On April 4, 2024, NorCal NECA hosted an Electrical Innovation Day at the Zero Net Energy Center in San Leandro. The event brought together NECA Contractors, IBEW leadership, training directors, inspectors and industry partners to hear about new and advancing technologies within the electrical construction industry, including PoE, Fault Managed Power Systems (Digital Electricity) and Energy Storage. Attendees heard from the following speakers:
- Jeff Beavers (NECA Executive Director, Network Integration & Service), spoke on convergence and the disruption of electrification.
- Bob Dagostino (President, Dagostino Electronic Services, Inc.) gave the contractor perspective of installing Fault Management Power Systems in a football stadium.
- Luis Suau (Chief business Officer, Sinclair Digital) presented on DC Power and Microgrids
- Joshua Lemus (Project Manager, PoE Texas) presented on PoE Lighting and Automation
- Frank Straka (Director Business Development, Panduit) provided information on Class 4 Power and Fault Managed Power Systems
- David Stenger (Global Product Manager-Powered Fiber Solutions, CommScope) presented on Fault Managed Power End-to-End Solutions
Through ELECTRI international, NorCal NECA was able to extend our partnership with Document Crunch for another two years! This means that NorCal NECA Members receive free access to Document Crunch until 2026!
Document Crunch simplifies construction contracts by quickly identifying critical risk provisions and provides teams with guidance to make great decisions throughout the entire project lifecycle. Their Contract Genius drives value and efficiency to the contract review process and supports successful project execution by enabling teams to understand and comply with critical contract provisions. Click here to learn more about the partnership!
NorCal NECA and Document Crunch and hosting a ‘Lunch and Learn’ as follows:
During the Lunch & Learn, participations will receive a walk thru and training on the Document Crunch platform and discus benchmarking goals, followed by a question-and-answer period. Please use the above link to RSVP your attendance to this “Lunch and Learn” and see how Document Crunch can help you! Again, this partnership is free to NorCal NECA Members!
The Chapter recently held it’s 2024 Spring General Membership meeting with over 50 Chapter members and partners in attendance. The evening began with a networking reception, followed by a welcome from Executive Director Greg Armstrong.
Mr. Armstrong went on to present Mike Boehmer (HA Bowen Electric, Inc.) with the Chapter’s Gillespie Award. This award was established to honor individuals for their years of dedicated service and outstanding contribution while serving the NorCal NECA Chapter and the electrical contracting industry. Mike Boehmer has been an integral part of this Chapter for many years. He is a trustee on the local pension and health trusts, Chairman of the Electrical Contractors Trust of Alameda County, a member of the Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee and the Co-Chair of the JATC Disciplinary Sub-Committee. He has spent countless hours bettering our industry and our apprentices, and his service has gone unnoticed to the Chapter and its members.
The evening concluded with a fireside chat between Chapter President Brian Gini (Collins Electrical Company, Inc.)and John Taylor former wide receiver and kick returner for the San Francisco 49ers. Mr. Taylor shared stories from his days with the 49ers, discussed the moments that defined his career and answered questions from everyone in attendance.
On April 4th, 2024, NorCal NECA is hosting an Electrical Innovation Day that will focus on new and advancing technologies within the electrical construction industry including PoE, Fault Managed Power Systems (Digital Electricity) and Energy Storage. The Innovation Day will feature presentations from the following industry experts, manufacturers and vendors:
- Jeff Beavers – Keynote speaker who will present on the Disruption of Electrification including Fault Managed Power Systems and Digital Electricity
- CommScope – Manufacturer of Fault Managed Power Systems
- PoE Texas – Power & Data over Ethernet
- Sinclair Digital – PoE Solutions for Smart Buildings
- Panduit Ventures – Fault Managed Power Systems
The program will be held at the Zero Net Energy Center (14600 Catalina Street, San Leandro) on Thursday, April 4, 2024, from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Lunch will be served. This program is open to all NECA Contractors and staff, IBEW Locals and Training Directors and staff.
We encourage you to attend the Innovation Day!! Please click here to register your attendance!
As we prepare for the new year, a question often asked is which holidays are recognized in our agreements. Each agreement specifies holidays recognized and what compensation is required if work is performed.
For your reference, we have summarized a list of holidays recognized under each agreement covered by the Northern California Chapter, NECA. In instances where it is necessary that employees covered under the agreement must work, employees are paid at double the straight time rate of pay. Some agreements preclude any work on Labor Day, except under emergency circumstances and only with the Business Manager’s approval.
Another area that should be reviewed is Carpenter’s Off-Days, which means that if electricians work on a project with other crafts that receive premium pay for the Carpenter’s Off-Day, then the electrician(s) shall also receive premium pay. However, is work is performed on a project where no other trade(s) receive premium pay, then electricians likewise shall not.
Click here to see a listing of the holiday’s and other off-days observed in each of our Chapter’s jurisdictions during 2024!
Did you know that using videos to promote, highlight and tell people about your business can help increase engagement on digital and social media platforms, educate your audience, develop potential business opportunities and be utilized as a recruitment and retention tool?
To aid in the promotion and business development of its members, NorCal NECA has partnered with local marketing firm Flip2Media. Each production will include an interview with the owner/manager highlighting unique or specific aspects of one’s business. Flip2Media can visit either your office or the jobsite and the cost of the video is subsidized by the Chapter. There are still spots available for 2024!!!
If you are interested in scheduled a video profiling your Company, contact
Jenny Fothergill. Scheduling will be on a first come basis.
The 2023 NECA Financial Benchmarker Report presents a detailed analysis of key financial data within the electrical construction industry. Using the information within this report, electrical contractors can compare and analyze their own company’s financial performance statistics to identify business strengths, weaknesses and performance improvement opportunities. This report also provides a valuable industry standard for your use during audits, claims, change order negotiation, or with a banker/bonding agent. The report is $45 for NECA Members and can beaccessed here. Be sure to login with your NECA ID to get the member pricing.
Once again, NECA, MCAA and SMACNA have partnered together to host the 2024 MEP Innovation Conference. Immerse yourself in educational sessions, collaborative roundtable discussions and hands-on exhibitor demonstrations that spotlight cutting-edge technologies that can improve NECA contractors productivity and profitability.
You can view the conference schedule by clicking here. If you are interested in registering for the conference, click here or contact Scot VanBuskirk with the Chapter office.
Did you know that September is Suicide Prevention Month? Further, male-dominated industries tend to have more suicides. The macho, tough-guy, and stoic nature of construction workers can even discourage those who are most at risk for suicide from seeking help. Men, especially white men in their early 20’s through their 50’s, account for the bulk of suicides. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 97 percent of the U.S. construction workforce is male and according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, 38 percent of construction workers in the U.S. in 2018 were between the ages of 45 and 64.
Moving from jobsite to jobsite can create an environment in which workers are not as connected to their families, each other, or a workplace community. Coupled with working long or irregular hours, sleep patterns can be impacted, causing sleep deprivation and mental and physical exhaustion.
The Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention (CIASP) has created tools and resources which can be used to help integrate suicide prevention into your company’s culture as a safety and health priority! Items available include a social media toolkit, toolbox talks, posters, OSHA suicide prevention resources, QR codes for CIASP’s website, and logos. You can view and download all their Suicide Prevention Resources by clicking here.
The construction industry dedicates a week to raising awareness about the unique challenges workers face in construction that lead to suicide and what we can do to prevent it. During Construction Suicide Prevention Week, the industry calls attention to the higher-than-average suicide rate in the construction industry and provides resources to help prevent those deaths. Use these resources to plan activities with your workers during the week of September 4 – 8, 2023. Learn more here.
