The Alameda Electrical Contractors Trust and the Alameda JATC are hosting a blood drive, scheduled as follows:
- Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2023
- Time: 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM
- Location: ZNE Center (14600 Catalina Street, San Leandro)
- Click here to register
As you know, the need for blood is constant and only volunteer donors can fulfill that need for patients in the community. Nationwide, someone needs a unit of blood every 2 to 3 seconds, and most of us will need a donation at some point in our lifetime. Should you have any questions about the blood drive, please contact Deanna Murchison at (510) 867-0487.
Union relations are an important aspect of your success as a project manager. Maintaining a positive relationship with both the local and its members is a big part of any project. Adhering to the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement is crucial for your company. Union Relations training will allow the project manager to identify how their role plays a part in union relations. Participants will be able to explain the importance of the CBA and essential provisions therein, as well as identify Category 1 language that may differ between locals. Participants will be able to summarize their role in interacting with the union, describe their company’s policies and practices, and identify historical past practices that are not in the agreement, but are common interpretations. Following this course, participants will be able to:
- Explain the importance of understanding the local CBA
- Identify Category 1 language to determine what provisions will vary between locals
- Describe the important provisions of the CBA
- Summarize the PM’s role and interactions with the union
- Describe your company’s policies and practices
- Explain the importance of the superintendent and foreman in the union relationship
- Identify the impact union relations will have on a job.
This course is available in the NECA Learning Center.
Early registration for the 2023 NECA Convention end on Aug 1, 2023. Be sure to register prior to August 1, 2023 in order to take advantage of the reduced registration fees. The 2023 NECA Convention will be held in Philadelphia, from September 29 – October 2, 2023. This year’s event not only allows you to attend in-person, but also provides you with the opportunity to experience the event virtually!
As an industry solution center, the NECA Show has evolved into the event for Power, Light, Energy and Communication Technology. Electrical professionals will find solutions for the shop, the office and the job site through networking, visiting the showstopper showcase highlighting the newest products, attending educational workshops and so much more!
To register for the Convention, follow the below instructions:
- Log into the NECA Registration & Hotel Booking Website with your individual ID and Last Name. Note – please contact the Chapter office if you do not know your Individual ID.
- Once logged in, follow the prompts and register for the sessions you would like; including any pre-convention workshops, the full convention, just the weekend package, or the virtual convention (if you aren’t able to physically join us in Philadelphia).
- After completing your registration, you will have the opportunity to add a guest or book your hotel room. As a member of the NorCal NECA Chapter, you will automatically be placed into our room block at the W Philadelphia. If you are a member of multiple Chapters, you will be able to select the Chapter with which to proceed.
Click here to find out more about the 2023 NECA Convention, including the full schedule of events. Please contact
Jenny Fothergill at the Chapter office for more information.
As a reminder, the NECA Now registration is open. Far from your typical meeting, NECA Now 2023 is a two-and-a-half-day Executive Leadership Conference focused on professional and personal growth. This year’s conference will provide attendees with the opportunity to gain insights on leadership development with presentations by top business experts. There will be thirty-two different breakout sessions to choose from throughout the conference organized into the following tracks: (1) Personal & Professional Development, (2) Business Growth & Change, (3) Mentoring, Recruiting & Retaining, and (4) Communication & Leadership.
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, if work is performed on a project where no other trade(s) receive premium pay, then electricians likewise shall not.
The IRS recently issued the optional standard mileage rates for 2023, used to calculate the deductible costs of operating an automobile for business, charitable, medical or moving purposes. Effective January 1, 2023, the standard mileage rate for business use of a car (also vans, pickups or panel trucks) will be $0.655, which is a 3 cent increase from the second half of 2022. Click here for the IRS announcement.
Trades are the linchpin between the design-phase vision of the facility and its actual assembly through the many systems, equipment components and finishes. Trades, the specialty contractors, add value to a project through the assembly or installation of these systems, components and fixtures that allow the occupants and owners to use and enjoy their completed facility.
This handbook was developed as a resource. The content is intended as a user guide with practical resources, lessons learned by others, examples, and guidance to allow trade contractors and specialty construction firms operating to adopt lean principles and reap the workforce and business benefits that follow more readily. To enable their adoption, the emphasis in this handbook is on identifying and using methods to enable your craft workforce and colleagues across the firm to support the key tasks with which your firm adds value to your projects.
The handbook focuses on identifying and linking methods and techniques from the lean community with the common tasks and waste that trade contractors regularly encounter on projects. Click here to access the report.
NECA, MCA and SMACNA have partnered to host the 2023 MEP Innovation Conference. This three-day event, held in Austin, Texas, joins innovative thought leaders across the electrical, mechanical and sheet metal trades to improve MEP contractors’ profitability and productivity.
- Dates: January 11 – 13, 2023
- Location: Austin, Texas
- Registration Fees: $995
Attendees will engage in innovative presentations, collective roundtable discussions, and hands-on exhibitor demonstrations highlighting emerging technologies. The MEP Innovation Conference offers sessions for all levels of experience, open to all members of NECA, MCAA, SMACNA and their union counterparts.
Contractors from all three trade associations will lead the sessions geared towards operations, VDC, project management, estimating, training for BIM and more. These case studies will inform participants how new and innovative software, tools and technology are changing the industry and positively impacting contractors of all sizes. Innovation has become a key component across all trades. The MEP Innovation Conference encourages collaboration among the different trades to recognize the common problems and develop solutions where contractors reach the common goal together. Click here to learn more or to register for the conference.
California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed legislation that will expand CalSavers, the state’s IRA-based retirement program, to cover virtually all California employers that do not sponsor their own qualified retirement plan. The new law, signed on August 26, 2022, and taking effect at the beginning of the new y ear, expands the definition of “eligible employer” to capture any employer in California with at least one non-owner employee. Click here to learn about SB 1126.
Did you know that September is Suicide Prevention Month? Further, did you know that 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. Couples 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.
