Last week's Spring General Member meeting was a big success with over 80 in attendance. The evening started with networking, good conversation, and visits to our Associate Members' tables where they displayed product and shared information with our NECA contractors. This year we were pleased to welcome new Associate Members Mercedes-Benz of Pleasanton and Ideal Industries, Inc. Each Associate member was given an opportunity to speak about their company and services, followed by a raffle prize drawing of gifts they provided. Our Chapter President Kurt Brinkman and Executive Director Greg Armstrong welcomed everyone in attendance, followed by a great dinner.

A highlight of the evening was special guest speaker Atul Dighe who talked about demographic pressures of retiring baby boomers and the need to study emerging trends and scenarios for the electrical construction industry. In today's technological world, Atul stressed the importance of relationships and focus on emotional connection with people. Everyone in attendance was captivated by Atul's presentation.

Continuing with tradition, the evening concluded with a raffle prize drawing of gifts donated by NECA. This Spring General Member meeting has become a well-attended event, where we are pleased to highlight our Associate Members. We hope that those of you who were unable to attend this meeting will plan to join us next year.

Our next General Member meeting will take place in the Fall on Tuesday, September 13, 2016, at the Palm Event Center. Watch for more details in the next few months and plan to join us.  

                          3412 Metro Drive, Stockton, CA 95215

The IBEW 595/NorCal NECA Joint Safety Committee is pleased to announce the 2016 Marv Jensen Safety Award program, established to recognize excellence in safety demonstrated by NorCal NECA member contractors and IBEW Local 595 electricians/technicians. Marvin Jensen was an impassioned advocate of safety and demonstrated his dedication to safety awareness throughout his career. He was a safety pioneer and his leadership, presence and dedication will always be remembered. As in years past, individual recognition and awards will be presented at the Chapter's Fall General Member meeting in September.

Please refer to the attached program guidelines and submit your entry form no later than April 29, 2016. Please contact Juanita Mitchell at the Chapter office if you have any questions.  

 

Remember...Safety First = Family First! 

Last week, Governor Brown signed into law the Paid Family Leave Expansion (AB-908). This measure will increase the state's paid family leave (PFL) compensation rates for workers. The bill would increase the wage replacement rate for PFL benefits from 55% to:

• 70% for those who make up to 33% of the California average weekly wage; and
• 60% for those who make more than 33% of the California average weekly wage.

The same increase would apply to people enrolled in California's State Disability Insurance (SDI) program, which entitles paid time off for non-work related injuries and disabilities, including pregnancies. Workers can take up to six weeks through the PFL program and up to 52 weeks off through the SDI program.

 

It is important to note that employers are not affected, as the cost is born by the employees and not the employers. The PFL program is part of the SDI program that is funded by proceeds from employee payroll deductions, which are deposited in the SDI Fund. (Taken from Politico News, 4/11/2016) 

Beginning May 1, 2016, public works contractors who are registered with the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) for the current fiscal year (ending June 30, 2016) may renew their registrations for the next fiscal year (starting July 1, 2016) using DIR's online public works contractor registration system. Registered contractors who fail to renew by July 1, 2016, but continue working on public works after that date will be subject to late fees and potential penalties.

The online registration system was launched nearly two years ago and helps law-abiding contractors compete on a level playing field when public works contracts are awarded.

Contractors must be registered with DIR before bidding, being awarded or performing work on public works projects in California. 

As part of their ELECTRI-sponsored research project, "Identifying BIM-Related Costs Due to Design Changes," Hisham Said of Santa Clara University and Justin Reginato of California State University, Sacramento, are conducting a survey to assess the extent of BIM, prefabrication, engineering and Trimble use among specialty contractors and, specifically, how each of those is impacted by directed design changes.

Said and Reginato would like ELECTRI and NECA members to participate in the survey, or forward this message to a BIM professional at their company and urge them to complete the survey. The survey should only take a few minutes and will yield insightful data that will be shared at the ELECTRI International mid-year meeting scheduled in Napa, Ca. Complete the Survey here. 

A flag raising ceremony was held in Modesto on April 8th, at King Kennedy Center. Modesto Firefighters Jose Valenzuela and Mike Stavrakakis raised the flag. Prior to the ceremonies, IBEW Local 684 Business Manager Billy Powell presented a check for $2,500 to help with community center efforts. The Local 684 representatives worked with the City to ensure that the area where the flag stands is well-protected. NECA was represented by staff member Pete Halver. 

A benefit basketball game was held Thursday evening at the Salvation Army's Red Shield Center in Modesto, where approximately $35,700 was raised toward the restoration of the facility's 46-year-old swimming pool. The game pitted elected officials and other public servants against the Red Shield All-Star team of primarily teenagers, ages 14-18 years old. They played two 20-minute halves, separated by a halftime show of boxing and dancing demonstrations by Red Shield youth. Congressman Jeff Denham led an adult team, while retired NBA player Chuck Hayes, Jr. coached a youth all-star team. The final score was 81-79, youth won! IBEW Local 684 representatives were also present. Read more here. 

The Voice-Data-Video National Agreement has proved to be an effective tool for contractors in the VDV marketplace, and the agreement itself seems to have no major problems. Neither IBEW nor NECA have proposed changes to the agreement for the last negotiations cycle, and therefore, it has been extended for another year without changes. The agreement dated March 1, 2012, through March 1, 2015, represents the current agreement. It has been extended until March 1, 2017.