of both communication and leadership in the construction industry. The program is for anyone in the construction industry who holds (or plans to hold) a leadership or management position – presidents, vice presidents, project managers, estimators, field supervisors, foremen, crew leaders, lead men, etc.
$225.00 each attendee – Member Price/$325.00 each attendee – Non-Member price.
¨ February 26, 2009 – 8:00 – 4:30 – MAHONEY STATE PARK (includes lunch)
COMMUNICATION & LEADERSHIP BASICS PROGRAM-Presented by Michael Brunner:
This eight-hour program focuses on identifying, explaining and applying the basic concepts of both communication and leadership in the construction industry. The program is for anyone in the construction industry who holds (or plans to hold) a leadership or management position – presidents, vice presidents, project managers, estimators, field supervisors, foremen, crew leaders, lead men, etc.
$225.00 each attendee – Member Price/$325.00 each attendee – Non-Member price.
¨ February 27, 2009 – 8:00 – 4:30 – MAHONEY STATE PARK (includes lunch)
CARD CHECK SEMINAR – Presented by Bill Harding, Chapter Attorney
Other topics to include hiring and firing, DC Legislative Update, NLRB Appointments, Supervisor and Employee Communications.
$45.00 each attendee – ABC Members ONLY
¨ March 3, 2009 – 12:00 noon – 2:00 p.m. – QUARRY OAKS GOLF CLUB(includes lunch)
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Omaha Classes are held at the Education Center, 2602 Harney Street, Omaha
Lincoln Classes are held at the Training Center, 830 Westgate Blvd., Lincoln
PLEASE DUPLICATE THIS FORM FOR MULTIPLE CLASSES
Company: Address: Phone: Fax:
Names (please print): Class/Date: Cost:
Class/Date: Cost:
Class/Date: Cost:
Return Registration Form and Check Payable to Associated Builders & Contractors
830 Westgate Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68528 FAX 402-477-4522
Email-debh@abcnebraska.org