The National MCAA Update

Volume 5, Number 41, October 9, 2000

TORONTO DRAWS MORE THAN 350 FOR MSCA'S BEST EDUCATION CONFERENCE EVER - MSCA's Fifteenth Annual Education Conference - Meeting the Service Challenge - drew more than 350 members to Toronto, Canada for four days of business-enhancing educational sessions, professional networking opportunities, and enjoyable, entertaining social programs. Everyone turned out for the welcome reception, which featured an exhibit of the latest products and services for mechanical service contractors. Two special features highlighted the opening session: the debut of MSCA's video, We Keep America Running, which explains the many business benefits of MSCA membership, and the first-ever presentation of the D.S. O'Brien Award to its namesake, a former chairman of MSCA. Educational sessions - covering job pricing, personnel recruitment, leadership development, the new National Service and Maintenance Agreement, and service training - were all well-attended. The spouse program and optional tours of Toronto and Niagara Falls proved particularly popular. Tickets to the performance of The Lion King were sold out. The conference ended on a high note with the Clearly Canadian Party, a celebration of foods, entertainment, and culture from around Canada.

TIM WENTZ IS "EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR" - MCAA's Career Development Committee has honored Tim Wentz, a professor at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and a popular session leader at MCAA's education conferences, as Educator of the Year. The committee chose Wentz for this first-ever award in recognition of his commitment to MCAA's educational programs, his efforts to create a student chapter at the University of Nebraska, and his willingness to assist the committee on a variety of educational and career development projects.

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE: School Construction Legislation Gains Momentum - Legislation (HR 4577) that would provide $2.7 billion for emergency repairs and new teachers gained House leaders' support on October 5. MCAA and the Mechanical-Electrical-Sheet Metal Alliance (Alliance) continue to press for prevailing wage language in all school construction legislation. The president has stated he will veto any bill that does not contain prevailing wage language. On October 5, the Alliance ran a full-page ad in Roll Call, a Capitol Hill newspaper, calling for Congress to pass school construction legislation that includes prevailing wage language; a copy of the ad will be reprinted in the October Reporter.

TWO NEW STUDENT CHAPTERS FORM - MCAA welcomes two new student chapters - the Rocky Mountain Chapter, comprised of 14 students, at Colorado State University and the University of Florida Chapter, which is just finalizing the paperwork for its group. Mac Terry, executive director of MCA of Colorado and current chairman of the Association Executives Council, led the initiative to organize the CSU chapter, and Eric Kennedy, executive director of MCA of South Florida and East Central Florida, helped form the University of Florida chapter.

DATA AND STATISTICS: Construction Wages and Benefits Increase - Wages and benefits for plumbers and pipe fitters increased an average of $1.15 per hour in the first year of labor agreements settled so far this year, according to the Construction Labor Research Council. This represents a 3.7% raise, near the average increase of $1.18 or 4.0% of last year. In multi-year contracts set this year, hourly rates for the second year are set to increase $1.25 or 3.8 %; for the third year, dollar increases vary widely, and most percentage increases are between 3.0 and 4.9%. . . Latest Pipefitter/Plumber Wages and Benefits Data Available - The nationwide average dollar amount and percentage wage and benefits settlement increases from September 1, 1995 to September 1, 2000 were $5.20 and 15.8% for pipe fitters and $5.84 and 17.9% for plumbers, according to the Construction Labor Research Council. The council also reports that the U.S. average pay and benefits rate, as of September 1, 2000, was $38.62 per hour (pipe fitters) and $38.49 per hour (plumbers). Regional pipefitter and plumber wage and supplement settlement dollar amount and percentage rate increases are available on MCAA's website at http://www.mcaa.org/clrcrates/clrca.htm; dollar amount and percentage rate increases by city are available at http://www.mcaa.org/clrcrates/clrcb.htm . . .Unemployment Down Slightly - September's unemployment rate was 3.9%, down from August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The construction industry also gained 30,000 jobs; the unemployment rate for construction workers fell to 6.4%. BLS reports that of the almost 7 million workers employed in the industry, 64% or 4.5 million work in the specialty sector of the industry, outpacing the numbers in general building firms (1.5 million or 22%) and heavy construction (960,000, or 14%). Average hourly pay of production/non-supervisory construction workers was $18.19, up from $18.05 in August.