More than 175 members of MCAA and allied organizations convened in Washington, D.C. at the Newseum on April 27-29, 2015, to push for Phase 2 of multiemployer pension reform, government tax incentives for energy efficient commercial and industrial facilities, direct federal construction project procurement policy reforms, and sustaining valuable prevailing wage and project labor agreement project delivery options for federal construction programs. MCAA/QCA program participants also engaged in 140 or more lobbying visits to House and Senate members. The conference pension panel discussion was moderated by former Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman, a consultant for MCAA and the UA on the pension reform measure, and included Congressman Dr. Phil Roe (R-TN), chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee; Randy De Frehn, Executive Director of the National Coordinating Committee for Multiemployer Plans; and Senate Finance Committee staff member Presto Rutledge. Other conference panels covered legislative proposals to advance energy efficiency gains through tax incentives for energy retrofits to commercial and industrial facilities, highway and infrastructure measures, direct federal procurement reforms - including a ban on reverse auctions and individual surety reforms to help improve the federal contracting environment for small businesses - and workforce and economic policy issues. At lunch, Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) addressed the group on a number of issues, including the pension reform measure that passed last year and Phase 2 pending this year in Congress. Labor Department Wage and Hour Administrator Dr. David Weil addressed the group on federal prevailing wage policy, efforts to stem worker misclassification as independent contractors and the MCAA/QCA support for administrative reforms to make the Obama Administration's Fair Pay and Safe Workplaces Executive Order for direct federal prime contractors and subcontractors more equitable and workable. On April 29, New Jersey Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and North American Building Trades Unions Secretary/Treasurer Brent Booker addressed the group in advance of the Congressional hearing on Phase 2 of the multiemployer pension reform. Go to www.qualityconstructionalliance.org/position-papers for the conference position papers.

Your company has put in place safety protocols and processes to ensure that your employees are safe from accidents and injuries while on the job. Safety Week is here! MCAA has joined 40 construction companies and trade associations in establishing and celebrating Safety Week to applaud workers for working safely, increase their awareness of applicable safety topics and hazards, inspire all parties in our industry to share best work practices and to work together to strengthen our industry's safety culture, work safely, educate them about safe work practices and celebrate their good health and well-being. Each day of Safety Week will focus on a different occupational safety topic. Participants may highlight the topics within their companies however they choose. The topics for 2015 are: May 4 - Fall Protection; May 5 - Soft Tissue Incidents; May 6 - Health and Wellness; May 7 - Hand Protection or Head and Eye Protection; and May 8 - Celebrate and Recognize Positive Safety Accomplishments. MCAA encourages all members to participate in Safety Week 2015. To learn more about safety week visit www.mcaa.org.