In This Issue
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Quick Links
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Dear Members:
As Independence Day approaches, I have been reflecting on the word "Freedom." What does it mean to me? What does it mean to my family? What does it mean to manufacturing?
I have come to the simple conclusion that Freedom is about choice and responsibility. Choice because one has the Freedom to vote, speak freely about political issues, associate with others that share his or her beliefs, etc. Responsibility because citizens must always be vigilant in protecting their Freedom from limitation by others.
In fact, my son and I discuss the importance of being responsible and making "good choices" on a regular basis. [Maybe more regular than he would like.] Until recently, I have never consciously equated these values to Freedom. Regardless, I can assure you that a discussion of this nature with a 9 year old will certainly put the issue into perspective.
This Independence Day, I challenge each of you to talk with your friends, colleagues and family about the meaning of Freedom. Reflect upon whether or not the actions of your elected officials are enhancing or limiting your personal Freedom. Then... reflect upon whether or not you are actively working to protect that Freedom.
The Commonwealth of Virginia was and still is the epicenter of American capitalism and democracy. We have inherited a proud legacy. Thus, at this important time in our nation's history, please join with me and renew your commitment to protecting our choices and doing so through responsible action.
Let Freedom ring on July 4 and let us hope everyone truly hears its message.
Sincerely,
Brett A. Vassey
President & CEO
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The VMA has launched a new Business Services Directory in a "yellow pages" format to make locating associate members and other reputable companies who can help your business more convenient.
Whether your company needs financial or legal advising, security, staffing, office equipment, laboratory analysis, engineering consultations and much more, you can find a helpful listing in our directory.
Click here to access the new VMA Business Services Directory or find the link on the VMA website homepage.
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VMA Members receive one free job posting on the site during the month of July. To take advantage of this, please use the promo code VA2009 during checkout.
Also during the month of July, you can get 25% off any posting package available with the use of promo code KAW2009.
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VOLUME 2.0 | EDITION 4 | JULY 2009
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EPA and Congress move quickly to regulate GHG
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While the American Clean Energy and Security Act passed the House by a narrow margin on June 26, 2009 and now moves to the Senate for a continuation of the heated debate, the start of the summer has also brought with it a fury of environmental activity out of the EPA.
This month alone, the public comment period ended on two critical regulatory proposals. The first resulted from a short directive embedded in the 2008 omnibus appropriations act to avoid true deliberative Congressional debate on the issue of climate change. The directive ordered the EPA to set standards for mandatory reporting of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. The VMA filed comments on behalf of industry calling for the use of sound science and significant revisions to the draft proposal. The mandatory reporting rule allows for governmental regulation of GHG emissions, which could destroy manufacturing competitiveness.
The second important regulatory action resulted from the ruling in Massachusetts v. EPA that the EPA should determine whether GHG emissions are an endangerment to public health. Industry urged the EPA to allow for Congressional deliberation on the public policy implications of an EPA endangerment finding. If the EPA issues an endangerment finding, GHG emissions can be regulated under the Clean Air Act, which is intended to deal with localized emissions, not global emissions. These two actions at the federal level could have profound effects on Virginia's industrial sector.
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Employee "Forced" Choice Act Toolkit
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The Employee "Forced" Choice Act (EFCA), otherwise known as "Card Check", is proposed legislation that would change how unions are allowed to organize workers in the United States and the format for contract negotiations. While cap-and-trade energy legislation and health care reform are dominating the congressional landscape at the moment, we recognize that a small group of Democratic senators continue to meet in an effort to craft what they call a "compromise" on EFCA and what we know is really a Trojan Horse that will allow for the ultimate passage of legislation that will deny employees the right to a secret ballot election and burden small business owners with government mandated, binding interest arbitration.
They also have released a new ad, entitled "Poison," which highlights the potential economic impact of card-check. You can view this web ad by clicking here. For more information about EFCA, please visit the Virginians for Workplace Fairness website at www.VirginiaWorkplace.com or the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace website at www.MyPrivateBallot.com. |
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WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS | | |
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VCATS success by the numbers |
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The Virginia Council on Advanced Technology Skills (VCATS) is Virginia's only industry-endorsed workforce training and certification organization and was co-founded by the VMA and VaBIO as a way to address a growing need for a skilled workforce in advanced technology jobs. The VCATS curriculum is designed, validated and utilized by industry as well as customized and regularly updated to meet the changing demands of industry.
Currently, a Manufacturing Technician Level 1 Certification is available, while more certifications are in development. VCATS has enjoyed tremendous success thus far both getting information out to dislocated workers about this credentialling opportunity and engaging Virginia companies with their current workforce. In fact, a total of 508 people have been assessed for skill at Level 1, of which 179 were dislocated workers and 258 were incumbent workers. From these two groups, 77 have completed the Level 1 certification competency requirements.
Visit www.vacats.org for more information. VCATS - Setting the Standard for Success in Industry.
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DIDIV version 2.0 gains momentum |
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VCATS and the VMA are promoting the awareness of career opportunities in advanced technology fields, like manufacturing, by launching the 2.0 version of the Dream !t Do !t Virginia (DIDIV) campaign. This is the regional implementation of a national campaign developed by the National Association of Manufacturers and the Manufacturing Institute. This effort will include image marketing as well as a free online career resource built by industry to educate people about the benefits of and ways to pursue careers in advanced technology fields. Dream !t Do !t Virginia version 2.0 was launched at the Dominion Riverrock Festival on Brown's Island in Richmond May 15-16th.  Efforts continue around the state, including the addition of a new area partner, the Shenandoah Valley's 21st Century Workforce Transitions, along with continuous promotion of the website
www.dreamitdoitvirginia.com, which contains information about career opportunities in advanced technology fields as well as how both students and those in the current workforce can transition into these fields with the necessary skills.
For more information about how to participate in the Dream !t Do !t Virginia campaign, please contact Alice Scott at ascott@vamanufacturers.com.
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VMA Business Partner Saves Members Money | | |
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Utility Management Services, Inc. audits energy usage |
Utility Management Services, Inc., an accredited engineering firm that audits energy use for businesses, offers a service that can save VMA members thousands of dollars a year. This is an especially appropriate offering at this time, given the energy focus the 2009 General Assembly Session took. Auditing a company's energy use may sound like a simple task, but it is not. Power company rate schedules can be multi-tiered, change according to usage parameters and evolve over time - and that's just for starters. It takes a unique engineering firm like UMS to interpret charges correctly.
The company's sophisticated analysis - supported by a powerful, proprietary software package - scrutinizes utility accounts, looks at business usage patterns and reviews rate schedules to identify opportunities for refunds and future savings. UMS then negotiates directly with the power company to secure the savings it has uncovered on behalf of its clients. "We've audited over 10,000 electric service accounts since we were founded in 1998," says UMS Account Manager Cary Cohen. "Most business owners don't have the expertise or the time necessary to analyze their power bills. We have both; we can help them."
Saving on an energy bill you may have never questioned before may sound too good to be true, but businesses have already capitalized on this service. A large part of UMS's appeal is that they do not take up front fees. If an audit fails to disclose an opportunity for savings, UMS doesn't get a dime, because the audit is free. "We are working diligently to expand our member benefit portfolio and Utility Management Services is a strong addition to that mix, one we are happy to be able to highlight," says VMA Senior Vice President Joe Croce.
To take advantage of this service, please contact Cary Cohen, UMS Inc. energy advisor, directly at 703-405-1116 or caryc@utilmanagement.com and mention you heard about their services in the VMA newsletter. | |
