 President's Corner
PAC Bowling Tournament Was a Success
Tuesday night's ABC Bowling Tournament raised $3,000 for State PAC. During these tough legislative times these dollars are needed more than ever to support pro business and pro construction legislators. Unbelievably, the current leaders continue to place more restrictions and burdens on business even at a time when we need them to help create jobs and projects.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the event and Reitmeier Mechanical for sponsoring. The event was one of the best we've had.
Congratulations to all of our winners!
1st Place - BnK Construction
2nd Place - Hunter Davisson
3rd Place - Laporte & Associates
4th Place - Accurate Balancing Agency
Best Spirit - Mike Patterson Plumbing
- John |
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 Information on Unemployment/Work Share Program
Employees who remain employed but have their hours of work substantially reduced may be eligible for unemployment compensation. This determination varies from state to state. Unemployment eligibility requirements, such as a minimum length of employment and specified earnings in determination periods, typically still apply.
Fortunately many states realize that workers may face significant financial challenges while still employed when their pay is decreased or their work schedules are reduced. These state unemployment agencies will offer what are referred to as partial unemployment benefits. Employees may not realize that this option is available to them because they still hold a job.
Some states go even further and offer partial unemployment benefits through programs that are referred to as "Work Share Programs." These are voluntary arrangements between an employer and the state unemployment agency. An employer expecting to implement a reduction in hours and/or pay that will impact a group of workers should check with the state unemployment office to see whether this type of program is available. In Oregon, the Work Share program is offered through the Unemployment Department and can be accessed here: http://www.oregon.gov/EMPLOY/UI/EMPLOYER/Work_Share_Updated.shtml
While employers' experience ratings for unemployment insurance can be negatively impacted by claims related to partial unemployment benefits and Shared Work Programs, potentially increasing their unemployment taxes, employers benefit when employees are not distracted by financial stress and can be more productive. Also, employers may benefit by retaining trained and experienced staff that are adequately compensated in difficult times.
- Christina Herren, Director of HR & Finance
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Card Check May Not Have the Sixty Votes Needed to Get it Through the U.S. Senate
As you may know, because of the incredible grassroots advocacy of so many state and local chambers and businesses, there is a growing sense that the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as Card Check, doesn't have the 60 votes needed to get it through the U.S. Senate. Even Senator Specter of Pennsylvania, having recently switched to being a Democrat, maintains that he will not vote for cloture on Card Check in its current form. That is the good news.
The less good news is that serious efforts are underway to develop an alternative version of the Card Check bill that can get 60 votes in the Senate. The discussions are very fluid, but we want to update you on the latest developments.
* Senator Tom Harkin is now encouraging other Senators such as Specter, Caper, Pryor, and Feinstein to consider other proposals. Among them are the concepts of "quickie elections", "mail-in voting", "union access", and "baseball-style arbitration."
Here is the bottom line: unions and their congressional allies are trying to cobble together an alternative to the Card Check bill that could get past the 60-vote hurdle in the Senate - but so far, the proposals on the table are just as harmful to workers and employers. While we do not know when a new bill will be introduced, there are reports it could happen in the coming weeks. Now is the ideal time to make sure your Senators know of your strong opposition to so-called "compromise" proposals such as these. With our economy hanging in the balance, now is not the time to compromise on workers' rights or jobs.
We will keep you informed as more provisions surface in the coming weeks and will alert you when a new bill is introduced.
We have made tremendous progress in this fight and we thank all of you for the work you have done thus far.
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Another Bid Opportunity in New Technology
The Oregon Department of Transportation has issued a request proposing the installation of electrical vehicle charging stations in Oregon. If you would like more information or want to download the Request for Proposals (RFP) click here. |
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Bowling Tournament Photos!
To see photos from this years State PAC ABC Bowling Tournament click here! Or visit the ABC page and look under Photo Gallery. |
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2009 ABC-PNW "Events-at-a-Glance" Calendar Available
Want to check out what's coming down the road at ABC this year? You can view and download our Events Calendar now. Dates are subject to change, so be sure to check our website for updates!
Visit our Newsroom to view the calendar. | |
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Safety Tips Brought to You By:
Seeing Red - Controlling Anger
Some things to know before you give your talk.
You would like every job to go smoothly with no problems or surprises. When things do not go according to plan or other people or trades on the site seem to slow things down,however, people have a tendency to unleash their frustrations. Violence is becoming more and more common on the construction site. Here are a few suggestions to help calm the situation when tempers start to flare:
· Every person reacts differently to frustration. Some people transfer that energy into their work by moving a little faster or working a little harder. Others work
themselves to a rage, which could result in hurting themselves or someone around
them (throwing objects, kicking things, fighting, etc.) The first thing to do when
you feel angry is to stop what you are doing and think about the problem.
· Think before you act. Think of the consequences before taking action and ask
yourself if it is really worth getting upset about. 99.9 percent of the time it is not.
· Leave the problem for a few moments. Take a short walk to calm down.
· Talk to your supervisor or a friend about the situation.
· After you have calmed down, talk to the people involved. Find out what can be
done to prevent the situation from happening again. Remember that construction
work is a team effort. Try this for show and tell - Have group members relate specific situations that have occurred on other jobs orpersonal experiences where they have had to control their anger.
If you would like more information or have safety-related questions, contact your local Liberty Northwest loss prevention consultant or call our loss prevention consulting center at 866-761-2141.
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