New England MSCA Changes Leadership
At their October meeting, New England MSCA had a change of command. Michael Grinnell - Grinnell Mechanical Contractors Inc. was elected President succeeding John Canavan - CESCO. Michael DiMattia - Chiller Technologies was elected Vice President and Patrick Clifford - US Air Conditioning was elected as 2nd Vice President. Newly elected Board members are Bill Fleming - JC Cannistraro LLC and Frank Stefanick - EMCOR Services Northeast. Past President John Canavan was presented a plaque and gift for his two years service as President.
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left to right: Michael Grinnell-Grinnell Mechanical, John Canavan-Cox Engineering and Stephen Affanato-New England MCA |
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New England MCA Welcomes MCAA President
New England MCA welcomed MCAA President Mark Rogers to their November 3rd membership meeting. Over 120 members were in attendance to welcome Mark and hear his remarks. He commented on national activities at MCAA including labor-management relations, legislative and regulatory activities. Mark also urged members to get involved and stay involved with our industry locally and nationally. Mark, an avid Philadelphia sports fan, was presented with a Tom Brady game jersey and New England Patriots cap.
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left to right: Stephen Affanato-New England MCA Executive VP, Michael Grinnell-New England MSCA President, Steven Kenney-New England MCA Vice President, Mark Rogers-MCAA President, Michael DelleFave-New England MCA President and Mac Lynch-MCAA President Elect. |
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2011 Student Chapter Summit Huge Success
Over 200 MCAA student chapter members and faculty traveled to San Francisco for the 2011 Student Chapter Summit. The event was hosted by Northern California MCA. Eight students and one faculty member attended from both New England MCA student chapters. Attendees were addressed by MCAA President Mark Rogers and MSCA Chairman - Board of Managers Woody Woodall. Students were introduced to the 2011-2012 Student Chapter Competition project of transforming a historical building in San Francisco into the Asian Art Museum. Students and faculty also toured the UA Local 342 Apprentice Training Center in Concord CA.
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MCAA Releases Safety Training Materials
The Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA) has released Breaking the Line: Best Practices for Safe Line Breaking. This is an addition to the MCAA safety training kit series. Breaking the Line: Best Practices for Safe Line Breaking safety training kit reviews some of the more common safety issues involving line breaking, such as those that occur when lines are not completely drained, the wrong valves are closed, motor control centers are not locked out, valves are missed during lockout procedures and residual pressure is still in the line. For more information go to www.mcaa.org/store or contact the New England MCA office.
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2011 MSCA Educational Conference Breaks Record
The 2011 MSCA Educational Conference was recently held in Colorado Springs CO. The conference enjoyed record attendance of over 450 contractors and guests. New England MSCA had over 30 in attendance. Filled with great speakers and educational seminars, the venue did not disappoint. UA General President William Hite and numerous regional and local UA representatives were also in attendance. JC Cannistraro received MSCA GreenSTAR certification during the opening ceremony. Next year's conference will be in Carlsbad CA.
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MCAA Attorney Jim Estabrook Gives FASB Guidance
Attorney Jim Estabrook, who provides legal council to MCAA, has put together a fact sheet on the recent changes to the FASB disclosure regulations. As you know, MCAA played a pivotal role by weighing in on the debate leading up to the implementation of the new regulations. Click here to download Jim's fact sheet.
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5 Ways to Go Green With Tech
- Save the Landfills - Rather than fill the landfills with your project leftovers, put them in an online auction instead. ZamRay.com allows contractors to put surplus inventory into a construction specific online classified ad.
- Get a Green Device - Instead of going to an electronics retailer utilize www.gazelle.com, a Boston based company that buys and sells used electronics.
- Document Management - Take a look at the amount of paperwork your company produces. Take measures to reduce the volume.
- Setup a Remote Base - Typically the construction industry has operated remotely. Rather than incurring travel costs, set up a robust remote connectivity infrastructure.
- Keep Your Tools - An active Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) can provide contractors with a realtime locating system utilizing their existing wireless network. This system gives present location and logs a location history for high value or "niche" tools. It will also provide email alerts when tools pass a particular checkpoint or remain in one place too long.
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10 Best Places to Retire
US News & World Report released the 10 best retirement spots based on key attributes that many people look for in a retirement spot, along with a city that excels in meeting each need. They are:
Flagstaff, AZ (year-round weather)
Boone, NC (mountains on a budget)
Traverse City, MI (water views on a budget)
Walnut Creek, CA (greenest place)
Ithaca, NY (college town)
Lincoln, NE (second careers)
Pittsburgh, PA (affordable, amenities)
Port Charlotte, FL (affordable housing)
Pittsfield, MA (single retirees)
Santa Fe, NM (recreation and culture)
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News in the World of iPads & Tablets
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BIM Articles
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Interesting Reading
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Industry News
3% Withholding Tax
The push to repeal the 3% withholding tax on all government contractors is in full swing. The push is on locally and nationally from trade associations to push their Senators and Congressmen to support repeal legislation in both houses. New England MCA / MSCA has been working with MCAA to coordinate a campaign to get members of the MA and RI congressional delegations to support the repeal measures. The implementation on 3% withholding on government contracts has been delayed to 2013. Recently the House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved HR 674, repeal to the 3% withholding tax. This was followed by the House passing HR 674 on October 26th. The Senate will now take up this measure.
UMass Hires New Building Chief
The University of Massachusetts recently hired Katherine Craven to run the school's building authority. Since 2004 Craven served as the head of the MA School Building Authority overseeing an annual construction budget of roughly $650 million. In her new role, Craven will be overseeing the recently announced $3.1 billion capital plan for UMass.
New MA AFL-CIO Head Wants to Work With Business
Steven Tolman, the newly elected President of the MA AFL-CIO says he wants to work with business leaders. Tolman, a State Senator from Brighton states "We're in it together. Without businesses, there wouldn't be labor". Tolman will finish 17 years of legislative service after the November elections. His message to the 400,000 member MA AFL-CIO is "we need to re-brand ourselves". He also admits that he will have his work cut out for him working with the Legislature.
PLAs May Promote Workforce Development
A Cornell University study issued on October 6 sighted Project Labor Agreements (PLA) as a means to providing a pathway for workforce development by offering quality job opportunities to low-income communities, women, minorities, veterans and other disadvantaged groups. Returning veterans were covered by "helmets-to-hardhats" provisions in 139 PLAs.
On Social Media
Though contractors may not think that their target audience uses social media, PHC magazine wrote the following: "Thousands of engineers , contractors, facility managers and a variety of professionals in all walks of life and all age groups now prefer to communicate with colleagues via social media channels." It was also sighted that most are using some type of smart phone rather than a traditional computer. In a PHC magazine survey 30% of contractors stated that they currently use social media for business. They also stated that it would benefit business by building stronger relationships, increase brand awareness, generate qualified leads, improve customer service and help announce new products and services.
Brayton Point to Fire Up
Brayton Point Power Plant began use of the first 497 foot high cooling tower this October. This comes as a major step in the $620 million project. The other tower will begin use later this Fall. The project is on schedule and due to be completed in April 2012. The cooling towers are 70 feet taller than any building in Providence. The plant will reuse the water it uses to cool steam instead of sending it into Mount Hope Bay.
MA Offers Grants to Employers
Employers covered by the MA workers compensation system are eligible to apply for up to $25,000 in state grants to educate and train employees on safe and healthy practices in the workplace. Training should be related to prevention of injuries occurring in the workplace and should encompass knowledge of strategies to prevent incidents of injury. The grants are offered by the MA Department of Industrial Accidents' Office of Safety.
Contractor Fired for No Workers' Comp
A demolition subcontractor was kicked off the site of the new Natick High School for failure to carry workers' compensation insurance. The company supervising construction stated that the subcontractor was terminated upon discovery of the lack of insurance. A representative from the school district said a worker on the site suffered a minor injury and filed paperwork with his insurance company. This led to the discovery that the subcontractor did not have workers' compensation insurance.
Architects See Light in Northeast
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) billings index shows a slight increase for the Northeast, but a decline nationally. The billings index for September was 50.8. Anything above 50 indicates that architects responding to a survey had more work than during the prior month. The outlook for the Midwest was also positive with a billings index of 51. AIA Chief Economist Kermit Baker said "The economy is weak enough at present that design activity is bouncing around more than usual; one strong month can be followed by a weak one. The economy needs to be stronger to generate sustained growth in design activity."
NLRB Ruling on Employee Rights
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has issued its Final Rule, requiring employers to notify employees of their rights under the National Labor Relations Act (right to unionize, right to bargain collectively, etc.). The new effective date is January 31, 2012. Contractors who are presently doing work on federal projects already post similar notices. Copies of the notice can be downloaded from the NLRB website.
RI Companies Get Restitution From Health Insurer
An estimated 5500 RI small businesses will receive $2.3 million in aggregate restitution in a settlement with Mega Life and Health Insurance Co. An examination by the state's health insurance commissioner found that a number of Mega health insurance underwriting practices violated the RI Small Employer Health Insurance Availability Act.
Hub Firm Turns Vans Into Money-Saving Hybrids
Boston-based XL Hybrids is unveiling a pilot program to convert gas-powered commercial vans into hybrids. XL intends to turn five gas-powered GMC 2500 Series vans into hybrids saving participating companies up to $2500 a year per vehicle through lower fuel consumption. This is done by augmenting the vehicle with a lithium-ion battery pack and a 53 horsepower electric motor. The company states "Our technology is good for businesses that go somewhere to deliver goods or services, everyone from electricians to plumbers to florists and larger firms that go around and fix things."
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New England MCA / MSCA
2011 Education Schedule
November 29, 2011 - Managing Your Subcontractors - John Koontz
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Officers Officers
Michael DelleFave - President Michael Grinnell - President
Steven Kenney - Vice President Michael Dimattia - Vice President
Michael Mahoney - Secretary Patrick Clifford - 2nd Vice President
Robert Gallagher - Treasurer John Canavan - Past President
Peter Comeau - Past President
Directors Directors Robert Bolton Edward Marks Bill Fleming David O'Brien John Canavan Robert Poirier Jr. Peter Comeau Mike Picariello Michael DiMattia Dennis Sacco Jr. Chet Holt Karl Veazie Rick Dorci Michael St. Martin Mac Lynch John Welch David Gernux Anthony Victor Frank Stefanick Jeff Potter Brian Lynch David Cannistraro Frank Norton Executive Committee Mac Lynch Frank Norton Robert Silvia |
Officers
William Henry - President
Edward Marks - Treasurer
Fred Williams - Tech. Representative
Stephen Affanato - Secretary
Directors
Robert Gilligan Charlie Shaw
Mac Lynch Robert Silvia |
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"Far and away the best prize that life offers is the
chance to work hard at work worth doing."
--Theodore Roosevelt |
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1266 Furnace Brook Parkway, Suite 201
Quincy, Massachusetts 02169
Phone: 617-405-4221
Fax: 617-405-4222
Email: irene@nemca.org
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