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| MCAA National Update for February 25, 2013 |
ENTERTAINMENT VISIONARY MICHAEL EISNER TO SPEAK AT MCAA 2013
 MCAA is pleased to announce that Michael Eisner, one of the best-known executives in the entertainment industry, will be the featured speaker at the Opening Session of MCAA 2013. "Who better to shed some light for us on the power of unconventional thinking as an essential ingredient of success for our companies," said MCAA President Mac Lynch. Eisner is renowned for some of the most iconic movies, television shows and characters in America's entertainment history. His business acumen and innate ability for spotting and developing talent helped lead the ABC television network, Paramount Pictures and the Walt Disney Company to the top of their games. As ABC's senior vice president in charge of programming and development, he brought us such iconic series as Happy Days and Barney Miller. As president and CEO of Paramount Pictures, he turned out such box office hits as Raiders of the Lost Ark, Saturday Night Fever and Grease. As chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Company, he transformed the company from a $1.8 billion enterprise into a global media empire valued at $80 billion. He revived and expanded Disney theme parks, extended Disney movie offerings to include those with more adult themes and acquired such media giants as Capital Cities/ABC, Inc. and ESPN. Note: Scott Pelley, previously scheduled to speak at the Opening Session, will be in Rome covering the papal conclave during the week of MCAA 2013. Register for MCAA 2013 at www.mcaa.org/mcaa2013. For room availability, please contact Taj Homayouni at thomayouni@mcaa.org. |
MULTIEMPLOYER DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION REFORM PROPOSAL UNVEILED
MCAA and a broad coalition of business and labor groups unveiled the long-awaited multiemployer defined benefit pension reform proposal-Solutions Not Bailouts: A Comprehensive Plan from Business and Labor to Safeguard Multiemployer Retirement Security, Protect Taxpayers and Spur Economic Growth-last week at Bloomberg News in Washington D.C. The proposal has three main elements designed to put the industry's pension system back on sound footing for the foreseeable future. The reform proposal would allow plan trustees and bargaining parties several options (not mandates) to adopt a broader range of measures to rebalance deeply distressed plans, to strengthen the majority of other plans and to adopt more innovative and stable plan designs going forward. This is a bold and sound legislative proposal put forward by many business and labor experts in the field and one that MCAA and the coalition will press hard for enactment by this Congress. Go to www.mcaa.org for full details. |
PLANNING TO HIRE A SUMMER INTERN? APPLY FOR A STUDENT INTERNSHIP GRANT!
It's not too early to start recruiting well-qualified college students to augment your business' professional staffing needs this summer. And, once you've found and hired the ideal candidate, then apply for an MCAA Student Internship Grant. Funded by the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation (MCERF) and administered by MCAA's Career Development Committee, the grant is for $1,200 and helps cover the intern's salary. More important, however, the intern gains valuable experience working for an MCAA member that may later translate to full-time employment when he/she finishes college. The employer also gains from the intern's fresh perspective and new ideas. Find out more and then apply for the grant at www.mcaa.org/careers. And, if you're looking for the best and the brightest intern candidates, stop by the Annual Student Chapter Exhibit (in conjunction with the Annual Manufacturer/Supplier Exhibit) at MCAA 2013 on March 19. |
MCAA PUSHING INCENTIVES FOR ENERGY-EFFICIENT INDUSTRIAL FACILITIES
MCAA is working in the Alliance for Industrial Efficiency to develop broader tax and market incentives for industrial owners to deploy waste heat recovery and combined heat and power projects to build sustainability and resiliency in the nation's power system, to improve energy efficiency and national energy policy and to develop high quality jobs and projects for the industry. |
2013 NCPWB ANNUAL TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING IS YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR WELDING ISSUES INFORMATION
If you are looking for a meeting that will bring you up to date on the latest information about welding, brazing and certification, then you should plan to attend the 2013 NCPWB Annual Technical Committee Meeting at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, CO, April 21-23, 2013. Topics covered will include welding of non-metallic piping materials and medical gas certifications. A featured speaker is Christopher Ziu of Orion Brand-Watts Water Technologies who will present information about joining heat-weldable non-metallic piping materials. The techniques to be covered will include socket fusion, butt fusion, saddle fusion, electrofusion and high frequency welding. He will also talk about Polystar, a major new product line, which is a PP-RCT pressure piping system incorporating the techniques mentioned above, and Watts' new Triton system, a proprietary high frequency welding system. Find out more and then register at www.mcaa.org/education. |
NEXT PCA WEBINAR TO FOCUS ON RADIO FREQUENCY FUSION WELDING
The Plumbing Contractors of America (PCA) is sponsoring a webinar on February 28, 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time that will focus on radio frequency fusion welding. This is one of several technologies developed over the past 25 years that has benefited the plumbing industry by reducing installation times, expenses and safety concerns. Radio frequency fusion welding uses radio waves to produce a clean OD sheer joint on any thermo fusion (thermofusable) plastic piping material with no exposed heat, glues or o-rings. The technology draws less than 100 watts per weld. Stephen Barrett, product director of Watts Water Technologies, will lead the webinar. Learn more about this new technology and how it can impact your plumbing business. Participation in this webinar is free for MCAA/MSCA members, a benefit of membership. Please register at https://mcaa.webex.com/. |
ALI APPLICATIONS ARE COMING IN FAST!
If you or a member of your company's management team were planning to apply to MCAA's Advanced Leadership Institute's (ALI) Course 13, apply now because applications are flowing in. Since 2002, ALI has made possible a world-class learning experience for our industry's top executives. The program has enabled them to develop the leadership and business planning skills they need to take on new challenges and opportunities. The course curriculum has been updated and refined and features a new and very challenging case study that reflects current issues facing our industry. And, ALI provides excellent networking opportunities that reinforce its value for years after the course concludes. Make sure your company has what it takes to move up and ahead this year and in the future. Apply to ALI's Course 13 (September 22-27 and November 10 - 15, 2013) while space is still available. Go tohttp://www.mcaa.org/ali/ for more ALI information and then contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org) for an e-application. |
MCAA ADDRESSES IMMIGRATION REFORM
MCAA is working in a broad coalition with employer groups and the Building and Construction Trades to look for common ground so that immigration reform legislation does not inadvertently lead to further erosion of labor and workforce standards and training in the construction industry. Issues on the table include: broader requirements for employers to use E-Verify across all employment and independent contractor engagements; further curbs against rampant worker misclassification abuses in the industry; and careful controls against abuses in any revamped guest worker program. |
LEM COMMITTEE WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU
The Labor Estimating Manual Committee has been asked to develop labor units for the Blucher Stainless Steel push fit piping system. The committee would like to know if MCAA members are using this product. Please e-mail Nick Nikpourfard at nnikpourfard@mcaa.org or call (800) 566-3653. |
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MCAA TAKES ON DIRECT FEDERAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECT REFORM
MCAA is working toward adoption of a direct federal construction project reform measure that will address ways to monitor abuses in prime contractor and subcontractor selection procedures, improve surety bond safeguards and address other ways to make sure the procurement system is kept under more continuous quality evaluation and oversight. |
REGISTER NOW FOR NATIONAL LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE
The agenda for the National Legislative Conference (May 1-3, 2013, Washington D.C.) will include all the above issues and more. MCAA registrants are invited to a barbecue dinner on May 2 at the historic Lincoln Cottage. Help us plan the events by registering now at www.mcaa.org/education. |
KEN MARINO CONTRIBUTES TO MCERF
Ken Marino of Wayne Crouse, Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA) recently made a $1,000 contribution to the Mechanical Contracting Education & Research Foundation; he designated half the donation to the MCERF Scholarship Program. The MCERF Board of Trustees is very grateful for the contribution and the support for the new scholarship program which helps advance the education of our industry's future leaders. Find out more about MCERF and its programs by visiting www.mcerf.org or contact Dennis Langley (dlangley@mcaa.org). |
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