Letter from the President - Mat Haneke, WM. Winkler
There is no question that 2020 and the start of 2021 have been a very interesting time in our industry. But if there is one thing, we have all learned over this last year is that contractors are essential. For those of you who have been in the construction industry for some time, you know that our industry is one that adapts. Our systems, tools and equipment and our ability to use them seem to get better every year. We plan and execute project faster and safer. These are all things that our NUCA Chapter wants to help our members with and provide resources to do so.
NUCA of Eastern Washington and North Idaho will work to become more relevant during this next year. To do this NUCA is providing programs and resources to its membership in safety, education and leadership. Other core aspects our association will focus on as well will be:
Public Policy
While NUCA represents the interests of its membership we also want to be your go-to voice of the construction industry. Over the last few years, we have worked hard to get a seat at the table with many agencies who are setting policy that directly affect what and how we do our work. We now have direct input into the Regional Pavement Cut Policy and are currently a stakeholder in the upcoming Apprenticeship revisions for the City of Spokane. We need as a collective group speak up against legislative initiatives and policies driven by politics and misinformation rather that a clear understating of how the construction industry operates. So, please share your input and thoughts with us on these types of issues so we can be that collective voice for our members.
Workforce Development
It is a fact that finding a workforce is and has been difficult for some time now. We have to cast a wider net to try and bring more people into the industry. NUCA wants to try and form a partnership with local schools and trade programs to help assist our membership in finding the right people. Another thing we are doing to showcase our industry is putting on our annual Dozer Day event. This event lets kids come out and experience operating equipment. Another thing that we plan on doing at Dozer Days in host a job fair, where contractors can meet with young men and women that are getting ready to enter the workforce and share the with them, that our industry provides living wages, benefits, advancement opportunity and the satisfaction of building something that will last a long time. While these things help connect people with opportunities it is up to us as individual employers to proactively hire non-traditional employees, train them and give them a chance to prove themselves in the field.
COVID changed a lot of things for us last year, we were not able to have the 2020 Dozer Day and some of our monthly membership meeting and events. We were happy that we were able to find new ways to still offer some of these things to our membership such as hosting a Leadership at Lunch Series and have some membership gathering (March Madness and a Cornhole Tournament at Nashville North). We have the benefit of be close to North Idaho where some of our basic freedoms were still being recognized and host some events. We are confident that we will be able to return to some normalcy this coming year but still finding creative ways to interact with the membership.
As our industry moves forward and with your affiliation with NUCA of Eastern Washington & North Idaho we look forward to working with our entire membership in 2021.
NUCA-WA Chapter Responds to Scope of Work and Rate Applicable to Installing Ductile Iron Water Main Pipes in Westwater Construction Case
NUCA of Eastern WA & North ID has been in close communication with our NUCA of WA chapter regarding the developments in the Westwater Construction case with L&I. In that case, L&I seeks to impose the plumber prevailing wage rate to many aspects of DI water main work. This would have a significant negative impact on our industry. The Laborers Union had weighed in on this case via the attached letter here. NUCA of Washington also weighed in with their own letter here to lend its support to Westwater and to persuade L&I to back off this radical action. We will continue to work with the NUCA of WA Chapter to keep both our memberships updated as this case progresses as it has resounding effects to all of our contractors in the industry.
Dozer Day 2021 - Planning in High Gear!
We had a successful kick off planning meeting out at Cabela's stateline. Don't miss out on your chance to get involved as a sponsor, volunteer or attendee! For more information, visit the Dozer Day website at ewni.dozerday.org or e-mail sheri@nuca.com for more information.
Saturday September 11th &
Sunday September 12th
Cabela's State Line
Enterprise Risk Management for Construction
Step 3 of 6 Easy Steps
Jim Majeskey, CPCU, AFSB, CRIS - PayneWest
Casey Lund, J.D., CPCU, AFSB, ARM, CRIS - PayneWest
Now that you and your business partners have identified and analyzed your Enterprise Risk Exposures, you can now move on to Step 3.
Step 3. Examine Risk Management Options and Develop a Plan
1. For each exposure discovered determine a combination of avoidance, transfer and retention that best fits your company
2. Further develop mitigation and reduction options, tools and strategies
3. Develop a Specific Plan for each identified risk
4. Identify areas for improvement
This is the point where the expertise of your business partners can really come into play. The more precise you have been in your Evaluation (Step 1) and Identification and Analysis (Step2)
the more precise you can be in developing your risk management plan.
This is the step in the process where you need to look at everything and make a determination without initially dismissing any options. As an example, if you have a rock crushing operation and you identify noise and dust issues and a new housing development is going up nearby, what are your options? Avoid, Retain, Transfer – or some combination of those? The option of discontinuing crushing rock to eliminate the risk may not make financial sense. However, you would still want to evaluate options and develop a plan to deal with that particular risk so that your activities today do not create a huge financial risk or liability down the road.
The greater the options the better the final plan will be.
Past NUCA Webinars - Now Available Online!
Did you miss that webinar you were looking forward to because the jobsite got hectic? We've got you covered! Just head over to NUCA's webinar page and watch the wide variety sessions waiting for you now. The webinar page is updated after each webinar, so even if you can't attend, you still have access to all of NUCA's great content.
What to Know About Manufacturer’s Tabulated Data
Prioritize and Destigmatize Mental Health in the Construction Industry
Resource Management Strategies to Adopt in 2021
The Significant "Adjacent Area"
And so much more....
NATIONAL NEWS & ADVOCACY
House Committee Passes on NUCA-Supported Drinking Water Bill
The "AQUA Act of 2021" (H.R. 3291), the other big House water infrastructure bill, faced its first vote in the House Energy & Commerce Committee June 23. It passed mid-day on a party-line vote of 32-24. The bill invests $105 billion over 10 years, including $53 billion for the Drinking Water SRF and $45 billion for lead service line replacement. NUCA supports this bill. This bill is expected to be moved with NUCA-supported H.R. 1915 water infrastructure legislation and face a full vote in the House next week.
Trench Safety Stand Down Week Ends On A Safe Note
From all initial reports, it looks like the fifth annual Trench Safety Stand Down (TSSD) delivered to thousands of our industry's employees what NUCA sought: an increased attention to safety around jobsite excavations. So far, NUCA has TSSD 2021 reports from 238 companies, instructing 13,550 employees at 1,200 jobsites. We know more NUCA members took time last week to keep their employees safe--please send NUCA your completed TSSD reports by the end of t he month (and event photos, too)! Submission information can be found at www.nuca.com/tssd.
Infrastructure Package - Negotiations Continue
Senators from both parties continue to meet with White House negotiators on an emerging $1.2 trillion (over eight years) core infrastructure plan. Details of this plan have not been released since a final version has not been reached. However, news reports indicate both sides are struggling to find new payments to cover $575 billion of the plan, raising doubts of a deal before the Senate departs at the end of the week for the July 4 recess. The White House has reportedly rejected a plan to index the federal gas tax for inflation, create new user fees for electric vehicles and repurpose unspent Covid-19 relief funds. More here.
USDOL Covid-19 Workplace Safety Rules Limited to Healthcare Employees
USDOL Sec. Marty Walsh told a House committee June 9 that OSHA's emergency temporary standard (ETS) on Covid-19 will be focused on healthcare workers such as nurses and hospital technicians, and not other industries, because of the evolving nature of the pandemic. NUCA and our partners in the Construction Industry Safety Coalition submitted numerous letters to the department emphasizing the existing safety protocols in a construction workplace helped mitigate the spread of Covid-19. The ETS is on OSHA's Covid-19 webpage.
NUCA WINS 2.0: Now More Incident Reporting Capability
NUCA WINS 2.0 builds upon the innovation and success of the original smartphone app, adding to its existing injury, safety and utility strike capabilities, the ability to record vehicular, third-party liability, property damage, and environmental incidents. NUCA WINS provides real-time notifications to stakeholders. The app records all incident information, including pictures, witness statements, sketches, audio recordings and responses. Once you use NUCA WINS, you'll wonder how you managed your jobsites without it. For more information, please call NUCA at 703-358-9300 or go online to NUCAWins.com.
FOCUS ON SAFETY
Toolbox Talks:
Personal Protective Equipment - Foot Protection
Safety officers identify jobsite tasks that present foot hazards and require the use of protective footwear and safety devices appropriate for the hazards. Are your employees using the right equipment in the right area? This week's Toolbox Talk discusses this very important PPE topic.
(This is a "Members Only" benefit and your must log in to your NUCA account)