Industry Day

The inaugural “Industry Day” was held at the IBEW – NECA Technical Institute (INTECH) on Friday, September 6, 2024. It was a day that highlighted the great work being done at the school, from the recent renovations to the impact of a stellar curriculum. The event began with remarks from Mr. Don Finn, Local 134 IBEW Business Manager & Financial Secretary, Bob Fimbianti, ECA President, Linear Electric, Inc., and U.S. Senator Dick Durbin. 

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ECA Membership Meeting

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Gibsons Steakhouse

2105 Spring Road

Oak Brook, IL

(630) 954-0000

Registration / Networking: 8:00 am

Breakfast Start: 8:30 am

Business Session: 8:45 am

Event Concludes: 10:00 am

The breakfast program will feature industry updates, and a guest presentation from Dr. Vincent Windrow, Lead Executive of Cornucopia Consulting Group. His presentation is called " Aspirational Leadership: A Key to Advancement."

We do hope that you'll join us for this opportunity to meet and network with your peers in the industry!

REGISTER NOW!

A popular national keynote speaker and conference presenter, Dr. Vincent Windrow was a featured speaker at the annual gatherings of the National Association of Federal Education Program Administrators (NAFEPA) and the National Organization of Student Success. He was also one of six experts chosen out of 113 applicants to present at the Education Advisory Board’s ConnectED Conference. Additionally, he has keynoted opening day events for numerous school systems and university convocations.

Two years ago, he collaborated with the Mayor of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on a series of televised conversations on race and community matters. He is uniquely gifted in the areas of leadership development, customer service, harnessing the power of teams, and motivating staff.

Express Permit Program is Expanding

As part of Mayor Johnson’s commitment to making the building permit process quicker and more user-friendly for all Chicagoans, the Department of Buildings is excited to announce the expansion of our year-old Express Permit Program to cover additional types of work beginning Monday, September 16.

Express Permit Program Info

If you are a Chicago-licensed electrical contractor, general contractor, mason contractor, or plumbing contractor, or an Illinois-licensed architect or engineer with an email address on file in our existing electronic permitting system but haven’t yet created an account in the new website used for the Express Permit Program (ipi.cityofchicago.org), you will receive an email from donotreply@cityofchicago.org inviting you to create a new account for this website, linked to your existing license. Please look out for this invitation email, which will be sent the week of September 9.

Licensed contractors who need to update their official email should contact Continental Testing Services, the City of Chicago's trade license support partner. 

EVENTS

25th Special Olympics Construction Team Picnic

September 14, 2024 (10 am - 1 pm)

IBEW - NECA Technical Institute

6201 W. 115th Street, Alsip, IL 60803

We are looking for Volunteers and Donations. The Special Olympic Athletes need financial support again this year. In 2023, we raised over $20,500.00 to assist in their participation in the games, and we hope to exceed that amount this year!

How to Help:

1. Monetary Donations - assist the athletes to be able to participate in the games throughout the year
2. Donations for the goody bags we distribute to all of the athletes that attend - include items such as T-shirts, Sunglasses, Water Bottles, Mugs, Hats, Paper, Pens, Pencils, etc. If your Company provides any type of donation, your Company logo will be printed on the back of the t-shirts that are distributed to everyone.
3. Your Time - We need volunteers from 10 am - 1 pm. Anyone who is able to arrive earlier than 10 am and/or stay later than 1 pm is welcome to help with set and take down. Volunteers are needed for set up, assisting with playing the game s and lunch and clean up.

Any Monetary donations (Corporate or Personal) should be sent directly to:

NOTE: This is a new Address

Patty Welsh

Special Olympics Illinois - Region E

18440 Thompson Ct., Suite 205

Tinley Park, IL 60477

Please contact Maureen Mikulski at 224-754-9179 or via email at maureen@mcwelec.com if you are making a company donation so we can make sure your logo is included on the t-shirts. The deadline for t-shirt logos is September 1st.

EDUCATION

Advanced Estimating of Electrical Construction

Monday and Tuesday, September 16 - 17, 2024

8:00 am - 4:00 pm (Both days)

Hyatt Lodge Conference Center - Oak Brook, IL

THE FEE FOR THIS PROGRAM IS $200.00 PER ECA MEMBER.

Building upon the principles taught in NECA's Basic Estimating course, this course focuses on the strategy and business decisions made during the estimating and bidding processes. The course will assist estimators and managers think strategically in how they find, evaluate, and bid electrical construction projects.

Prerequisite: Basic Estimating of Electrical Construction or similar industry experience. 

If you're interested in attending the "Advanced Estimating of Electrical Construction" seminar, please click on the link below to register or go on-line at the ECA website at: www.ecachicago.com (Event Calendar portion).

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!

(Please register soon, as we need to reach the minimum number required to hold the session.)

Please contact the ECA with any questions at (708) 531-0022. We look forward to your participation with the program!  Thank you for your continued support of Association activities.

Culture of Collaboration Workshop

Transforming Our Industry Together: Introducing the DEI Program for ECA of Chicago

We're embarking on an exciting journey to shape our future with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at its core. We've partnered with Leadership Surge to bring a specially designed DEI program to the Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) of Chicago, and you’re invited to be a part of this transformative experience.

Please use the scheduling form below to secure a date and register your companies for the live 2-hr DEI Training session:

Scheduling Form

The goal is to have each company choose their preferred training and capture their contact information and preferred training location.

Here’s what's in store for us:

• Tailored Training Sessions: From senior leadership to our valued front-line employees, there’s something for everyone. Get ready to dive into interactive sessions that will empower us to lead and participate in a more inclusive workplace.

• Engaging Learning Formats: Whether it's live workshops or on-the-go learning through a mobile app, this program offers flexible ways to engage with DEI principles. Plus, Toolbox Talks will bring DEI conversations right into our daily routines.

• A United Effort: This isn't just training; it's a movement towards building a workplace where every voice is heard and every contribution valued. We're not just aiming for compliance; we're striving for commitment and change.

Program Intro

Various Event Stipends

The Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago (ECA) Executive Committee recently approved a number of educational stipends for various events throughout 2024. Please click on the link for the current listing. The registrations will be reimbursed to the applicable companies after the applicable Conference.

2024 Stipend Listings

NECA 2025 Innovator of the Year

The NECA Innovator of the Year is awarded to an industry pioneer from a NECA member contractor who champions innovation and continuous improvement across their company and the entire NECA community. Winners are recognized at the annual MEP Innovation Conference hosted by NECA, MCAA, and SMACNA. The deadline for consideration is November 15, 2024.

Nominate Now

EP 11: Illinois' Sustainability Leader Pioneering Municipal Green Innovation

Join us in this episode as we see first-hand the future of sustainability in Illinois. This episode features insights from the following industry professionals:

Watch Now

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 Nancy Sheehy at nsheehy@documentcrunch.com.

Sign Up for Access

Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention

It is an unfortunate fact that construction has the highest rate of suicide of any industry in America. We lose about 53 out of every 100,000 members of our industry EVERY YEAR to suicide. We are four times the average of other industries. We have a crisis in construction and we need to do something about it. You can visit the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention website and learn more. We urge all to take the pledge to STAND UP for suicide prevention and address it as a health and safety priority.

CLICK HERE FOR A "Stand Up for Suicide Prevention" Information Sheet.