NorCal NECA’s 16th Annual Golf Classic took place at Ruby Hill on Monday, May 21st, with a full field of players. We would like to thank each of our valued industry partners and contractor members who sponsored the event, and those who participated in our raffle. Each year we donate proceeds from the tournament to five charities that have been hand-picked for our Chapter. These charities are: Make-A-Wish Foundation Greater Bay Area, Aldea Children and Family Services in Napa, Attitudinal Healing Connection in Oakland, Modesto Gospel Mission in Modesto, and Hospice of San Joaquin in Stockton. We also extend our deep appreciation to the many people who volunteered their time to be with us on the golf course and help the event run smoothly. Congratulations to all of our winners and especially Barry Frain, Pat Buckley, Matt Thompsen and Pat Nash representing Con J. Franke Electric, Inc. and the Okonite Company, whose team name will be etched on the perpetual trophy this year. We hope that you will consider joining us on May 20, 2018, for our 17th Annual Golf Classic.

Effective January 1, 2017, employers in states regulated by federal OSHA were required to electronically submit Log 300 records of injuries and illnesses. As this was a federal program change, state-run safety and health programs like CalOSHA were required to respond and comply to the change.

CalOSHA has not yet completed its review of this change. However, on April 30, 2018, federal OSHA posted a “trade release” requiring all affected employers to submit injury and illness data in the federal OSHA Injury Tracking Application (ITA) online portal, even if the employer is covered by a state plan that has not completed adoption of their own state rule. Please review the ITA website by clicking here.

Construction employers with a workforce from 20 – 249 employees must report their Log 300 information for the year 2017, through the ITA portal by July 1, 2018.

ELECTRI International would like for you to participate in an online survey to help better understand how the introduction of the Internet of Things (IoT) into intelligent and smart buildings is transforming the construction industry.

The survey is part of a research study that is sponsored by ELECTRI International. Only one survey response is needed from each company, and it is recommended to be completed by a person who is involved in the engineering or installation of technology or low-voltage related systems. The survey is expected to take 10 – 15 minutes.

Should you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact the researcher, Hisham Said (hsaid@scu.edu) or (408) 551-7156. Your participation in this study is much appreciated and will help to understand the impact of IoT on the built environment and the construction industry.

A contingency of six participated in NECA’s annual legislative conference held last week: Rebecca Anderson (Beci Electric), Kurt Brinkman (Intrepid Electronic Systems), John Dillon (Hamilton & Dillon Electric), Greg Long (Long Electric Company), and Greg Armstrong and Ryan Sarna (Chapter staff). The conference featured congressional guest speakers who enlightened those in attendance on key issues being discussed on Capitol Hill.

This Conference gave us an opportunity to meet with our Chapter area representatives to discuss issues relevant and critical to the success of the electrical contracting industry. We always appreciate when a Member of Congress is able to carve time out of his/her busy schedule to meet with us. This year, meetings were held with Senators Kamala Harris and Dianne Feinstein, along with Congressmembers John Garamendi, Ro Khanna, Eric Swalwell, Jeff Denham, Jerry McNerney, Barbara Lee, Jim Costa and Mike Thompson. The key issues discussed with our representatives included:

• Supporting the GROW Act authorizing innovative composite plans to modernize the multi employer pension plan system;
• Allowing apprentices to utilize 529 education saving plans to finance ancillary apprenticeship costs;
• Ensuring small business federal contractors get paid in a timely manner and are aware of change order policies;
• Supporting passage of a robust, well-funded comprehensive infrastructure funding bill that addresses needs in all sectors;
• Refining federal tax policy; and
• Repealing the 40 percent Cadillac tax on contractors’ health plans.

The NorCal NECA Codes & Standards Committee is pleased to announce a $1,000 W. Creighton Schwan Scholarship was awarded to Daniel Underwood, a student of Merced College majoring in Industrial Electrical Technician, with an overall GPA of 3.3. He is expecting to graduate in May 2018, at which time he hopes to continue his electrical education with the Modesto JATC Apprenticeship Program.

Presenting the check picture in the photo from left to right: EBUCC Chair Joel Garcia, City of Oakland Inspector; Juanita Mitchell, NorCal NECA staff; Daniel Underwood, recipient; and Codes & Standards Pro Tempore Chair Larry Woolstrum, Con J. Franke Electric, Inc.

The W. Creighton Schwan Scholarship Award was established in 2007 by the NorCal Chapter, NECA in memory of the late W. Creighton Schwan who was a regular and faithful participant at our monthly EBUCC meetings. The Schwan family donated funds to ensure continuance of the scholarship so that Creighton’s legacy may be honored, and his great contributions remembered and emulated.

On April 25th, Ryan Sarna attended the California Apprenticeship Conference in San Diego. Conference attendees included multiple unions, association and elected officials. During the conference, there were multiple sessions that focused on pre-apprenticeship for high schools and middle schools that discussed information on the successes of pre-screening for pre-apprenticeship programs, as well as what type of space and finances are needed for a school to start and maintain a pre-apprenticeship program. The conference also boasted several guest speakers; one of the guest speakers presented on the decreasing number of apprentices in our country and suggested that unions need to organize a “cross party” political movement in order to gain wide support for apprenticeships.

**Note, the picture shows Ryan Sarna volunteering to demonstrate an arch blast suit for NFPA-70E.

With the continuing labor shortage and new worker classifications, many NECA contractors are spending more time in the recruiting/interviewing role than ever before. Additionally, this function is moving down the ladder, away from the HR professionals, with superintendents and supervisors being asked to keep an eye for potential new hires to build up the work force.

The key to making a good hire, to finding the most qualified workers and placing them in the most appropriate position, is to ask questions. But asking questions has become a tricky issue within the hiring process, as the entire hiring process has become extremely complicated and regulated. Those in your company whose duties regularly include interviewing applicants obviously need to be trained to recognize and follow legal requirements. But every employee who could be in the position of representing the employer in the hiring process, such as a foreman approached on a job site by someone looking for a job, needs to have a clear understanding of what to say, what to ask, and what not to ask.

To help guide contractors and chapters through these questions and the entire hiring process, NECA’s attorneys have developed a Recommended Hiring Guide and a Separate Summary Overview that are available on the NECA website. These documents are an outline of issues related to the hiring process. They cannot be considered comprehensive enough to cover every situation and question and we recommend that you seek competent legal counsel to assure that your hiring practices comply with applicable federal, state and local law.

Effective June 1, 2018, increases for many of our Agreements were allocated. To view updated cost data sheets, please visit the Labor Agreements section of the NorCal NECA Website.

NECA, together with the ELECTRICAL TRAINING alliance and representatives from the IBEW, developed a guide to the major changes in the 2018 edition of NFPA 70E The Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. The 2018 Significant Changes to NFPA 70E (Index #5015-18) and the digital resource kit (5015-18RK) is available for purchase at www.necastore.com.

The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) announces the release of its Vision 2020 Task Force final report. The task force, initiated by former NECA President David Hardt, identified coming opportunities and challenges critical to the association’s success and established a roadmap to position NECA to best serve and support their members’ future success. Click here to download the full report.