The National MCAA Update

Volume 4, Number 7 - February 15, 1999

YOUR FINAL CONVENTION INFORMATION GUIDE IS IN THE MAIL – The Final Convention Information Guide for MCAA '99 is meant to include everything you want or need to know about the upcoming convention. It describes Major Sessions, Sunday Activities, Making the Most of the Educational Program, the Manufacturer/Supplier Exhibit, Children's Program & Childcare Information and a number of other topics. It also includes complete descriptions of the educational workshops and a pull-out Program-at-a-Glance. And, because WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort is a big place full of attractions, there are three maps that will help you get to where you want to be. MCAA staff members will be at the Registration & Information Center beginning at noon on Saturday, February 20 to answer any remaining questions. We expect that this will be the most entertaining and educational MCAA convention yet! See you there.

MSCA SALES INSTITUTE BUILDING ON SUCCESS – The new MSCA Institute program on Effective Selling Skills for the New Millennium was developed from a prototype seminar that was offered immediately before the MSCA Educational Conference last September. Participants gave that sold-out seminar very high marks for helping them in their search for industry-specific sales training and said it offered them training in the unique skills needed to sell their companies services in this rapidly changing industry. The first Effective Selling Skills for the New Millennium program (April 18-22 in Phoenix) will offer a variety of seminars and exercises. The program will also be held in St. Louis in May. Call Adrienne Breedlove (abreedlove@mcaa.org) for information.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE – Public Utility Holding Company Act (PUHCA) Repeal --The Senate Banking Committee reported out a PUHCA repeal bill (S.313) by voice vote on February 11. S.313 is stand-alone PUHCA repeal that does not include comprehensive utility deregulation. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) was the sole vote against stand-alone repeal. A staff member reports that Senator Reed supports comprehensive utility deregulation—not stand-alone PUHCA repeal—and that he will pursue this issue throughout the 106^th Congress … Miller Act Reform -- MCAA is participating in negotiations to provide greater sub-contractor protection in amendments to the Miller Act, which requires bonds on Federal construction projects. Subcontractor, contractor and surety representatives agree in principle on proposed legislation to increase the payment bond to equal the contract price, allow alternative means for serving notice of suit on a bond and prohibit waiver of Miller Act rights before they arise.

NEW OSHA BILL INTRODUCED IN THE SENATE – On February 6, Senator Mike Enzi (R-WY) introduced a bill that would provide employers with relief from OSHA fines.Under S. 385 employers could hire safety and health professionals who are certi-fied by OSHA to conduct job site safety and health inspections. Employers at job sites that are found by the consultants to be in compliance with OSHA would be exempt from OSHA fines for a period of one year. OSHA would still have the right to inspect the job sites and require abatement of any hazards found during its inspections. MCAA will keep you informed of the bill's progress.

PUBLIC CONSTRUCTION – Congressional Leadership Proposes Adequate Funding for School Construction and Renovation -- Rep. Major Owens (D-NY) announced he will introduce legislation to adequately support the nation's education infrastructure—up to 20% of the next five years' budget surplus—for school construction and renovation. Announcing the funding at a meeting of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, Rep. Owens was joined by other business leaders and elected officials who voiced support for increased school construction funding. MCAA/NECA/SMACNA Alliance representatives put forward the need for Davis-Bacon Act workforce protection in the new funding measure …General Services Administration (GSA) Moves Towards Negotiated Procurement—The GSA will pursue more construction project negotiated procurements that emphasize contractor qualifications over price, according to a high ranking GSA official. Noting the problems that arise from awarding contracts based solely on lowest bid, Bill Lawson, Special Assistant to the GSA Commissioner, announced that GSA would step up negotiated procurement on its construction projects. He made this announcement at a meeting of the Construction Industry Coalition Council of the Associated Owners & Developers attended by MCAA representatives on February 9. GSA negotiated procurement and other reforms are described at GSA's website, www.gsa.gov/pbs/constructionexcellence.

INDUSTRY RELATIONS - Private contract form documents -- Associated Specialty Contractors (ASC) chairman (and MCAA Board Member) Fred Oyer, along with SMACNA trustee Bill Zahner, met with AGC principals on February 11 to discuss improvements to AGC's standard form design-build subcontracts currently under fast-track revision. Building on the constructive negotiations between ASC and AGC on the design-bid-build subcontract (AGC 650), Oyer and Zahner submitted comprehensive comments to AGC detailing the equitable changes required to accommodate the complex information exchange on projects where the specialty contractors provide design services ... Workforce skills standards - MCAA along with member firms Huxtable & Associates (Lawrence, Kansas) and Midwest Mechanical Contractors (Overland Park, Kansas) were elected to the Decision Council of the National Skills Standards Board (NSSB) coalition that will develop voluntary skills standards for construction industry craft workers. Other MCAA firms and affiliated associations also participate on the broader Construction Industry Coalition that actually received the NSSB grant for the long-term project. They include MCA of Chicago and MCA of Connecticut, and member firms Kinetic Systems, Inc. (Santa Clara, CA), Bert C. Young & Sons (Bellwood, Ill.), Gross Mechanical Contractors (St. Louis, MO), and International Piping Inc. (Schaumburg, Ill.).