MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR: On behalf of our staff and leadership, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year!
: Update ALERT will take a two-week hiatus for the holidays and will resume publication on Thursday, Jan. 8, 2009.
ABC ACHIEVES HISTORIC MEMBERSHIP MILESTONE: ABC December 17th announced that the association has hit the 25,000 membership mark. ABC’s membership is comprised primarily of companies that perform work in the commercial and industrial sectors of the construction industry. This is the 15th time in 16 years that association membership has grown, and membership has increased 35 percent over the last 10 years. “This achievement is a testament to ABC’s stellar programs and services that provide real value to merit shop contractors nationwide,” said Kirk Pickerel, ABC president and CEO. “Congratulations to our 79 chapters and the national office for continuing to place a high priority on membership this year, allowing ABC to reach this significant and historic milestone.”
Associated Builders and Contractors was launched in a Baltimore, MD., living room in 1950 by seven construction contractors who shared the belief that construction projects should be awarded based on merit to the most qualified and responsible low bidders. Today, ABC is the voice of the U.S. commercial and industrial construction industry with the White House, Congress, federal agencies, state and local governments, and the courts, as well as with the news media.
ABC CHAPTERS FIGHT PROJECT LABOR AGREEMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY: On Dec. 9, ABC’s Golden Gate chapter won another victory for merit shop construction when the Fresno City Council upheld an existing ban on the mandatory use of union-only project labor agreements (PLA) for public works projects in the City of Fresno. Attempts to reopen the discussion were defeated 6-1.
In Hazelton, Pa., ABC’s Eastern Pennsylvania chapter helped defeat a proposal that would have required PLAs on nearly all school district capital improvement projects. The chapter placed advertisements in local newspapers and mobilized a grassroots effort to speak out against PLAs. The efforts were successful, and on Nov. 25 the Pennsylvania School Directors voted against the proposal. In East Lansing, Mich., The Michigan State University (MSU) Board of Trustees considered whether or not to allow a union-only PLA to cover construction work on Brody Hall, the school’s cafeteria. Although the trustees ultimately decided to continue with the PLA, ABC of Michigan, MSU students and local supporters of free and open competition conducted a strong campaign that may prevent future PLAs at MSU.
ABC HAILS OBAMA’S INFRASTRUCTURE PROPOSAL AND URGES OPEN COMPETITION:ABC Dec. 11 sent a letter to President-elect Barack Obama congratulating him on his election victory, and his proposal to make a significant investment in the nation’s infrastructure as a way to stimulate job growth and promote economic recovery. In addition, the letter urged the President-elect to allow free and open competition on federally-funded construction projects. The letter, from William D. Fairchild, 2008 ABC national chairman and president of R.W. Murray Co., Manassas, Va., and M. Kirk Pickerel, ABC president and CEO, stated that “by mandating any manner of union-only requirements, the 86 percent of the private construction workforce that is not unionized will automatically be excluded from competing for this work.
“Over the last decade, more than 60 percent of the new jobs in our economy have been created by small businesses,” said the letter. “The fact that the vast majority of ABC’s 25,000 member companies are small businesses only highlights the importance of their inclusion in both the bidding process and execution of your ambitious infrastructure project. “We believe that the construction industry as a whole – both union and open-shop firms – is committed to assisting you in bringing our country out of this economic recession,” they said. “The infrastructure plan you have outlined is a bold one, and our members are looking forward to bidding and working on these projects that will improve our country and stimulate our economy.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
¨ January 14, 2009 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. – LINCOLN
¨ January 15, 2009 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. – OMAHA
¨ January 27, 2009 – 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. – LINCOLN
¨ January 29, 2009 – 7:00 – 11:00 a.m. – OMAHA
¨ February 11, 2009 – 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. – LINCOLN
¨ February 12, 2009 – 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. – OMAHA
¨ February 25, 2009 – 7:00 – 11:00 a.m. – OMAHA
¨ February 26, 2009 – 7:00 – 11:00 a.m. - LINCOLN
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
¨ December 23, 2008 – 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – LINCOLN
¨ January 8, 2009 – 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. LINCOLN
¨ January 13, 2009 – 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.- OMAHA
¨ January 27, 2009 – 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – LINCOLN
¨ January 28, 2009 – 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – OMAHA
¨ February 12, 2009 - 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – LINCOLN
¨ February 20, 2009 - 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – OMAHA
¨ February 24, 2009 - 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – LINCOLN
Focus Four Safety Training:
For employees who are starting to work in the industry or the seasoned employee who may need a refresher course in the four focused areas that cause the most injuries and deaths in construction. The course will cover the 4 subparts of the CFR1926 standard – falls, electrical, struck by and caught-in-between.
$90.00 each attendee – Member Price/$125.00 each attendee – Non-Member Price
¨ January 22, 2009 – 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.- LINCOLN
¨ January 29, 2009 – 1:00 – 5:00 p.m.- OMAHA
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.
¨ February 4, 11, 18, 2009 – 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. – OMAHA
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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