NATIONAL ABC CHAIRMAN TO VISIT THE CORNHUSKER STATE: The Cornhusker Chapter is proud to announce that our National ABC Chairman Bill Fairchild with the R.W. Murray Co., Manassas, VA will be visiting Nebraska on Saturday, September 27, 2008. We will be hosting a tailgate party before the Nebraska-Virginia Tech football game. We are looking for a few volunteers to help organize this event. We are also seeking some corporate sponsors. If you would be willing to help, contact Dick or Deb at the Lincoln office – 477-4451.
FIRST GREEN COLLAR JOB TRAINING CURRICULUM UNVEILED IN WAHSINGTON D.C.:Washington, D.C. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and Councilman at-Large Kwame Brown Aug. 20 announced that Washington, D.C. has implemented the nation’s first green jobs training curriculum for current construction workers in the District of Columbia as well as students entering the District’s construction trades program.
The 15-hour course will introduce participants to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System. Specifically, the curriculum will train workers to recognize the challenges that construction presents to the environment, identify eco-friendly alternatives to conventional building practices and understand the life cycle of a building and the impact it has on the environment. ABC recently announced significant changes to the Construction Legal Rights Foundation’s (CLRF) applications for legal assistance, issue advocacy and rapid response funding. The changes are designed to make both the application and funding processes clearer and easier for applicants and to help ensure the information provided to CLRF is as complete as possible. In addition, the updated applications can be submitted directly to the CLRF administrator in electronic format. As a result, forms will no longer have to be filled out manually.
Note – The Cornhusker Chapter will be offering this course this fall. Watch for your Safety Education Catalog.
ABC SEEKS COMPANY COORDINATORS FOR UPCOMING ELECTION:ABC is seeking members to volunteer as company coordinators to assist in voter registration and education as well as “Get Out the Vote” efforts in preparation for the Nov. 4 election. ABC will provide company coordinators with voter registration resources, guides to help voters make an informed decision and “Get Out the Vote” information for distribution. In addition, materials including letters and paycheck stuffers on rising fuel prices are available to help inform all employees about issues related to the election and the construction industry.
To sign up as a company coordinator, contact Liz Icenogle at icenogle@abc.org and include your name and the name of your company. Information about becoming a company coordinator as well as voter registration and voting information is now available for use by company coordinators on the ABC website at www.abc.org/getoutthevote
OSHA UPDATE:On August 19, 2008, OSHA published a proposed rule in the Federal Register which would require construction industry employers to provide personal protective equipment and training to each required employee or be exposed to liability on a per employee basis. The proposed rule would amend OSHA’s standards for construction regarding the employer’s duty to provide personal protective equipment, including respirators and training. OSHA said that by clarifying inconsistencies in current regulations, OSHA would be able to assess “an appropriately high penalty” in cases of flagrant violations or on a “violation by violation” basis. Under this latter policy, OSHA may propose penalties based upon each employee exposed to a single violation condition rather than only on each standard violated. The text of the proposed rule may be accessed at http://op.bna.com/dlrcases.nsf/r?Open=kpin-7hmv7p. Written comments on the proposed rule must be received by OSHA by September 18, 2008 and they may be sent to http://www.regulations.gov.
By Bill Harding, Chapter Attorney
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ABC APPRENTICESHIP CLASSES BEGIN SEPTEMBER 8, 2008 IN BOTH OMAHA AND LINCOLN
New classes offered in Omaha are Sheet Metal & Drywall
Call TODAY to enroll!
For further information call Theresa in Omaha at 344-4258 or Deb in Lincoln at 477-4451