On July 1, 2014, the Department of Industrial Relations launched an online application for public works contractors to meet the requirements of Senate Bill 854. SB 854, which became effective June 20, 2014, establishes a new public works program to replace the Compliance Monitoring Unit and Labor Compliance Program requirements for bond-funded and other public works projects. The new program will cover all public works in the state rather than just selected categories of projects.

Last week, Darlene Besst attended an informational session by the San Francisco PUC on the Hetchy Systems Improvement Program (HSIP), a $1 billion capital upgrade of the upcountry assets of the Hetch Hetchy Regional Water System. These assets are essential to securing delivery of high quality water to 2.6 million residents in the San Francisco Bay Area, and hydroelectric power to Modesto and Turlock Irrigation Districts as well as the City and County of San Francisco. There are 40 projects in the program, which encompass work on the water transmission, hydroelectric generation, and power transmission facilities in Tuolumne, Mariposa, Stanislaus, San Joaquin, and Alameda Counties. There was also discussion on ensuring qualified contractors and a quality workforce through a Project Labor Agreement.  It was mentioned that PLA discussions have occurred, but that at this time there is no PLA in place. After the meeting, Darlene took the opportunity to talk to the Infrastructure Labor Relations Specialist about including our safety language in job specs. The recommendation was looked at favorably and the safety language was forwarded to the SFPUC for consideration. Darlene has a follow-up meeting scheduled with the SFPUC. 

Also discussed, was the SFPUC-LBE Enterprise Program, designed to provide small regional construction firms located in the water service territory (Daly City to Hetch Hetchy) eligibility to be certified for construction contracting opportunities on SFPIC regional projects located 70 miles beyond the San Francisco County jurisdictional line. Under the program, SFPUC-LBEs will be eligible for a 10% prime bid discount and can also receive LBE participation credit wards the LBE subcontracting goals. The application process is simple, with certification within 14-30 days from application. Contractors who perform this work are encouraged to become certified. For more information on the SFPUC-LBE Certification Program, please visit their website.

Alameda County Division Members held its last monthly meeting for 2014 where invited guest Amber Montgomery from Focus Investments discussed the Western Region 401k plan. Board elections were held to fill one seat on the Chapter's  Board of Directors. Three excellent candidates ran for the position. We are pleased to announce that Mike Boehmer from H.A. Bowen Electric was elected to serve a three-year term on the Chapter's Board of Directors representing Alameda County. We extend our congratulations to Mike, and we look forward to his participation. We are also pleased to announce that Division Chair Brad Gill was elected to serve as Chair for 2015. Special thanks to Brad for his commitment to bringing new energy and growth to our monthly division meetings.

Do you want to learn how to handle an OSHA inspection? Then consider joining members of Jackson Lewis' Workplace Safety and Health practice group on Thursday, November 20th at 11AM (PST), for a complimentary 60-minute webinar to find out why OSHA might visit your company and what you should do when a compliance officer arrives at your door. Among the topics up for discussion:

• OSHA's inspection priorities; what triggers an inspection
• Minimizing risks and liabilities associated with incident investigations
• When and what you must report to OSHA
• What to expect and how to handle an OSHA inspection smoothly
• Addressing citations and penalties 

Being prepared to handle an OSHA inspection helps minimize an employer's exposure to liability. Register for the November 20 webinar on OSHA inspections! If you use cranes and derricks on worksites, please read about OSHA's new compliance directive, which provides compliance personnel with direction on performing inspections where power-operated equipment covered by Subpart CC - Cranes and Derricks in Construction is present on a construction worksite. Find out what specific equipment is covered and what the inspectors are looking for.

On Monday, November 10th, John Walsh, Senior Policy Advisor, Office of the Chief of Staff, Executive Office to the President of the United States, held a press conference at the ZNE Center on the Environmental and Economic Benefits of Building Solar in California. Joining Mr. Walsh was Executive Director of the Sierra Club, Michael Brune, who talked about the environmental impacts of building green. Dr. Peter Phillips, Professor of Economics, University of Utah, was also present to talk about building green, and included discussion on quality careers and cleaner lives based on his studies. Following the program was a tour of the center by Byron Benton. Mr. Walsh was particularly impressed by our ZNE Center and the training opportunities as we enter into the next generation of energy efficiency building.