Archives: News Items

Tom Stone Becomes New MCAA President as MCAA 2016 Closes

Tom Stone of Braconier Plumbing & Heating Company, Inc. (Englewood, CO) became MCAA’s new president at the closing session of MCAA 2016.

Outgoing President Steve Dawson delivered farewell remarks after presenting plaques of appreciation to retiring Board of Directors members Chuck Fell, Jim Allen, Andy Kruse, Greg Lewis, and Dick Starr.

Robert J. Durr, Jr. of Durr Mechanical Construction, Inc. (New York, N.Y.) became the newest member of the Executive Committee, where he will serve as vice president/assistant treasurer.

Joining MCAA’s Board of Directors are Troy Aichele of Hermanson Company (Kent, WA), Michael Gallagher of The John F. Gallagher Company (Eastlake, OH), Patrick Lynch of CCI Mechanical (Layton, UT), Curtis Harbour of the Brandt Companies (Houston, TX) and Bill Tavenner of Ferguson (Newport News, VA).

United Association General President Bill Hite updated attendees on the latest developments concerning workforce training, market recovery efforts, and apprentice recruiting programs.

Rounding out the program was Navy SEAL Robert O’Neill, one of America’s most highly-decorated combat veterans of all time. He shared some of his harrowing experiences involved in Navy SEAL training, combat missions and the important lessons he learned about achieving success—be prepared to fight, perform under fire, trust your people and never quit. President Stone ended the program by inviting all to attend MCAA 2017 at the San Diego Marriott Marquis, March 5-9, 2017. See you there!

Annual Awards Breakfast Spotlights Exceptional Students

Outstanding MCAA student chapters, an educator and students’ achievements were celebrated at the Annual Awards Breakfast on March 23.

MCERF President Mark Rogers presented scholarship checks to Timothy Drake of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the Foster J. McCarl, Jr. Memorial Scholarship ($2,500); Leah Hendricks of the Milwaukee School of Engineering for the William A. Bianco, Jr. Memorial Scholarship ($5,000); Andrew Palcan, also of MSOE, for The Reilly Family Memorial Scholarship ($5,000); and Kevin McIntyre, also of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln for the Alan P. O’Shea Memorial Scholarship ($2,500).

Career Development Committee Chairman Troy Aichele awarded trophies and cash prizes to the finalists of this year’s Student Chapter Competition: first prize and $10,000 went to Student Chapter for Mechanical/Electrical Specialty Contracting at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the $5,000 prize for second place went to the Rocky Mountain Chapter of MCAA at Colorado State University.

The University of NebraskaLincoln chapter was also honored as the 2015 Student Chapter of the Year, and Prof. Blake Wentz of the Milwaukee School of Engineering was honored as the 2015 Educator of the Year.

MCAA Honored Achievement, Welcomed Entrepreneur Shaquille O’Neal

The Annual Awards Breakfast on March 23, 2016 honored members’ sports achievements, exceptional safety performance, innovation and generous contributions to MCERF.

Following the announcement of the winners of the golf tournament, tennis tournament, and Fun Run/Walk, MCAA President Steve Dawson announced the winners of the 2015 MCAA-CNA Safety Excellence Awards:

  • Southwest Town Mechanical (Orland Park, IL) (Category I);
  • Auburn Mechanical (Auburn, WA) (Category II);
  • Hooper Corporation (Madison, WI) (Category III);
  • Hermanson Company LLP (Kent, WA) (Category IV); and
  • McKenney’s, Inc. (Category V).

And, the winner of the 2015 E. Robert Kent Award for Management Innovation is The BP Group (Glendale, N.Y.) for PIPES (Process Information Portal Enabling Success). President Dawson and Management Methods Committee Chairman Dennis Shuman presented the award to COO/CEO and company founder John Losey and Principle Robert Barbera.

Mark Rogers, president of the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF), recognized the MCA of Chicago for its contributions to MCERF, which exceeded $500,000, earning the association Founder status.

Legendary NBA star and entrepreneur Dr. Shaquille O’Neal rounded out the program with stories from his experiences in the limelight and lessons learned from his parents and coaches that contributed to his many achievements. There’s so much more…

MCA of Houston Contributes to MCERF

The Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) has received a $5,000 donation from the MCA of Houston, raising its total contribution to $102,500.

The Board of Trustees greatly appreciates the contribution which helps fund MCERF’s education and research activities that keep our industry growing and thriving. Find out more about MCERF activities by clicking on the link below and then consider making a donation.

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Great Lakes Plumbing & Heating Contributes to MCERF

The Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation has received a $2,500 contribution from Great Lakes Plumbing & Heating (Chicago, IL).

The Foundation Board of Trustees greatly appreciates this support which helps ensure the continuation of our education and research programs. Learn more about how MCERF is helping our industry grow and thrive by clicking on the button below.

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Department of Labor Releases Proposed Rules on Paid Sick Leave

The Department of Labor (DoL) has released proposed rules on Executive Order 13706 requiring direct federal contractors, prime contractors and subcontractors to provide accrued paid sick leave for workers on federal contracts at the rate of one hour of paid leave for every 30 hours worked, with no caps below 56 hours per year permitted. The leave carries over from year to year.

MCAA led a coalition of members and the representatives of the Construction Employers of America (NECA, TAUC, SMACNA, FCA International, and ICE-BAC) in commenting to DoL during a Listening Session last December. Follow-up written comments were submitted to the Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) Office of Information and Regulatory Analysis, which analyzed the Executive Order in hopes of gaining an exemption for workers covered by a construction collective bargaining agreement. OMB/OIRA granted MCAA’s request for a meeting to discuss the joint MCAA/CEA position on February 11. The proposed regulations were released two weeks later, with only a few elements reflective of the coalition’s position. At the February 11 meeting, the DoL and OMB regulators noted several areas of interest in the coalition position, and urged the group to comment to that effect in the comment period. MCAA and the coalition will be submitting further comments before the comment period ends on March 28, based on the written positions described above and other elements in the regulatory proposal. Interested members can use the written material at the links below to file their own comments. Go to the link below to access the EO13706 Paid Sick Leave proposal. Also, the MCAA/CEA written comments may be useful for state and local coalition efforts to address paid sick leave proposals that are coming up frequently in state and local legislative proposals across the country. In many of those instances, local construction coalitions have been successful in gaining an exemption from the paid sick leave requirements for construction workers covered by collective bargaining agreements.

MCAA/CEA Written Comments

MCAA/CEA Oral Statement

Paid Sick Leave Regulatory Proposal

Tom Brady on Peyton Manning

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“Congratulations Peyton, on an incredible career. You changed the game forever and made everyone around you better.”

MCAA 2016 will celebrate the fact that, together, we have made MCAA better than ever. Can you think of a more appropriate speaker at our Opening Session (just two weeks from today) other than Peyton Manning? We can’t.

See you in Orlando! We guarantee an awesome convention!

Build a Stronger Team

Growing_Developing_Service_SupervisorsMSCA’s Growing and Developing Service Supervisors program (April 28-29, Brookfield, WI) will help supervisors understand how to coach, mentor, manage, and motivate their technicians. Each attendee will receive a comprehensive manual containing more than 100 forms and worksheets to use for day-to-day responsibilities in areas such as safety, operations, training, tools, and vehicles. Sign-up for this program at the link below.

Register

Piping & Service Industry Coalition of Western New York Contributes to MCERF

The Piping & Service Coalition, a Western New York partnership of more than 50 contractors and nearly 1,000 highly-skilled union craftspeople represented by Plumbers & Steamfitters Local Union No. 22, has made a $25,000 pledge to the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF), a first-ever labor-management contribution.

The pledge will be paid in five $5,000 installments over the next five years, the first installment was presented earlier this month.

Robert Beck, president of John W. Danforth Company (Tonawanda, NY), and a proud member of the coalition, told MCERF “…the mission of the P&SIC is the promotion, advancement and education and training of the piping and service industry.” He noted that the coalition saw common values between themselves and MCERF in their mutual commitment to member education, which is what convinced them to make their pledge.

MCERF President Mark Rogers and the Board of Trustees expressed their deep appreciation for the generous support and the coalition’s commitment to education. Find out more about MCERF programs and how they benefit our industry by clicking on the link below.

Information and Donate

Indoor Environmental Services Contributes to MCERF

The Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) received a $5,000 contribution from Indoor Environmental Services, Inc. (Sacramento, CA).

The MCERF Board of Trustees is very grateful for the contribution, which helps the Foundation continue its education and research programs that help our industry thrive and grow. Find out more about how MCERF is working for you and then donate by clicking on the link below.

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John W. Danforth Company Contributes to MCERF

MCERF LogoThe John W. Danforth Company (Tonawanda, NY) has donated $50,000 to the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) for a memorial scholarship established to honor the Reilly Family.

The Reilly Family Memorial Scholarship will be awarded in $5,000 annual increments to a worthy student for the next 10 years.

The MCERF Board of Trustees is very grateful for the generous gift in support of future industry professionals. Find out more about the MCERF program, its activities and the support it continues to provide to advance the industry through education and research.

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MCAA Leads Industry Group Seeking Industry Exemption from Paid Sick Leave Executive Order

An MCAA-led industry group provided analyses to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), Office of Information and Regulatory Analysis (OIRA), and the Department of Labor’s (DoL) Wage and Hour Division as part of its efforts to obtain an industry exemption from President Obama’s Executive Order 13706—requiring paid sick leave accrual for those working on federal contracts—for employees covered by a collective bargaining agreement who are working on direct federal construction and federal facility HVAC service contracts.

MCAA representatives Adam Snavely of The Poole & Kent Co. (Baltimore, MD), Chip Mitchell of the Kirlin Group (Rockville, MD), Steve Weissenberger of MCA-Maryland, Bob Battista representing the MCA-MD and MCA Detroit and MCAA General Counsel John McNerney met with OMB/OIRA/DoL officials on February 11 to discuss the rationale for providing a collective bargaining exemption in the upcoming EO 13706 regulatory proposal.

MCAA’s position, also supported by the Construction Employers of America, laid out an analysis of ways to implement EO 13706 that are consistent with federal procurement, labor, and regulatory implementation policies. MCAA’s effort is aimed at gaining a favorable regulatory approach before a proposed regulation is published, rather than waiting for a proposed rule to be issued with less favorable options.

EO 13706 proposed regulations may be issued within the next month. MCAA’s initial letter to OMB and an outline of MCAA’s February 11 oral presentation are available by clicking on the links below.

Written Comments

Oral Presentation Outline

2016 NCPWB Technical Committee Meeting Focused on New Technologies, Practices

NCPWB logoThe 2016 NCPWB Technical Committee Meeting (April 24-25, Ponte Vedra Inn & Club, Ponte Vedra, FL)  featured presentations about the latest developments in welding technologies, materials, equipment and processes.

Brandon Boyd and Josh Wilson of Mathey Dearman, Inc., a manufacturer of pipe fabrication tools, explained how modern technology is affecting the productivity, quality and safety of projects. Real-world examples of success and challenges and the development of new materials and alloys and their effects on processes and equipment were aso  covered. Tim Gittens of Liburdi Dimetrics Corporation led a session about “Optimized” Orbital Welding, a process that can be used to isolate and manage welding process variables to produce defect-free—or optimized—welds.

Plan on attending next year, April 23-26, in San Antonio, Texas.

 

New Comprehensive Inventory of Construction Industry Multiemployer Pension Plans Released

MCAA, in conjunction with Horizon Actuarial Services, LLC, has released the Fourth Edition (February 2016) of its comprehensive inventory and analysis of construction industry multiemployer defined benefit pension plans for all 790 construction industry plans covering the 2004 through the 2013 plan years.

In releasing the report, MCAA President Steve Dawson said, “MCAA is extremely proud to partner with one of the premier actuarial firms in the industry, Horizon Actuarial Services, LLC to bring this ground-breaking work forward and maintain it on a periodic basis for the benefit of the industry… Before MCAA and Horizon began this collaboration, this type of comprehensive in-depth analysis of the Form 5500 database was not available….”

The report examines trends in plan demographics, cash flows, investment returns, funding status, and other plan costs and expenses over the plan years, which represent the most current Form 5500 data completely available for compilation and analysis.

The Inventory shows continuing steep challenges to the sustainability of the multiemployer system with long-term adverse demographic challenges remaining intractable, with fewer than seven active contributing employees for every 10 participants in the median plan data.

The Inventory data document the continuing need for Congressional action to enact reforms—such as the Solutions Not Bailouts legislative reform proposal. The proposal allows trustees to choose alternate plan designs—composite plans—that will build greater resilience and sustainability into the future of the valuable multiemployer defined benefit plan system for the industry workforce, sponsoring employers, and participants and beneficiaries of the plans. The Solutions Not Bailouts alternate plan design proposal option is strongly backed by MCAA and the National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans’ (NCCMP) legislative coalition.

Read the full news release about the Inventory at the link below. The Inventory is available as a free download to MCAA and MSCA members.

Download the Inventory

Read the News Release

Mechanical Inc. Contributes to MCERF

The Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) recently receives a $5,000 contribution from Mechanical Inc. (Freeport, IL), raising its total contributions to $12,500.

The MCERF Board of Trustees is very grateful for the support which enables the Foundation to continue its education and research activities that help our industry grow and thrive. For more information about MCERF, please click on the link below. And, while you’re considering a donation, please think about designating up to 50% to the MCERF Scholarship Fund to encourage and help our industry’s future professionals fund their education.

Learn more and donate

Next Green Building Webinar Takes on Water Conservation for Buildings

If the building your company is helping construct may face a water crisis, plan to participate in the next Green Webinar—Water Crisis: Pushing the Limits of Building Water Conservation on April 14, 1:00 p.m.

Whether water resources are unreliable, contaminated, too expensive, or a readily available luxury, our buildings will continue to face increased demand for water conservation while serving increased occupant loads. During this webinar, Courtney France of France Sustainable Solutions will explain how green buildings are responding and performing under this challenge. You will come away with a better understanding about some of the most progressive sustainable water strategies and the role they play in our built environment. You will also learn how those strategies will impact contractors. This webinar is free as a benefit of MCAA and MSCA membership.

Play Now

Missed the January 14 Construction Apps Webinar?

No worries! You can view it by clicking on the link below.

You will want to learn from Ron McKinney (Atlanta, GA) about how mobile technology and apps have changed the five major construction workflows—plan management; daily reporting; progress photos; time entry; and safety documentation. This webinar is free as a MCAA/MSCA membership benefit.

View the Webinar