Negotiations for the Northern California Addendum #2 to the 9th District Sound and Communications Agreement concluded with a joint recommended settlement, which can be viewed by clicking here. The two-year agreement will commence on December 1, 2017.

The membership held their allocation meeting on Saturday, December 2, 2017. Below is an outline of the allocation:

• Management and Labor both contributed $0.05 towards the Local LMCC (Compliance Fund) bringing the Local LMCC (Compliance Fund) total to $0.30.
• The remainder of the allocation went to the wage:
  • 2A (IBEW Locals 234, 332, 595-W and 617) = $2.95
  • 2B (IBEW Locals 100, 551-N, 595-E and 684 = $1.89
  • 2E (IBEW Locals 180, 302 and 551-S) = $2.15
• The Technician wage rate shall be 115% of the Installer rate, and the Senior Technician wage rate shall be 125% of the Installer rate, per each wage schedule.

Click here to see the updated Cost Data Sheets.

Please contact Scot VanBuskirk with the Chapter office should you have any questions.

On behalf of the IBEW Local 595/NorCal NECA Joint Safety Committee, “Happy Thanksgiving!” The kitchen is the hear of the home, especially at Thanksgiving. Kids love to be involved in Holiday preparations, so safety in the kitchen is important, especially on Thanksgiving Day when there is a lot of activity and people at home. Click here for helpful tips to ensure a safe and happy Thanksgiving, and remember “Safety First = Family First.”

The deadline for employers to electronically submit 2016 OSHA 300A summary form information to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is Friday, December 1, 2017. Visit the Injury Tracking Application page of OSHA’s website, to log in and submit your information through the OSHA Electronic Portal.

This applies to establishments with 250 or more employees that are currently required to keep OSHA injury and illness records, and establishments with 20 – 249 employees that are classified in certain industries with historically high rates of occupational injuries and illnesses such as construction.

In 2020, plans that provide generous benefits (aka “Cadillac Plans”) will be unjustly subject to an excise tax of 40 percent of the value of the excess benefits (effective January 1, 2020). A “Cadillac Plan” is one whose benefits are valued at $10,200 per year per individual or $27,500 per family. This will penalize employers who do the right thing by hitting them with extraordinary high taxes on employer-provided insurance plans that offer quality coverage to their employees.

Click here to tell your Senators and Representatives to repeal the “Cadillac Tax” today!

Registration is now open for the District IX Council meeting set for April 4-6, 2018, in beautiful Maui, HI. The itinerary includes the General Council meeting, educational sessions and presentations by the Politico Group, with the full itinerary on the registration form. To register, please complete and return the attached form to Julie Russell via fax at (925) 828-6322 or email.

All meetings will take place at the Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa in Lahaina. Reserve your room no later than February 28, 2018; however, it is recommended to register early as the room block often sells out for this popular event. Your company’s education credits may be used toward reimbursement on many of the costs incurred attending the District IX Meeting. For information on how to use education credits offered with your company’s membership, please contact the Chapter office.

NECA’s Executive Management Institute (EMI) is an intensive, three-and-a-half day learning experience designed to enhance the leadership skills of current and up-and-coming executives and managers. Designed for senior executives in the electrical contracting industry, this program provides state-of-the-art management concepts and analytical tools that build on existing knowledge of electrical contracting businesses and the industry to increase the value and effectiveness of electrical contracting firms. Click here to learn more.

As fires continue to burn in Napa and Sonoma Counties, efforts have started turning towards recovery. To date, none of our Napa/Solano Contractor Members have suffered any personal loss of life or property, however, several employees have had their homes destroyed. The fires have destroyed the homes of over 25 employees or Contractor Members from the Northern California Chapter and the Redwood Empire Chapter. They have also left thousands of residents homeless, but the outpouring of support from the electrical construction industry has been heartwarming.

If you would like to help aid in the recovery, please send contributions to:

Napa/Solano LMCC
5934 Gibraltar Drive, Suite 205
Pleasanton, CA 94588

Redwood Empire LMCC
7 Fourth Street, Suite 37
Petaluma, CA 94952

 

Thank you to our NorCal NECA members who joined the Chapter staff at the 2017 NECA Convention in Seattle last week. We hope you enjoyed all of the educational courses offered, the NECA Trade Show, as well as the networking opportunities throughout the NECA Convention.

Please be sure to mark your calendars for the 2018 NECA Convention in Philadelphia from September 29, 2018 – October 2, 2018.

The 13th volume of the National Electrical Installation Standards (NEIS) Yearbook CD collection (Index #2000-17) is now available from NECA. This reference tool is a complete digital collection of NECA performance standards for electrical construction and maintenance. The Yearbook CD, Vol. 13 delivers the complete set of NEIS, including updated and new standards series through the third quarter of 2017.

The NEIS Yearbook CD, Vol. 13 is $150 for NECA members and $300 for other purchasers. The price is a significant savings as compared to purchasing each of the standards as stand-alone items.

The NECA Show is the #1 Trade Show of its kind in the electrical construction industry. NECA is proud to present the largest gathering of manufacturers and distributors showcasing thousands of solutions contractors need to save time and money on the job, and grow their business. The trade show floor is a virtual classroom, providing the latest technological advances in such areas as power supply, security, tools, integrated building systems, lighting and controls, solar/PV, energy storage, other energy markets and so much more.