NIA Informs COVID-19 and related information for the insulation industry. Click here to read the latest online.

April 23, 2020 In this Issue: 2 Free NIA Webinars Thursday, April 30 Tuesday, May 5 New Stimulus Package Headed to U.S. House Regional Updates: PA Opens Up Construction NIA Advocates for the Industry in Statement to Northeast Governors SWICA & TIAC Cancel Meetings OSHA Guidance for Construction Workforce More Updates: More Airline Updates NIA Legal Counsel Offers Free COVID-19 Call Where to Find the Latest Information: www.insulation.org/covid Click Here to View Past NIA Webinars on COVID-Related Topics Now and Next: COVID — Contracts, Labor & Safety Thursday, April 30, 1-2:30 pm ET Click here to register for the free webinar. This free webinar will focus on the following areas. Contracts: analyzing current contracts and clauses and negotiating changes Labor: determining essential business function, revising company policies, complying with new legislation Safety: establishing protocol for addressing employee concerns and protecting employees, state laws vs. federal requirements, and more Part 2: Contractors Panel Discussion on Construction Challenges and Opportunities Amid COVID-19 Tuesday, May 5, 1-2:15 pm ET Click here to register for the free webinar. Talking with your network to solve problems and hear solutions is an important way to stay connected, especially now. Continue the industry conversation to discuss our shared concerns, challenges, and opportunities during this unprecedented time. Presenters will talk about how their businesses are operating during the COVID-19 outbreak and answer questions submitted in advance. Send your questions to webinar@insulation.org. To view Part 1 of this webinar series, click here. Panelists include: Kenny Freeman, President, Petrin, LLC John Lamberton, Chief Operating Officer, Irex Corporation Ashley Luse, President, Luse Thermal Technologies Facilitated by Dana Vlk, NIA President, Distribution International, Inc. Plus, NIA’s 2019 Safety Excellence Award Winners Announcement During this webinar, NIA will also recognize and congratulate winners of NIA’s 2019 Safety Excellence Award. This national award is the industry’s highest safety honor and recognizes top NIA member companies that have established structured safety programs to ensure the well-being of their employees and create safe working environments. Now, when safety is more important than ever, join us to find out who earned this award! Click here for more details on the webinars, to register, and for archives of previous webinars.

Update: More Congressional Coronavirus Relief Funding

Earlier this week, the Senate passed the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Health Care Enhancement Act to provide additional coronavirus relief funding. The bill includes $310 billion for the PPP, which offers generally forgivable loans to small businesses for payroll. The first $349 billion fund has been depleted. A separate provision worth $60 billion (including $50 billion in loans and $10 billion in grants) would be allocated to emergency injury disaster loans (EIDL). Also included is $75 billion for hospitals and $25 billion for coronavirus testing. The total amount of the package is approximately $480 billion. The House is set to take up this measure on Thursday, and President Trump indicated that he will sign the bill to provide additional funding for small business loans. Click here to read the text of the bill. Click here to read a section-by-section analysis of the small business program.

Regional Updates for the Insulation Industry

With regulations and policies varying by state and region, we will share relevant policies and information that affect a number of our member companies. Continue to monitor your state regulations and essential worker policies for breaking news. Pennsylvania: Construction with Strict Guidelines Resumes May 8 Public and private residential and nonresidential construction may resume in Pennsylvania starting Friday, May 8, in accordance with safety guidance that will be issued by the administration. Construction projects already deemed life-sustaining may continue while adhering to social distancing, personnel limits, and other announced guidance. Click here to read more. NIA Advocates to Northeast Governors Regarding Reopening Construction Our statement reads: "As you come together to develop a plan for a coordinated reopening of your states’ economies, we ask that the construction industry and the supply chain that directly support it be identified in your plan as a business activity that is essential and can operate safely in accordance with the appropriate government guidelines and required COVID-19 mitigation protocols." Click here to read more. SWICA & TIAC Cancel Annual Meetings Due to COVID-19, Southwest Insulation Contractors Association (SWICA) announced the cancellation of its 62nd Annual Convention that was set to take place in June in Nashville. Click here to read more. The Thermal Insulation Association of Canada (TIAC) also canceled its 2020 Conference, which was scheduled for August in Whitehorse, Yukon.

Resource: OSHA Guidance

Find OSHA resources on preparing workplaces for the COVID-19 virus here, including an easy-to-read summary of COVID-19 Guidance for the Construction Workforce.

Update: More Airlines Ease Restrictions

Frontier Airlines has paused the expiration of all miles. Click here to read more about the new policies. For more airline information, visit their websites at: American Airlines, Delta Airlines , Southwest Airlines , and United Airlines .

Resource: COVID-19 Call with Legal Counsel for NIA Member Companies

Auman, Mahan & Furry is offering a free 30-minute call on COVID-19 during April for NIA member companies. For more information, contact Auman, Mahan & Furry’s Labor and Employment Group at 937-223-6003.

Where to Find the Latest Information

NIA is curating the information and resources we send to members on our website, including legal updates, article resources, calls to action, and more. Please click here to find the latest updates.

We thank you for your ongoing commitment to NIA. Please take care of yourself, your family, and your business. If we can be of service to you and your business during this time, please contact NIA at niainfo@insulation.org .

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