ECA Industry Update

STAY INFORMED:

Dept. of Labor New Davis-Bacon & Related Act Update Webinar

Thursday, August 31 | 2:00 - 3:00 PM ET

Free (members)

The Department of Labor executed the most extensive update to the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts in more than four decades on August 8, 2023. The Department has introduced a sweeping set of new regulations that encompass a wide range of aspects concerning the administration of the act. These updates include revised wage scales, new definitions for 'prevailing wage,' specifications regarding the site of work, and expanded coverage to include new construction areas. NECA invites you to register for the webinar below so you can stay informed on the latest enhancements of the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts!

Registration is Open for NECA’s Estimating Virtual Classroom programs. Registration is still very limited so don’t delay!

Below are the registration links:

Basic Estimating: Tuesday, September 5-Tuesday, September 19, 2023, | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM ET

Registration for these programs is on a first-come, first served basis. In the event a program sells out and you wish to be added to the wait list for that instance, please email education@necanet.org.

NECA Convention & Trade Show - Philadelphia

September 29, 2023 - October 2, 2023

Registration for the NECA Convention & Trade Show has begun! Room Reservation for the Chicago Chapter Block ended on August 10, 2023. It is now based on availability. Please register as soon as you can.

Registration

Please visit www.necaconvention.org to register for the NECA Convention/Accommodations. The Convention Center is located at the Philadelphia Convention Center, 1101 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107.

Those who register early (on or before August 10, 2023) will receive the “early” price of $1,725 for members and $1,100 for the member’s spouse / guest. Those who register beginning on August 2, 2023 will receive the "regular" NECA Convention registration fee of $1,975 per NECA member, and $1,300 for the member’s spouse / guest.

After you have registered, please e-mail a copy of your completed registration transaction to the Association office at registration@ecachicago.com. This will allow us to have a record of your registration information, should you need any assistance after registering.

Hotel Reservations

The Hotel for the Chicago & Cook County Chapter is the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center located at 1 N 19th Street, Philadelphia, PA. The room type and rate that is available is the Standard Room (1 King Bed or Two Double Beds) at $505.00 Single / Double.

Convention Stipend

The ECA Executive Committee approved the stipend of the Registration Fee for up to two representatives and their guests from each ECA member firm that registers for the Convention. The registrations will be reimbursed to the applicable companies after the Convention. The Executive Committee also approved an additional stipend of $1,000.00 per applicable attendee’s room block utilization for the NECA Convention & Trade Show to offset the room night cost increase with the Four Seasons Philadelphia Hotel.

Pre-Convention Workshops Update:

CLICK HERE for Information for the Electric Vehicle Symposium - 9/28/2023

CLICK HERE for Information Regarding Pre-Convention Workshop, "Construction Suicide Prevention Outreach and Mental Health Program" - 9/29/23 - Information / Registration.

CLICK HERE FOR CHAPTER EVENTS INFORMATION / CONVENTION REGISTRATION

Midwest Regional Conference

March 11 - 14, 2023

Mark your calendars for next year’s Regional Conference in the Bahamas! Midwest Region NECA is planning an exciting event and hope to see everyone there for great education, networking, and fun activities.

Passports are required, so make sure yours is up to date!

Please Note:

Midwest Region NECA invites Council Members and their spouses to attend the Vice President's reception on March 10, a day before the conference begins. Council members, please take this into consideration when making travel plans.

Document Crunch

Contractors who sign up for the service will have exclusive access to an ELECTRI-specific solution through Document Crunch’s innovative platform.

Watch Demo Video

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to Satyam Verma at sverma@documentcrunch.com.

Click for NECA Alert (7/19/23)

Click for NECA This Week (8/21/23)

NECA Education / Convention Update (8/9/23) - Carrie Liberio, High Voltage Electric Interview

NECA Education / NECA Labor Relations Offer New Program,

"Union Relations for Project Managers."

NECA Education / NECA Labor Relations are excited to announce a new course in the NECA Learning Center: Union Relations for Project Managers.

The two teams worked in collaboration to produce a 30 minute on-demand class which helps:

Explain the importance of understanding the local Collective Bargaining Agreement
Identify Category I language to determine what provisions will vary between locals
Describe the important provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement
Summarize the PMs role and interactions with the union
Describe your company's policies and practices
Explain the importance of the superintendent and foreman in the union relationship
Identify the impact union relations will have on a job

This course is designed to provide foundational knowledge for new Project Managers and/or members of your company who will interact with union represented employees or union officials. To register for this course, click the link below.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

NECA Government Affairs Update (7/28/23) --

Please click the link for a recent update from NECA Government Affairs.

If you have any questions regarding the update, please reach out to NECA Government Affairs to: Hadlea Bender, Specialist at: (713) 870-8619 / Jared Karbowsky, Director, Government Affairs, National Electrical Contractors Association at: 443-975-2932

Click Here for Update

Federal Government Funding Announcements / Regulations

Compiled by NECA Government Affairs:

Please click the link for the latest funding announcements and regulations the Federal Government has posted.

Click Here for Update - 8/23/23

ECA Stipends Available for a Number of Events!

The Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago (ECA) Executive Committee recently approved a number of educational stipends for various events throughout 2023. Please click on the link for the current listing.

The registrations will be reimbursed to the applicable companies after the Conference. After you have registered for the applicable event, please e-mail a copy of your completed registration transaction to the Association office at registration@ecachicago.com. This will allow us to have a record of your registration information, should you need any assistance after registering.

CLICK HERE FOR LISTING OF APPLICABLE STIPENDS

ELECTRI Updates

A NEW CONNECTION – AECINSPIRE has joined the ELECTRI Council as a Founder. The company, headquartered in Newark, California, focuses on ways to revolutionize material management for construction projects. Lonnie Cumpton, Co-Founder and Senior Director for Product Strategy and Customer Success will serve as the company’s representative to ELECTRI. Our sincere thanks for your commitment to ELECTRI and the EC industry.

HAPPY AND PROUD – ELECTRI loves sharing good news. Yes, we are happy and proud to announce the arrival of Hayden Payne Jochim, Anna and Corey Jochim’s first-born son. Hayden was born on August 11, 2023, weighing in at 6 lbs. 8 oz. Welcome to our newest team member!

WHAT ARE YOUR SAFEGUARDS? – ELECTRI had an incredible response to our recent conversation about cutting-edge technologies and best practices to safeguard critical data and ensure business continuity in the face of unforeseen challenges. Many thanks to Matt Lamb (Rosendin Electric) for leading this episode of IT and Coffee. To share the tips and techniques with your key team members, click here to listen again.

WHAT DO THEY NEED? - Line contractors face very different issues. In this Think Like a Leader conversation, Steve Gaines, Jr., NECA’s Southeastern Line Constructors Chapter Executive for 25 years, shares valuable information about the needs of line constructors, their relationship with all the other NECA chapters, and the importance he places on listening carefully before making decisions. Listen to this interview on your favorite podcast service here.

FOR MANY YEARS TO COME – That’s how Tony Burrow describes his company’s involvement with ELECTRI. Nantze Electric (Texarkana, Texas) has joined the ELECTRI Council at the Founder level. In the letter of commitment, Tony expressed special thanks for ELECTRI’s efforts on behalf of the EC industry. We welcome Tony as Nantze’s rep to the Council.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE? - Join the ELECTRI Council Room (August 24^th @ 1:00 PM Eastern) as we delve into Electrical Contracting KPIs Unplugged: Empowering Growth through Data-driven Decisions. This discussion on Key Performance Indicators will be led by an exceptional panel of industry experts. Sharing their insights and knowledge will be Mica Ashmore (Alterman Inc.), Justin Kohlman (Schaeffer Electric), Tim Speno (E2E), and Tony Waters (Parsons Electric). Each brings a wealth of experience and expertise to the discussion as we explore the vital role of KPIs in the electrical contracting landscape and uncover the metrics that matter most for your business's success. Learn how KPIs can illuminate opportunities for growth, streamline operations, and enhance decision-making. This session is ideal for c-suite and other company leaders who are leveraging Excel and other software solutions to track work.

A CALENDAR NOTE – The ELECTRI Council will meet in Philadelphia on Sunday, October 1^st from 8:00-9:30 AM for breakfast and a re-cap meeting of our work in progress and plans for 2024. Please watch for an invitation with full details.

CONGRATULATIONS! - Greg Gossett (ERMCO Electric) has been selected as the 2023 recipient of ELECTRI International’s Wendt Award. This award is presented each year to an individual or organization that has demonstrated outstanding service to ELECTRI International and to the EC industry. The pre-announcement of the award was made during the recent ELECTRI Council meeting. Greg will be honored during the NECA Convention in Philadelphia.

All ELECTRI Council members: Help steer the future of Electrical Contracting (EC) research by joining one of our task forces. Each of our research projects is assigned a task force of industry experts to work with the researcher. Your expertise will shape valuable outcomes for the industry. Let's advance the EC landscape together!

Fair Outcomes for Electrical Contractors for Schedule Compression and Out of Sequence Work- Timothy Becker, ASU
Managing Rework with an Early Warning System, Proactive Remedies, and Proper Documentation - Hala Nassereddine, NCM Consulting
MEP Contractors and GCs: What is the Cost of Inexperience? - Amelia Celoza, University of Colorado Boulder

If you want to participate in one of these new projects, please contact Amanda Harbison at Amanda@electri.org .

The Council Room panel reviewed the updated Change Order Guidelines and their importance. Attendees shared their process for pricing change orders more effectively and ways to communicate the update to many more contractors across the country. Click here to watch the Council Room session. Click here to download the full Updated Change Order Guidelines report.

ConTech and Coffee showed us the power of Microsoft Office 365 from a field perspective, exploring applications specifically tailored for electrical contracting professionals. Participants gained valuable insights into ways to significantly enhance communication, productivity, and streamline operations in the electrical contracting industry. Click here for the ConTech and Coffee link.

One more thing… Our June ConTech and Coffee guest, Desmond Vincent (Shea Electric), offered ways to incorporate MS Forms and Power Automate into your daily workflow. His examples were for a JHA form and Daily Job Status Report, and displayed for either your PC or a mobile app. He also provided form templates for both, please click the links to download.

JHA Form Template Daily Job Status Report

BRAVO TIMES 12 - Congratulations to the 12 participating NECA Student Chapters for their outstanding proposals for the 2023 Electrical Contracting Innovation Challenge (ECIC). Each team’s dedication and hard work impressed the competition judges. ELECTRI is pleased to announce the three finalist teams moving forward to the final stage at the 2023 NECA Convention & Trade Show in Philadelphia:

🏅 Iowa State University

🏅 University of Wisconsin - Madison

🏅 Wayne State University

Please join us on Friday, September 29^th at 1:30 PM Eastern time for the final ECIC oral presentations during the NECA Convention in Philadelphia. Room TBD.

BY THE WAY – Each year, the ECIC judges truly enjoy the opportunity to engage with the finalist teams. If you are interested in serving as a judge for the oral presentations, please contact Laura.Holmes@electri.org

LIGHTS. CAMERA. ACTION. – The second half of the ECIC Student Chapter initiative is the video competition. This year’s contest was too close to call. So, ELECTRI is pleased to announce four video finalists for the ECIC event: Ball State University, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Wisconsin – Madison, and Wayne State University. You can watch each video during the ECIC event on September 29^th and vote for your favorite. Thanks to every Student Chapter team that submitted a video entry.

EASY ACCESS – Last week we released the recap of the ELECTRI Summer meeting. For those of you looking for just the slides from the sessions, ELECTRI has organized all the session slides into one place, and they can be retrieved by clicking the following links:

Day 1 Slides - Click here

Day 2 Slides - Click Here

Day 3 Slides - Click Here

CHECK THEM OUT – The ELECTRI Council break-out sessions were filled with solid discussion and excellent recommendations. Click the links below for the white papers with the key take-away notes from the conversations.

ELECTRI International Quick Links

ELECTRI Meetings ELECTRI Research Council Room Sessions Prefab 101 Videos ConTech & Coffee/ITea & Coffee Think Like A Leader

SAVE THE DATES

September 20, 2023

ECA Regular Membership Meeting

Chicago Firehouse

Chicago, IL

September 29 - October 2, 2023

NECA Convention & Trade Show

Philadelphia, PA

ecachicago.com