Sacramento Supervisor Rich Desmond Grants Construction Unions a No-Bid, Sole-Source Contract for $1.3 Billion of Work at Sacramento International In a victory for union construction workers, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved a plan 3-2 requiring that construction work on the $1.3 billion renovation and expansion of Sacramento International Airport be done by union members.
 
Desmond replaced Susan Peters on the Board of Supervisors in 2020 – defeating hard-left SMUD Board member Gregg Fishman by 2,100 votes with strong business support who mistakenly saw Desmond as a pragmatic replacement for Peters who would balance the Board of Supervisors from being dominated by the former union attorney Patrick Kennedy and the communist progressive son of former Sacramento Mayor Joe Serna.
 
Desmond visited WECA’s Mather campus and commented at the meeting that all state-approved apprentices should be able to build at SMF and that benefits should follow the worker. But when the Sacramento Building Trades reminded him of his apparent promises to support the trades intent to monopolize the SMF work, he folded like the cheap tent he is. He refused to direct the airport staff to incorporate fair contracting protections in the union-drafted board resolution that locks out responsible merit shop apprentices, journeypersons, and contractors from these projects. Worse, he rejected suggestions that the negotiated PLA be brought back to the Board, preferring to be done with the union handout with a single vote.
 
Cindy Nichol, the Sacrament County Department of Airports director, spoke favorably about the PLA to the Board of Supervisors. She said that when construction occurred for the new Terminal B, there had to be separate construction access entrances for union and union construction workers, which added $1 million a year to the construction costs. (Collective gasp!) She neglected to mention the County costs to negotiate and enforce a PLA and the 30% premium the county will pay because of reduced competition.
 
One of the more telling conversations occurred when Tom Enslow, a union mouthpiece, was asked, “What happens if the unions can't provide the workforce?” Tom, who is not the most practiced public speaker, replied, “We’ll just bring them from other areas of the state or nationwide,” belying the argument the PLA was about local hire.
 
If you live in Sacramento County and think Desmond was wrong to prostrate himself to the unions, or maybe believe there should be a level playing field for county construction – give him a call; I can't guarantee he will pick up. 916 768 3327
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Legislature Approves UI Benefits for Striking Workers A coalition of employers, including WECA, opposed SB 799 (co-authored by Senator Anthony Portantino and Assembly Member Laura Friedman, who are, coincidentally running against each other for the House of Representatives seat being vacant by Adam Schiff – who is running for the US Senate), arguing that it will require employers to subsidize striking workers, even if those workers or labor strikes had nothing to do with the employer. The bill allows striking workers to claim unemployment and will add the cost of those benefits to California’s outstanding loans. If SB 799 had been in effect during the previous twelve months, it would have added approximately $215 million to the UI Fund’s debt. Additionally, it will add approximately $30 million per week if it were in effect now.” Furthermore, SB 799 will also add to the state’s general fund obligation regarding the UI Fund. For example, in 2023-2024, the interest payment is expected to cost the state approximately $300 million – and similar payments will continue until the UI Fund returns to solvency. None of these arguments persuaded the Legislature to reject this spending bill and sent it to Governor Newson, who recently threw cold water on the idea, though he didn’t outright say he would veto it. In an interview with POLITICO, he pointed to a growing deficit in the state unemployment insurance fund. That didn’t stop 27 Democrats in the Senate and 59 Democrats in the Assembly from sending the bill to Newsom. You can read our veto letter here.
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Because Electricity Grows on Trees: Local Officials Tell Governor, California Must Ban Gas In New Buildings Twenty-six local government leaders in California — including those from the major cities of San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Jose — are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to urgently pursue statewide standards requiring new buildings to be all-electric rather than burn fossil fuels on-site for uses such as cooking and space and water heating. Story
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According to Politico, Carl DeMaio’s Reform California is looking to flex its muscle in a region (Sandy Ego) where it holds sway with many volunteers. The group announced a new push that targets Assemblymember Brian Maienschein, a Republican turned Democrat from the San Diego area. Reform California wants to direct Republicans and independents to vote for his opponent and help punish Democrats for their votes in Sacramento. Maienschein is eyeing the city attorney’s office, and California politicos are watching closely how groups like Reform play in Dem-on-Dem races. The ultimate place they might have influence is if Reps. Adam Schiff and Katie Porter emerge to a Senate runoff — allowing right-leaning groups to try to play spoiler.
___

Sick Pay Obligations to Increase SB 616 will increase the three days of paid sick leave currently afforded to employees under existing law to five days; it increases the cap that employers can place on paid sick days from six to 10 days and 48 to 80 hours and increases the number of paid sick days an employee can roll over to the next year from three to five days. It extends procedural and anti-retaliation provisions in existing paid sick leave law to employees covered by a valid collective bargaining agreement exempted, if they meet specified criteria, from other paid sick leave law provisions. Alas, it was sent to Gov Newson on a party-line vote.
___

Contractors Will Be Required to Report Their Top Three WC Classification Codes (AB 336) The District Council of Iron Workers of California persuaded the State Legislature (come on, who doesn’t believe a union BA?) to require a contractor licensee, at the time of renewal, to certify on a license renewal form the three workers’ compensation classification codes for which the highest estimated payroll is reported. Supporters generally noted that this bill would help prevent fraud in the workers' compensation system, which was enough to pass the bill. The CSLB reported a one-time cost of approximately $227,500 for a limited-term IT consultant, which is not absorbable in the CSLB’s current resources. The IT changes needed include adding new classification codes to the CSLB’s enterprise licensing system, custom programming to allow online information entry, and updating data to post from CSLB’s system to the licensee’s public data portal. Your license dollars at work.
___

No More Than One Sub-Contractor from Each Trade Can Be Employed Unless They Employ Workers AB 1204 will prohibit a licensed contractor from subcontracting with two or more contractors in the same classification on the same job site unless the subcontractor has employees who perform the work in the relevant classification. Sponsored by the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California, this bill will prohibit any specialty contractor from using two or more subcontractors in the same license classification for work at the same job site unless the subcontractor has employees. I feel better already. It is waiting for Governor Newsom to return from his race for President.
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Contractors Will Be Required to Keep Paper CPRs AB 587 will require any copy of records requested by, and made available for inspection by or furnished to, a Taft-Hartley trust fund or joint labor-management committee to be on forms provided by the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) or contain the same information as the forms provided by DLSE. Additionally, this bill clarifies that copies of electronic certified payroll records do not satisfy payroll records requests made by Taft-Hartley trust funds and joint labor-management committees. California-Nevada Conference of Operating Engineers, sponsor of the bill, states, "Outside of the traditional requirements contractors must abide by related to maintaining payroll records and allowing access to those records, existing law additionally provides a separate requirement that mandates contractors and subcontractors must also electronically submit Certified Payroll records (e-CPR) directly to the Labor Commissioner at least once every 30 days while work is being performed on the project, and within 30 days after the final day of work performed on a project. Further, SB 954 (Archuleta) [Chapter 824, Statutes of 2022], which was signed into law in 2022, required that the Department of Industrial Relations establish a database of these payroll records that are accessible to both Joint Labor Management Committee and Taft-Hartley Trust Funds. While the electronic submission of these records has streamlined and improved how Joint-Labor Management Committees and Taft-Hartley Trusts access payroll records, these entities will often notice inconsistencies on an e-CPR and still need to request the traditional records of a public works contractor to ensure the inaccuracy they have spotted isn't a violation of labor law. Recently, JLMC's and Taft-Hartley Trusts have noticed an issue whereby they see an error or omission on an e-CPR and make a request to the awarding agency to verify the record, only to be provided a copy of the e-CPR that they already have access to. This misunderstanding of law leads to compliance entities missing out on vital information they have historically been entitled to under existing law. In effort to remedy this issue, [this bill] would clarify that any copies of records made available to a Taft-Hartley Trust Fund or a federally approved Joint Labor-Management Committee be provided in the manner specified in Labor Code Section 1776 (c). The bill would provide further clarity by specifying that copies of electronic certified payroll records shall not satisfy a payroll records request made by either a multi-employer Taft-Hartley trust fund (29 United State Code Section 186(c)(5)) or a joint labor-management committee.” It’s all nonsense but that didn’t stop the California Legislature from approving.

WECA exhibited our role in the electrical industry to hundreds of attendees at the Joint IAEI Southwestern/Northwestern Section Meeting in Bakersfield last week.
 
Electrical industry professionals from across the country, including California, Arizona, and Utah, attended this conference; attendees included inspectors, contractors, plant and facilities engineers, and manufacturers.
 
WECA was a high-voltage sponsor for the event. This allowed for Terry Seabury, Executive Director and CEO, Jimmie Slemp, long-time WECA Instructor and IAEI member, and Rex Hime, Central Valley Regional Relationship Manager, to educate the attendees on what makes WECA training and apprenticeship so special, including our emphases on Code knowledge, safety, and hands-on, competency-based apprenticeship training.
 
With WECA now having training facilities across California, Arizona, and Utah, this event was a great opportunity to spread awareness about not only the merit shop philosophy and the services and benefits we offer to contractors, but also about the Apprenticeship and Electrician Trainee Programs we offer!
 
A big thank you to WECA board member John Pavletich and Pavletich Electric & Communications for also sponsoring the event and helping us to wave the WECA flag at the event this past week.




 

We hope all of our member contractors, industry partners, and affiliates in the Riverside community--as well as any members of the public curious to learn more about our programs--can join us for an Open House we're holding jointly with AGC in Riverside at our Apprenticeship Training Center there on September 14th. Please mark your calendars, and we look forward to seeing you there!

We are excited to extend a warm invitation to all our members to join us at the 2023 Diversity Job & Career Fair hosted by the Greater Southern United Labor Council (GSUL). This event is a unique opportunity to connect with a diverse talent pool and explore potential partnerships that align with our commitment to inclusivity and excellence. Taking place on October 9th at the Hyatt Regency Sacramento, the career fair promises to be a dynamic platform for networking, recruiting, and fostering collaboration. We believe your participation will not only contribute to your organization's growth but also support our collective efforts to promote diversity and equal opportunity within our industry.

Learn more and secure your spot.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Sergio Sanchez-Rangel was born in Riverside, California, and is now an Apprenticeship Instructor at our Riverside Training Facility. He was exposed to the construction industry at an early age because his great aunt was always working for a construction company. His Dad maintains a passion for working on cars, so Sergio also grew up watching and helping his Dad work on them in the garage. “I would say my first electrical job was installing Christmas lights for 5 cents a bulb when I was about 6 or 7,” says Sergio.
 
After graduating from Arlington High School in 2013, he moved to Gypsum, CO, and undertook two jobs at once: auto parts store clerk from 7 am - 2 pm, and then meat wrapper/sanitation worker from 2:30 pm- 9 pm. He endured that schedule for several months until he landed a job as a maintenance worker for a strip mall with apartments above retail stores; there he learned how to retrofit fluorescent lighting to the new (at the time) L.E.Ds. In September of 2014, his great aunt let him know that Champion Electric Inc. was looking for workers, so he flew back to California for the opportunity. Sergio says “I never knew I would become an electrician or, early on, even have considered it being such a great career. But I liked science, and since I had a basic understanding of how electrons and electricity worked and always try to have a good work ethic I realized being an electrician was a good career choice for me--especially factoring how rewarding it can be financially. It's personally rewarding, too--I can look around my community and say 'I helped build that.'"
?
Sergio began his electrical apprenticeship in 2015. He has been on all types of projects around Southern and Central California. “I was blessed to be exposed to many different types of projects and I tried to soak up all the knowledge I could. The apprenticeship program meant my education was paid for, and I tried to take advantage of the free education as much as I could because I wanted to be knowledgeable in my field. It paid off because I was always able to take what I learned from class and directly apply it in the field and help solve problems.” Sergio passed his California General Electrician Certification exam in 2018 and graduated from the Inside-wireman apprenticeship program (Associated Builders and Contractors Anaheim Chapter) in 2019.  He has worked for Champion Electric Inc, Bergelectric, and Rancho Pacific Inc, and has also done contracting work as his own C-10, Control of Power Electric.
 
When it comes to teaching, Sergio believes, “Teaching our students safe electrical work practices through what I have experienced, and providing real-life examples is so important; this trade is rewarding but it can be dangerous if you aren't safe. I try to make the school experience fun and enjoyable so our students will be engaged with learning the skills it takes to become an electrician and pass their California General Electrician Certification Exam!”

WECA Apprenticeship Instructor Donald Williams, based at our San Diego Training Facility, was born in San Diego but moved to Texas until he was 5. Then he and his family moved back and he’s been here ever since.
 
Donald got interested in the electrical field just from doing research on the trades—he says he needed something that would pay the bills, because college wasn’t for him. In his research, he found that electricians are very sought after; that they are the first ones on the jobsite and one of the last to leave.
 
Donald was hired by Bergelectric in 2015 and they registered him in WECA’s apprenticeship program shortly thereafter. He was with them through the majority of his apprenticeship. With Berg, he led work, became an estimator, and then became a project engineer (PE), all while still an apprentice. Bergelectric earned the CalOsha Golden State Award on an airport job on which Donald was a PE.
 
He graduated from WECA’s Commercial Electrical apprenticeship program as its Southern California valedictorian and became a certified journeyperson; working for a few years as an electrician at SeaWorld. There he was a safety trainer and safety liaison as well. He also began teaching for WECA’s Get Wired program shortly after becoming a journeyperson. “I found out I loved teaching when I became a scuba instructor before ever getting into the trade. My ultimate goal was to become a fulltime WECA apprenticeship instructor, so when I saw the job opening, I applied. Needless to say, it went well, so here I am. I specialize in motors, troubleshooting, and Code,” says Donald.
 
Additionally, he says "I feel that training is important because out in the field you never hear why we do things. It’s always 'do this or that because your boss or the prints say so.' The training gives students a chance to learn why they are doing it that way; why the engineer designed it that way.”
 
His primary teaching philosophies are:
 
‘When one teaches, two learn.’ –Robert Heinlein
?
‘A good teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.’ –Thomas Carruthers

Dear WECA Member Contractors, Industry Partners, and Industry Supporters,
 
WECA is proud to announce the WECA California Graduating Class of 2023!
 
These Commercial Electrical, Residential Electrical, and Low Voltage Apprentices -- as well as a record number of Electrician Trainees in our GetWired ET Certificate program -- have successfully completed their education with WECA!
 
Help us honor their achievement with your sponsorship of their graduation event(s) on:
 
- Saturday, September 30, 2023 at Lake Oak Meadows (36101 Glen Oaks Road A, Temecula, CA 92592) from 1:00 to 4:00 PM for Southern California graduates.
 
- Saturday, October 7, 2023 at WECA's California Headquarters (3695 Bleckely Street, Rancho Cordova, CA 95655) from 4 PM - 7:30 PM for Northern California graduates.
 
Make their graduation memorable. Your sponsorship can allow you and members of your team to attend and meet the graduates -- especially meaningful for them if you're their contractor. Plus, you can meet WECA instructors and staff, other member contractors, and electrical industry supporters as well.
 
Your sponsorship will be recognized at both graduation events!
 
Please consider the sponsorship opportunities available at the link, and thank you for your support of electrical and low voltage education!
 
Sincerely,
The WECA Graduation Team
 
 
Reserve your sponsorship package

Sergio Sanchez-Rangel was born in Riverside, California, and is now an Apprenticeship Instructor at our Riverside Training Facility. He was exposed to the construction industry at an early age because his great aunt was always working for a construction company. His Dad maintains a passion for working on cars, so Sergio also grew up watching and helping his Dad work on them in the garage. “I would say my first electrical job was installing Christmas lights for 5 cents a bulb when I was about 6 or 7,” says Sergio.

After graduating from Arlington High School in 2013, he moved to Gypsum, CO, and undertook two jobs at once: auto parts store clerk from 7 am - 2 pm, and then meat wrapper/sanitation worker from 2:30 pm- 9 pm. He endured that schedule for several months until he landed a job as a maintenance worker for a strip mall with apartments above retail stores; there he learned how to retrofit fluorescent lighting to the new (at the time) L.E.Ds. In September of 2014, his great aunt let him know that Champion Electric Inc. was looking for workers, so he flew back to California for the opportunity. Sergio says “I never knew I would become an electrician or, early on, even have considered it being such a great career. But I liked science, and since I had a basic understanding of how electrons and electricity worked and always try to have a good work ethic I realized being an electrician was a good career choice for me--especially factoring how rewarding it can be financially. It's personally rewarding, too--I can look around my community and say 'I helped build that.'"
?
Sergio began his electrical apprenticeship in 2015. He has been on all types of projects around Southern and Central California. “I was blessed to be exposed to many different types of projects and I tried to soak up all the knowledge I could. The apprenticeship program meant my education was paid for, and I tried to take advantage of the free education as much as I could because I wanted to be knowledgeable in my field. It paid off because I was always able to take what I learned from class and directly apply it in the field and help solve problems.” Sergio passed his California General Electrician Certification exam in 2018 and graduated from the Inside-wireman apprenticeship program (Associated Builders and Contractors Anaheim Chapter) in 2019.  He has worked for Champion Electric Inc, Bergelectric, and Rancho Pacific Inc, and has also done contracting work as his own C-10, Control of Power Electric.

When it comes to teaching, Sergio believes, “Teaching our students safe electrical work practices through what I have experienced, and providing real-life examples is so important; this trade is rewarding but it can be dangerous if you aren't safe. I try to make the school experience fun and enjoyable so our students will be engaged with learning the skills it takes to become an electrician and pass their California General Electrician Certification Exam!”
 

WECA Apprenticeship Instructor Donald Williams, based at our San Diego Training Facility, was born in San Diego but moved to Texas until he was 5. Then he and his family moved back and he’s been here ever since.

Donald got interested in the electrical field just from doing research on the trades—he says he needed something that would pay the bills, because college wasn’t for him. In his research, he found that electricians are very sought after; that they are the first ones on the jobsite and one of the last to leave.

Donald was hired by Bergelectric in 2015 and they registered him in WECA’s apprenticeship program shortly thereafter. He was with them through the majority of his apprenticeship. With Berg, he led work, became an estimator, and then became a project engineer (PE), all while still an apprentice. Bergelectric earned the CalOsha Golden State Award on an airport job on which Donald was a PE.

He graduated from WECA’s Commercial Electrical apprenticeship program as its Southern California valedictorian and became a certified journeyperson; working for a few years as an electrician at SeaWorld. There he was a safety trainer and safety liaison as well. He also began teaching for WECA’s Get Wired program shortly after becoming a journeyperson. “I found out I loved teaching when I became a scuba instructor before ever getting into the trade. My ultimate goal was to become a fulltime WECA apprenticeship instructor, so when I saw the job opening, I applied. Needless to say, it went well, so here I am. I specialize in motors, troubleshooting, and Code,” says Donald.

Additionally, he says "I feel that training is important because out in the field you never hear why we do things. It’s always 'do this or that because your boss or the prints say so.' The training gives students a chance to learn why they are doing it that way; why the engineer designed it that way.”

His primary teaching philosophies are:

‘When one teaches, two learn.’ –Robert Heinlein
?
‘A good teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary.’ –Thomas Carruthers

 

WECA California Commercial Electrical Apprentices: A reminder that all participants in the WECA health benefits are required to complete a NEW United Healthcare enrollment form, even if you are not making any changes. 

The final day to turn your completed enrollment forms is Friday September 1, 2023, by the close of business.

To view your health benefits, log into our website at www.goweca.com, and click on Commercial Apprentices Benefits. Here you will find the New Enrollment form. 
For an overview of your WECA health benefits, see the 2023-2024 Lockton Benefits Page for WECA Commercial Apprentices.

And if you haven’t already, check your email from Monday 8/21/2023 for Open Enrollment information. Included in the email is a New United Healthcare enrollment form, United Healthcare HMO Network, and comparison chart for the new health plans. New health plans are Signature Value HMO (Full) and the Signature Value Advantage HMO (less out of pocket expense); both have the same coverage.

For questions, please reach out to WECA Insurance Administrator Cindy Cormier at ccormier@goweca.com or (916) 453-0221 ext. 117.

?? Congrats to Instructor Jimmie Slemp on reaching quite a milestone – 20 years at WECA! The team in Sacramento got together to celebrate and toast him with taquitos. ?? ?? Thank you, Jimmie, for sharing your knowledge, dedication, expertise, and humor with all of us, and for your unwavering commitment to the apprentices and students in your classroom.

 

Content courtesy of SmartDollar

SmartDollar is offering ways to win serious money for the month of September.
 
Create your SmartDollar account now so you’ll be ready to log in every day in September and max out your entries!
 
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Not yet signed up for SmartDollar? No worries -- getting started is easy! Learn how below.

SmartDollar is a financial wellness benefit for WECA apprentices. We announced our partnership with the Dave Ramsey-founded online financial wellness platform in January, 2021 to provide our apprentices with a sound foundation in personal finance management. This benefit is available to all WECA apprentices free of charge. Not yet signed up for SmartDollar? No worries -- scroll to the bottom of this article for instructions!

What is SmartDollar? SmartDollar is a step-by-step approach to handling money with the number-one authority in personal finance, Dave Ramsey. More than 4.5 million people have started on Dave's plan and taken control of their money, and you can too! SmartDollar will equip you to get out of debt, on a budget, and on your way to a strong financial foundation.

The average person pays off $9,405 of debt and saves $6,127 in the first twelve months, and you can too!

"This program is powerful yet simple to understand. The Baby Steps make understanding how to win with money easy! Dave's lessons are fun, informative, and incredibly encouraging. It really doesn't feel like I'm taking a financial course. It's more like learning finances from a good friend...or a financially savvy stand-up comedian! The online tools are fantastic as well, and I love being able to 'ASK DAVE' any question and do my budget online. Love it all!" - Recent participant

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How does SmartDollar work? With so many ways to engage in SmartDollar activities and content, SmartDollar Points have been designed to encourage users to establish true behavior change. (Check out the graph below for a quick rundown). The greater the importance and required time of each activity, the greater the amount of points that can be earned. For example, each Core Lesson video completed is worth 250 points. Completing a shorter Deep Dive video is worth 50 points. Tracking a transaction in EveryDollar is only worth 20 points, but users are encouraged to track all their financial transactions with no points limitations. These example activities are key for building the confidence you need to reach your financial goals.

Taking advantage of your free financial wellness benefit, SmartDollar, is easy!

To set up your account after accessing your dashboard, click either of the links shown as highlighted in the screenshot to the right of this paragraph. You'll be taken to a page with a SmartDollar enrollment link, where you will be able to set up immediate access to this important benefit.

Ready to get started?
?
?Login to your GOWECA dashboard


 

Are you looking to get started in WECA's Electrician Trainee Certificate Program this Fall?

WECA’s California State-approved Electrician Trainee program educates thousands of Trainees across the state of California.

This program is a great path for students who are not sponsored apprentices. Electrician Trainees who complete WECA's program can earn the WECA Electrician Trainee Program Certificate. This certificate, in concert with the required number of on the job training hours, qualifies California Electrician Trainees to take the CA state General or Residential Electrician certification exam.

Design the journey to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate in California that works for YOU. Learn all about the different ways and combinations--online; onsite; instructor-led; on your own--that you can now take WECA's GetWired program.

Watch the video to learn more:

WECA California Class of 2023! We can't wait to see you at your graduation celebration. If you haven't already, please check your email for your invitation and ticketing details, and make sure to RSVP promptly. See you there!

 

National Labor Relations Board Reverts to Shortened 2014 Representation Election Timeframe On August 24, 2023, the National Labor Relations Board (the “Board”) issued a final rule (the “2023 final rule”) amending the federal regulations that govern representation election procedures. The 2023 final rule is the latest in a history of back and forth changes reducing or prolonging the timeframe from a petition for union representation to an election, and from an election to certification of the election results (hereinafter the “representation election process”). Effective December 26, 2023, the 2023 final rule will drastically shorten the representation election process by returning to the standard the Board adopted in 2014. The changes, include:

• Pre-election hearings will be scheduled sooner and take place sooner;
• Statements of Position will be due sooner, and Responsive Statements of Position will normally be oral;
• Regional directors will have limited ability to extend the deadline for filing Statements of Position; and
• Post-hearing briefing will be allowed only where the regional director or hearing officer determines they are necessary and not as a matter of right.

Story
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OSHA Wants to Revise its Worker Walkaround Representative Policy –Employers Should Be Concerned On August 29, 2023, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released a proposed rule that would resurrect an Obama-era policy that allowed employees to designate third-party representatives to accompany OSHA inspectors on walkaround inspections of their employer’s workplace. OSHA says the proposed rule seeks to “aid OSHA’s workplace inspections by better-enabling employees to select a representative of their choice to accompany the Compliance Safety and Health Officer (CSHO) during a physical workplace inspection.” Specifically, OSHA proposes to revise 29 CFR 1903.8(c) to clarify that (1) a representative authorized by employees may be an employee of the employer or a non-employee third party, and (2) employees may authorize a third-party representative reasonably necessary to conduct an effective and thorough physical inspection of the workplace by virtue of their knowledge, skills, or experience. Story
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California Is Adding Green Jobs. That Means More Labor Fights. The millions of dollars California is pumping into climate jobs are fueling long-simmering conflicts among the state’s powerful labor groups. Fights between environmental groups and labor unions multiply as the state adds green jobs. They’re threatening to slow California’s progress on climate change. “There is progress, but we’re not where we need to be,” said state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), whose bill to connect new buildings to the electrical grid more quickly stalled in June after labor unions accused him of trying to circumvent collective bargaining by making it easier to hire non-union contractors. Clashes over whether wildfire workers should be paid more and whether solar panel installers should also be allowed to install batteries are pitting labor unions against wildfire prevention advocates and a segment of the renewable energy industry.

Union representatives say a bill in the state Legislature to increase pay for workers who trim roadside brush and create fuel breaks in wildfire-prone areas will help attract more applicants. “We all want more forest mitigation done,” said Tim Cremins, political director for the Western region of the International Union of Operating Engineers, which is sponsoring the bill. “We want it done with a more skilled and better-paid workforce." The bill, AB338, draws opposition from rural counties that want to move faster on wildfire treatments. The state is already behind in meeting its forest management goals, and rural advocates say that adding a prevailing wage requirement could reduce the number of acres treated annually by more than a third. “We’re talking about a fuel break that could save a whole community in the event of a high-severity wildfire,” said Staci Heaton, a policy advocate for the Rural County Representatives of California, which opposes the bill.
Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed a version of the proposal last year, saying he was concerned the change would delay essential fire preparedness work. It’s not clear what he thinks of this year’s bill, which is largely unchanged. Complicating the proposal this year is the late opposition by the state’s main electrical workers’ union, which represents workers thinning vegetation along utility lines and has been tussling with other industries over jobs it sees as its own.

This debate is heading toward compromise. According to people close to the discussions, Assemblymember Cecilia Aguiar-Curry (D-Winters), Newsom, and the unions are nearing a deal on the forest worker pay raise. The deal would require higher wages without the extra paperwork associated with a traditional “public works” designation, delay implementation, and carve out some exemptions for projects led by nonprofits.
And the CSLB is likely to settle on rules that limit non-certified panel installers to working on batteries below a certain size — a compromise that regulators expect will preserve work for certified electricians and contractors as demand increases.

However, lawmakers couldn’t resolve the conflict with IBEW over SB 284, a bill to open utility work to the same labor standards as public works projects. It was intended to speed up the connection of new buildings to electrical lines. This process in California can take months or years, delaying housing projects and other critical developments. The bill would have prohibited utilities from requiring union contracts for projects over $10,000. IBEW called it an “anti-union right to work provision.” The bill was shelved for the year shortly after that. Wiener said he hopes to bring the bill back next year. He said the building trades unions have backed wind energy and some other renewable projects, but the state is “not where we need to be” to build at the required pace. “We should never use lack of existing workforce as an excuse not to save the planet,” he said. “The solution is to save the planet and ramp up the workforce.”
___
And a slightly different take, Green Jobs Are More in Demand Than Nurses — And They Pay a Premium The number of “green” job openings has eclipsed the demand for licensed practical nurses, according to a new study. That means there are about 410,000 openings for green workers in 2022, slightly more than demand for LPNs — a job type historically and consistently in high demand — during that same time, according to a new report by workforce demographics firm Lightcast. About 1.4 million workers are employed in green jobs across the country. “Green jobs are on the rise, and the upward trend isn’t likely to change in the coming years," said Lightcast Senior Economist Rachel Sederberg. "With sectors like the auto industry, tech and even durable-goods manufacturing making efforts to be more environmentally conscious, we’re going to need more workers with green skills." Story [Alternate link]
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So, How’s that IRA Working for You? The Chronicle’s Joe Garofoli noted recently: “President Biden and every Democrat on the campaign trail will spend the next year bragging about the Inflation Reduction Act, which they universally tout as the ‘biggest climate action investment in history.’ You will hear Democrats boast that the IRA, signed a year ago, includes $8.8 billion in tax credits and rebates to encourage people to buy energy-saving devices such as heat pumps.” One problem is that no one has received the rebates one year later, and it's unclear when they will happen. Story
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Unions Up the Ante in LA.  Coming soon to Los Angeles: A provocative city ballot measure that would require hotels to rent vacant rooms to homeless people! The ballot initiative will go before voters next March after the Los Angeles City Council voted to place it on the ballot instead of enacting the controversial ordinance. It aims at the hotel industry in several ways, requiring that if a new hotel project demolishes or converts existing housing, the developers must build affordable units on or near the new hotel site.

?However, the most controversial part of the measure pertains to hotel vacancies. Hotels would have to report empty rooms to the city’s housing department. The city would then use pre-paid vouchers to place homeless people in those available rooms. Hotels would receive a “fair market rate” from the city for the rooms and be barred from refusing to admit someone using a voucher. The ballot measure is sponsored by Unite Here Local 11, which is in a contract standoff with Los Angeles and Orange County hotels. The union collected more than 126,000 signatures to qualify the measure for the ballot, far more than required. Kurt Petersen, co-president of Local 11, said he was confident voters would support it in March. “When housing is on the ballot, it wins.” A new ad campaign, which is produced by the Center for Union Facts, went up this week.
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California Voters To Decide 11^th Parcel Tax Ballot Measure This Year, 961^st Since 2008 Voters in Santa Lucia Community Services District, a special district in Monterey County, will decide on a parcel tax ballot measure—Measure T—on Aug. 29. The measure will be the 11^th local parcel tax ballot measure California voters have decided this year, and the 961^st they have decided since 2008. Measure T would enact an annual tax of $954.67 on developed and undeveloped estate residential parcels. Revenue from the parcel tax would provide funding for the district's fire and EMS services. Owners of the parcels would pay the tax. A two-thirds vote is required to approve Measure T.
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House Republicans Already Vying for Approps Opening WECA/Utah’s representative Chris Stewart’s decision to retire on Sept. 15 has triggered behind-the-scenes jockeying among younger Republican colleagues who want to claim his coveted Appropriations Committee seat. Conversations among GOP lawmakers eyeing Stewart’s spot have played out quietly so far, largely out of respect for the well-liked Utahn — who announced he would step down due to his wife’s illness. But House GOP Steering Committee members — the leadership-driven group that decides most gavels and committee assignments — told us they have already gotten taps on the shoulder from interested Republicans. Two steering committee members — Reps. Dave Joyce (R-Ohio) and Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) — said they’ve heard from first-term members hoping to get on the panel that boasts major sway over the federal spending process.
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California Minimum Wage Increases Jan. 1 – What Employers Should Know The California Department of Finance recently notified the state's governor and legislative leaders that current economic conditions require an increase of the state's minimum wage from $15.50 per hour to $16 per hour for all employees on January 1, 2024. The change results from Labor Code section 1182.12, which requires the Director of Finance to determine on or before August 1 of each year whether adjustments to the minimum wage for inflation are to be made. Based upon recent federal data showing a consumer price index increase of 6.16 percent, the Department of Finance determined that a 3.5 percent increase to the minimum wage is required. As a result of the statewide minimum wage increase, employers must ensure that any California employees classified as exempt under the executive, professional, or administrative exemptions make at least $66,560 as of January 1, 2024. This is because the Labor Code defines the salary threshold for these employees as a multiple of the state minimum wage; when the minimum wage increases, so does the salary threshold amount. California employers should also be aware that a ballot initiative to increase the minimum wage to $18 per hour has qualified for a November 2024 vote (the Living Wage Act, Initiative 21-0043). Story
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A Housing Loophole in Saratoga CalMatters recently reported on a State mandate to use Skilled and Trained Workforce. “One of the fiercest fights in California politics — one that divided union coalitions and led to the unceremonious death of many a housing bill— seems to have come to a quiet end in the San Jose suburbs. As CalMatters reported in May, of all the projects to break ground using of a closely-watched 2017 housing law meant to speed up the construction of apartment buildings, all but one were entirely set aside for lower-income residents – thus avoiding a strict hiring standard, backed by some of the state’s most powerful construction unions. The lone holdout — “the California housing policy equivalent of a unicorn” — was the Quito Village townhouse complex in the affluent Santa Clara County city of Saratoga. But there was a catch: PulteGroup, the project developer, wasn’t abiding by that higher standard. Why do we care? The union-backed “skilled and trained” workforce standard has been a sticking point for housing bills for years. When Sen. Wiener introduced a bill to renew the 2017 streamlining law this year, he removed that requirement for projects with market-rate units, arguing that it was too costly to produce new housing. The fact that even this one project didn’t comply with the rule seemed to support that argument. After CalMatters asked the City of Saratoga whether the Quito Village developer complied with the rule, officials asked PulteGroup. That’s where things stood when the CalMatters story ran. An update: In a lengthy letter dissecting the statute, a lawyer representing PulteGroup argued that state law does not require it to abide by the stricter standard. If true, the standard would only hold in 12 cities statewide. Anyway, the letter added, Wiener’s new bill is about to dispense with the old rules, so it’s a bit of a moot point. Crystal Bothelio, a spokesperson for Saratoga: After receiving that letter, “the City concurred.”
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In a related story How Housing Activists and Unions Found Common Ground In California Over the last decade, whenever California lawmakers tried to pass new legislation aimed at boosting the state’s alarmingly low housing stock, they’d come face to face with a politically powerful barrier: organized labor. It wasn’t that unions wanted no new housing in California, but their top priority was ensuring that any new units would be built with unionized workers and that the nearly half a million members represented by the State Building and Construction Trades Council, or “the Trades,” as it’s locally known, would be well positioned to find good jobs in the future. Keenly aware of how sharply industry standards have declined in parts of the country with less union power and still reeling from job losses during the last recession, the Trades have assertively fought bills they deemed threatening to their way of life.
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Another Arizona Senate Candidate Apparently undeterred by his loss to Sen. Mark Kelly last year, Blake Masters plans to jump into another Arizona Senate GOP primary, according to the WSJ’s Eliza Collins. His impending announcement could set up an intra-MAGA clash with Kari Lake, also widely expected to run. That would add even more chaotic dynamics to what could already be a three-way general election with independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema and Democratic Rep. Ruben Gallego. Lake is still seen as the likely frontrunner in the primary over Masters, though.

We hope all of our member contractors, industry partners, and affiliates in the Riverside community--as well as any members of the public curious to learn more about our programs--can join us for an Open House we're holding jointly with AGC in Riverside at our Apprenticeship Training Center there on September 14th. Please mark your calendars, and we look forward to seeing you there!

WECA was pleased to host a recent Riverside Chamber of Commerce event at our Riverside Apprenticeship Training facility.

During the event, attendees received information about WECA’s apprenticeship program and workforce development efforts in the region, and then we had the chance to give about a dozen Chamber members an up-close look at our program when they joined our facility tour. The tour included a live demonstration by WECA's skilled instructors, showcasing a class in progress in which our apprentices learn mastery of hands-on skills and leadership competences in our large, state-of-the art lab area.

This event was a great opportunity to connect with Chamber staff and current members, government representatives, and future government leaders. By sharing our mission and expertise, WECA hopes to foster valuable relationships for the future.

Congratulations to WECA Member Contractor Royal Electric for Making the Sacramento Business Journal's List of Fastest-Growing Companies in the region!

Congratulations to WECA Member Contractor K2 Electric for Making the Phoenix Business Journal's List of Top Family-Owned Businesses!

Congratulations to WECA Member Contractor Corbins for Making the AZBIGMEDIA's List of Most Admired Companies of 2023!

WECA's Diane Trotter, a leader and advocate in the field of workforce development, will be a panelist at an August 30th lunch-and-learn webinar on "Women in Registered Apprenticeship Programs: Breaking Down Barriers and Building Accessibility into High Paid, Growing Jobs," sponsored by net.America, a U.S. Department of Labor-contracted Industry Intermediary for both youth and traditional apprenticeships in the healthcare, health, IT, and energy sectors. Diane will discuss WECA's concerted workforce development efforts and industry collaboration in drawing more women into apprenticeship programs and rewarding careers in the electrical and low voltage fields. We hope you can join us. Register now at: https://hopin.com/events/womeninraps

Upcoming Webinar from the US Dept of Labor, Wage and Hour Division:
 

DOL Overview of Changes to the Davis-Bacon and Related Act Regulations

An overview of the recent changes to the regulations implementing the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts at Parts 1, 3, and 5.

The Department of Labor's recently published final rule, Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Acts Regulations, is the first comprehensive Davis-Bacon and Related Acts (DBRA) regulatory review in nearly 40 years. DBRA requires the payment of prevailing wages and fringe benefits to laborers and mechanics who work on federal or District of Columbia contracts in excess of $2,000 for the construction, alteration, or repair of public buildings and public works. The final rule updates and modernizes the regulations implementing the DBRA at 29 CFR parts 1, 3, and 5 with the goal of increasing efficiency of administration of the Act and enhancing protections for covered construction workers. This webinar, available on September 13th and September 14th from 1:00 to 3:00 pm EST, will discuss these important changes.

Register HERE.

?? Congrats to Instructor Jimmie Slemp on reaching quite a milestone – 20 years at WECA! The team in Sacramento got together to celebrate and toast him with taquitos. ?? ??

Thank you, Jimmie, for sharing your knowledge, dedication, expertise, and humor with all of us, and for your unwavering commitment to the apprentices and students in your classroom.

 

Please attend September 12th meeting with your apprentices and comment publicly on how a PLA would impact you and your employees

HIGH THREAT POTENTIAL SAC COUNTY PLA – YOUR VOICE IS NEEDED
 
When: September 12, 9:30 am
Where: County Administration Center
   700 H Street, Board Chambers (Room 1450)
   Sacramento, CA 95814
 
The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors will consider a Project Labor Agreement (PLA) on expanding the Sacramento Airport (SMF). This PLA is being revisited after a huge victory was secured for merit shop contractors in 2010 when the county began construction on the new terminal B without a PLA, but the board of supervisors has changed since then. The county recently unveiled a $1.3 billion airport expansion plan, and the building trades want 100% of the work.
 
If you are a contractor who cares about PLAs or know anyone who does business with Sacramento County or this airport specifically, please attend this meeting with your apprentices and comment publicly on how a PLA would impact you and your employees.
 
Below are the projects being targeted by this PLA…
 
· Terminal B Parking Garage--$380 million
· Concourse B Expansion--$250 million
· Ground Transportation Center -- $55 million
· Lindberg Bypass and roadway improvements – $10 million
· Terminal A Expansion and a new Consolidated Rental Car Facility -- $390 million
 
Over $1 Billion of work is on the table for you and your employees. With your voice, you can make a difference and possibly prevent another local agency from creating discriminatory practices in California.
 
There are just under three weeks until the meeting; please email Richard Markuson if you can attend. 

Join WECA Industry Partner Graybar and their collaborator ChargePoint for an upcoming webinar where they'll discuss The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program. The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) standards and requirements were established by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and went into effect in March 2023. These regulations cover the requirements for projects funded under the NEVI formula program to construct publicly accessible EV chargers.

Graybar and ChargePoint will discuss:

• Phase I, Focus on Alt Fuel Corridors
• Program application requirements
• Solution configurations
• How Graybar and ChargePoint can help

Date: Tuesday, August 29, 2023
Time: 10:30 AM Central Daylight Time
Duration: 1 hour

Click HERE to register

Dear WECA Member Contractors, Industry Partners, and Industry Supporters,
 
WECA is proud to announce the WECA California Graduating Class of 2023!
 
These Commercial Electrical, Residential Electrical, and Low Voltage Apprentices -- as well as a record number of Electrician Trainees in our GetWired ET Certificate program -- have successfully completed their education with WECA!
 
Help us honor their achievement with your sponsorship of their graduation event(s) on:
 
- Saturday, September 30, 2023 at Lake Oak Meadows (36101 Glen Oaks Road A, Temecula, CA 92592) from 1:00 to 4:00 PM for Southern California graduates.
 
- Saturday, October 7, 2023 at WECA's California Headquarters (3695 Bleckely Street, Rancho Cordova, CA 95655) from 4 PM - 7:30 PM for Northern California graduates.
 
Make their graduation memorable. Your sponsorship can allow you and members of your team to attend and meet the graduates -- especially meaningful for them if you're their contractor. Plus, you can meet WECA instructors and staff, other member contractors, and electrical industry supporters as well.
 
Your sponsorship will be recognized at both graduation events!
 
Please consider the sponsorship opportunities available at the link, and thank you for your support of electrical and low voltage education!
 
Sincerely,
The WECA Graduation Team
 
 
Reserve your sponsorship package

They’re BAAACK While the Legislature was on vacation, Newsom signed some bills and vetoed a few. But there are many more that legislators must decide before they adjourn on September 14. By the numbers (courtesy of my friend Chris Micheli):
Of 1,770 Assembly bills introduced this session, 1,055 have been sent to the Senate and nearly 90 have already gone to Newsom’s desk.
Of 890 Senate bills introduced, about 660 have been passed to the Assembly and nearly 50 to the governor.
About 390 Assembly measures and 290 Senate bills are before the other chamber’s appropriations committees this week as they move toward the dreaded “suspense file” at the end of the month.
Gut-and-amend: While it’s too late in the session to introduce entirely new legislation, there is a workaround. Lawmakers can “gut” an existing bill that is still alive and “amend” it with a completely different proposal.
That’s the plan on a measure to allow striking workers to collect unemployment benefits, Politico reported late last week. The California Labor Federation backed the bill, whose leader Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher unsuccessfully pushed the idea in 2019 when she was in the state Assembly. 
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WECA and CAPHCC Team at Joint Legislative Day. WECA and CAPHCC believe that constituent advocacy is an essential part of citizenship. This Wednesday, they collaborated on a morning of speakers and an afternoon of advocacy at the “Swing Space.” No, it is not a dance hall. The Swing Space is a new 9-story building at 10^th and O St that is occupied by the entire Legislature (well, excluding recently deposed “speaker-emeritus Anthony Rendon who decided to sulk in an adjacent building), the Governor who occupies the entire ninth floor, and the Lt. Governor who was given a cubicle in the basement. The lobbying afternoon was highlighted by protestors from SEIU who attempted to shut down the building by occupying the entrance and chanting about collectivism. Several protestors, including one former Legislator and two Sacramento Council members, were arrested for failing to disburse when ordered by the CHP. 
Key Legislation they lobbied on
·      SB 28 (Glazer) Oppose Authorizes a $15 billion bond measure for the construction and modernization of public preschool, K-12, California Community Colleges (CCC), University of California (UC), and California State University (CSU) facilities to be placed on the ballot for the March 2024 primary election. Like Proposition 13, which was rejected by voters in 2020, this bond bill requires the state to prioritize funding to school districts with PLAs. (Assembly Appropriations)
·      AB 247 (Muratsuchi) Support Would put the Kindergarten Through Community College Public Education Facilities Bond Act of 2024, a state general obligation bond, of $14 billion to construct and modernize education facilities on the November 2024 statewide ballot. Unlike SB 28 no PLA language in the bill. (Senate Appropriations)
·       [TBD] (Portantino) Oppose requires employers to pay UI benefits to striking workers; by doing so would raise taxes on all employers across California, overturn more than 70 years of precedent, and put California’s UI program at risk of violating federal law. California is currently in historic debt (approx. $18 billion) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the state-wide shutdown it caused. As a result, California employers are already paying increased UI taxes under federal law and are likely to face ongoing tax increases until approximately 2032. (Gut and amend)
·      SB 399 (Wahab) Oppose This bill effectively prohibits any discussion of political matters in the workplace. It is unnecessary, considering existing California and federal laws that protect employees from any coercion related to their political beliefs or activities. Further, the bill violates the First Amendment and is preempted by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA). (Assembly Appropriations)
·      SB 616 (Gonzalez) Oppose Expands the state’s paid sick leave law to would more than double the existing paid sick leave requirement. If passed, employers must provide employees with no less than 56 hours or seven days of sick leave by the 280th calendar day of employment. (Assembly Appropriations)
·      SCA 7 (Umberg) Oppose SCA 7 would create a basis to challenge virtually any state or local government infrastructure, energy, or housing project or procurement proposal; eliminate charter city home rule authority over local wages and employment terms; prohibit state and local budget actions that reduce public employment; prohibit adoption of state or local laws that reduce private sector employment; create several new classes of potential organizing (workers) currently excluded from collective bargaining; and require reexamination potentially dozens or hundreds of proposed statutes from this session that could conflict with SCA 7. (Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments)
 
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Newsom for President We’ve written recently about Gavin Newsom’s plan to replace Joe Biden as the Democratic candidate for President in 2024, but the evidence keeps mounting. Politico sums it up “He would seem to have a lot on his plate, given that he’s in charge of running the world’s fifth-largest economy, but Gavin Newsom seems to have found time to take on a side gig as America’s leading shadow climate diplomat. The California governor is cementing the Golden State’s status as a climate policy power broker, striking deals with China and other major polluters. Newsom’s administration has sealed pacts with China and Australia to phase out fossil fuels, improve building energy efficiency, boost resilience against wildfire, heat, and drought, and freely exchange ideas on policy and academic matters. And California Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis recently led a delegation to Japan of some 80 renewable energy and transportation industry executives. ‘These are more than just ceremonial meetings,’ Mary Nichols, the former chair of the California Air Resources Board, said in an interview. ‘These are planned sessions where people will spend a day, a week, or even more doing a deep dive into some specific issue.’ Newsom’s decision to wade into the global climate scene follows in the footsteps of his two predecessors in Sacramento, Jerry Brown and Arnold Schwarzenegger, who also actively engaged in climate diplomacy.
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Upping The Ante California lawmakers are poised to pass first-in-the-nation legislation requiring companies to disclose their environmental impact and the financial risks they face due to climate change. Lawmakers are set to consider two bills, SB253 and SB261, in the Assembly Appropriations Committee around Sept. 1. Passage there would set up an Assembly floor vote by Sept. 14, where the emissions disclosure bill sponsored by state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco) narrowly failed last year. Companies including Microsoft, Patagonia, and REI Co-Op sent a letter to Assembly Appropriations Chair Chris Holden urging his panel to pass the bills, and Adobe last week also signed up in support of SB253, according to Jack Persons, a spokesperson for Wiener. Bill sponsors have scheduled a rally for SB253 at the California Capitol on Aug. 23 to gin up support. Wiener’s bill would require public and private companies that do business in the state and generate at least $1 billion in revenue to disclose their direct and supply-chain emissions starting in 2026, going further than proposed federal disclosure rules. SB261, led by state Sen. Henry Stern (D-Calabasas), would require public and private companies generating at least $500 million in annual revenue to prepare climate-related financial risk reports starting by the end of next year. A similar measure proposed by Stern failed to advance last year.
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Cal/OSHA Announces Expanded Presence for Workers and Employers in the Central Valley, Inland Empire and Central Coast Cal/OSHA announced it will be increasing its physical presence in Fresno, Santa Barbara, and Riverside counties – allowing Cal/OSHA field inspectors to respond more efficiently in the Central Valley, Inland Empire, and Central Coast areas while providing services and resources to workers, employers, and community-based organizations in these areas.
The Division is setting up temporary satellite offices and is in the process of establishing permanent office locations in:
·      Regional Office in Fresno
·      High Hazard Office in Fresno
·      District Office in Santa Barbara
·      District Office in Riverside
More
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Business Community Pans New Northern Arizona National Monument Relying on the 117-year-old Antiquities Act, President Joe Biden recently said he would designate nearly 1 million acres of land in northern Arizona as a national monument. The new designation would end new mining claims in the area permanently. Mining in the affected area is already blocked until 2032. Claims initiated before 2012 will remain valid, however. The new restriction was met with concern from Arizona’s business community. Story The WSJ put it another way, A Gift to Putin: No Uranium Mining Near the Grand Canyon Story
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PBGC To Dole Out Another $2.2 Billion Of Taxpayer Monies to Five More Failing Union Pension Plans As it has for the past year, the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp (PBGC) announced on Thursday that it is spending more than $2.62 billion in taxpayer monies to bailout five more failing union pension plans. Story
 

Congratulations to WECA Member Contractors New Era Electric, Citadel Roofing and Solar, Guyou Construction, Sunworks, Helix Electric, Stellar Solar, Solar Technologies, and Sandbar Solar & Electric for making Solar Power World's 2023 Top Solar Contractors Completing Work in California list. We're proud to see so many members on this list, powering a green future! You can check out the full list here.

It's Safe + Sound Week, a nationwide event held each August that recognizes the successes of workplace health and safety programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep America's workers safe. Cal/OSHA and the Department of Industrial Relations encourage California’s employers and workers to commit to workplace safety and health during Safe + Sound Week from August 7-13. This year’s program provides resources for businesses on mental health and well-being. 

Click here for more info

 

Content Courtesy of Construction Genius Podcast

In an industry grappling with labor shortages, how do construction companies not just attract, but more importantly, retain their skilled workforce? In our latest podcast episode of Construction Genius, we explore this vital question with a master in the field, Matt DiBara of DiBara Masonry and The Contractor Consultants.

Here are the top 5 insights from this enlightening conversation:


1?) The Power of Process Improvement: Matt highlights the importance of comprehensive information before decision-making. He encourages us to leverage process improvement meetings to gain the necessary insights, fostering a more informed, fair decision-making environment.
 
2?) Accountability in Retention: Matt emphasizes a paradigm shift from dismissing departures to introspection, questioning the reasons behind each exit and learning from them.
 
3?) The Quarantine Process: The concept of quarantining toxic but productive elements in the workforce, managing them in a way that doesn't disrupt the overall company culture, is a unique but potentially effective solution that Matt offers.
 
4?) Bridging the Gap: Dealing with toxicity doesn't necessarily mean expulsion. Matt shares strategies to bridge the gap between such personalities and the rest of the workforce, potentially transforming a challenge into an opportunity.
 
5?) Creative Solutions: Matt emphasizes that one-size-fits-all doesn't apply in construction. Developing unique, creative solutions that account for the varying personalities and work styles within the industry is the key to success.
Dive deeper into these insights, and you'll find:
• The key to decision-making in construction is a thorough understanding of each situation and the viewpoints of all involved.
• Rather than dismissing departures, companies should consider each as a learning opportunity.
• While maintaining a healthy company culture is important, there are cases where accommodating a productive but challenging individual could prove beneficial.
• Addressing toxicity may involve creating bridges of understanding rather than resorting to drastic actions.
• Uniquely tailored solutions often yield the best results in the diverse and multifaceted world of construction.
 
Join us in this episode as we navigate through the challenges and solutions to retaining top talent in the construction industry. You will come away with not just an understanding of the persistent labor shortage issue, but also practical strategies to turn your company into a talent magnet.
Click here to listen

Dear WECA Member Contractors, Industry Partners, and Industry Supporters,
 
WECA is proud to announce the WECA California Graduating Class of 2023!
 
These Commercial Electrical, Residential Electrical, and Low Voltage Apprentices -- as well as a record number of Electrician Trainees in our GetWired ET Certificate program -- have successfully completed their education with WECA!
 
Help us honor their achievement with your sponsorship of their graduation event(s) on:
 
- Saturday, September 30, 2023 at Lake Oak Meadows (36101 Glen Oaks Road A, Temecula, CA 92592) from 1:00 to 4:00 PM for Southern California graduates.
 
- Saturday, October 7, 2023 at WECA's California Headquarters (3695 Bleckely Street, Rancho Cordova, CA 95655) from 4 PM - 7:30 PM for Northern California graduates.
 
Make their graduation memorable. Your sponsorship can allow you and members of your team to attend and meet the graduates -- especially meaningful for them if you're their contractor. Plus, you can meet WECA instructors and staff, other member contractors, and electrical industry supporters as well.
 
Your sponsorship will be recognized at both graduation events!
 
Please consider the sponsorship opportunities available at the link, and thank you for your support of electrical and low voltage education!
 
Sincerely,
The WECA Graduation Team
 
 
Reserve your sponsorship package

WECA California Member Contractors: Join WECA and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association of California (CAPHCC) at the California State Capitol in Sacramento on August 16 for a joint legislative day. Spend the morning learning about relevant industry happenings at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The day will begin by hobnobbing with political pundits, lawyers, and soothsayers before segueing to the 'swing space' of the Capitol (the temporary home of California state legislators while the aging Capitol Annex is being replaced) to visit with your Senator and Assemblymember and share your thoughts on some relevant bills awaiting final action. WECA and CAPHCC believe that constituent advocacy is an essential part of citizenship.

?Register here

WECA California Member Contractors: Join WECA and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association of California (CAPHCC) at the California State Capitol in Sacramento on August 16 for a joint legislative day. Spend the morning learning about relevant industry happenings at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The day will begin by hobnobbing with political pundits, lawyers, and soothsayers before segueing to the 'swing space' of the Capitol (the temporary home of California state legislators while the aging Capitol Annex is being replaced) to visit with your Senator and Assemblymember and share your thoughts on some relevant bills awaiting final action. WECA and CAPHCC believe that constituent advocacy is an essential part of citizenship. Registration here.
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Biden's Clean Energy Goals Have a Union Problem If you’ve ever listened to President Joe Biden talk about fighting climate change, chances are you’ve heard him connect it to “good-paying” union jobs. It’s a well-worn line that has echoed across the Biden administration and into the districts that Cabinet heads fanned out across in recent weeks. “A lot of my friends in organized labor know when I think climate, I think jobs,” Biden declared last week in Philadelphia. But the relationship between Biden and big labor groups seems to be on the rocks — and it could get more contentious as several major workers’ strikes loom, writes Politico. The tensions underscore the challenge of ensuring that clean energy jobs are also the well-paying union jobs Biden promised. The United Auto Workers — whose contract with the Detroit Three automakers ends in September — is, for now, withholding support from the president. The union has accused the administration of doling out billions of dollars in subsidies for electric vehicles without demanding higher wages and other protections. It has also lambasted the administration for steering billions of dollars in clean energy money to right-to-work states like Kentucky and Tennessee. Former President Donald Trump is vowing to undo Biden’s electric vehicle measures as he tries for the UAW endorsement. Political matters: The potential loss of a powerful ally — particularly in the critical battlefield of Michigan — has the Biden administration and its allies concerned. Biden’s senior staff has told allies “that the rhetoric from the new UAW leadership is concerning, this is a problem, and we’ve got to figure this out together,” said one person familiar with the administration’s thinking. Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, told Holly and Zack that if Democrats don’t get this right, it could both hurt them politically and threaten the transition from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles. Many federal grants and loans from Biden’s climate law are heading to the largely nonunionized battery industry and right-to-work states, which bar unions from collecting mandatory dues. That could set a lower floor for worker standards in a sector crucial to the president’s agenda, say progressives and organized labor. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) said the Biden administration should steer such grants and loans to more union-friendly locations. “It’s a matter of targeting in the places where we have historically good jobs working in the auto industry,” he said. “If you come to Michigan, for example, is a different question than going to a place that does not have a history of labor rights.”
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Amendment to California Employment Regulation May Impact Background Screeners On July 24, the California Office of Administrative Law approved the Civil Rights Council’s (the Council) proposed amendment to California’s Employment Regulations Relating to Criminal History, which are set to become effective on October 1, 2023. Among other changes, the amendment modifies the existing regulations regarding employers’ investigation of a job applicant’s criminal history. Notably, the amendment expands the definition of “employer” under those regulations in such a way that could potentially implicate a background screener conducting a background check on behalf of an employer. Story
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Who’s Leading the Pack For Local 2024 Campaign Battles? Follow the money. Some of the Valley’s most competitive local elections next March already feature hotly-contested fundraising battles.
Fresno Mayor: Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer is gearing up for his reelection campaign with a fundraising report of $292,812 for the first half of 2023. Dyer boasts a total of $403,558.98 on hand.
Fresno County Supervisor District 2: Fresno County Supervisor Steve Brandau is fending off a two-front challenge from Fresno City Councilman Garry Bredefeld and Fresno County Assessor-Recorder Paul Dictos.
Fresno County Supervisor District 3: While Fresno County Supervisor Sal Quintero is facing two fellow Democratic challengers trying to move down the street from Fresno City Hall, Quintero holds a major lead in fundraising.
Story
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Is Gavin Newsom Running for President? His Fundraising Strategy Signals White House Aspirations. Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking fundraising steps often used by potential presidential candidates, setting up multiple committees that in their first three months have raised and spent millions of dollars. The three Newsom-affiliated committees are a political action committee, which limits contributions to $5,000 a year and can donate to individual candidates; a SuperPAC, which can raise unlimited amounts of cash but is restricted from promoting a specific candidate, and a joint fundraising committee, which functions like a bank, mostly collecting and distributing funds to the other groups. Newsom has repeatedly denied any interest in running for the nation’s highest office next year. But whether President Joe Biden wins or loses, there will be no Democratic incumbent in 2028. As governor of the nation’s largest state, the big winner of two elections and a recall, Newsom would be well-positioned for a White House run. Story
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Back From the Dead: California Legislature Resurrects the Industrial Welfare Commission On July 10, 2023, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill 102. Buried in this seemingly innocuous appropriations bill is a provision that could mean more burdensome wage and hour regulations for employers in the future. AB 102 appropriates $3M for the currently defunct Industrial Welfare Commission (“IWC”). The IWC was originally a five-member commission within the Department of Industrial Relations tasked with regulating wages, hours, and the working conditions of California laborers. When active, the IWC issued “Wage Orders” for specific industries or occupations. Most California businesses and employers are intimately familiar with the requirements of their industries governing Wage Order, as each order sets forth regulations, including those about minimum wage, overtime, exempt employee classifications, and meal and rest periods. Nearly two decades ago, the California legislature defunded the IWC. Though remaining in effect, the Wage Orders issued in 2001 have been unchanged, except for the increasing minimum wage. With AB 102, the IWC will be resurrected, and the commission has been instructed to adopt new Wage Orders. Story
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California Employers Are Not Liable for The Spread Of COVID-19 To Household Members The California Supreme Court held this month that employers do not owe a duty of care under California law to prevent the spread of COVID-19 to employees’ household members. Kuciemba v. Victory Woodworks, Inc., S274191 (July 6, 2023). The decision resolves an open question for tort litigation in this jurisdiction. In 2021, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California determined that an employer’s obligation to provide a safe workplace does not extend to non-employees who contract a virus from the workplace premises. The plaintiffs appealed this decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which then posed two certified questions to the California Supreme Court concerning the scope of an employers’ liability when an employee’s spouse is injured by transmission of COVID-19. Story

WECA California Member Contractors: Join WECA and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association of California (CAPHCC) at the California State Capitol in Sacramento on August 16 for a joint legislative day. Spend the morning learning about relevant industry happenings at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The day will begin by hobnobbing with political pundits, lawyers, and soothsayers before segueing to the 'swing space' of the Capitol (the temporary home of California state legislators while the aging Capitol Annex is being replaced) to visit with your Senator and Assemblymember and share your thoughts on some relevant bills awaiting final action. WECA and CAPHCC believe that constituent advocacy is an essential part of citizenship.

?Register here

Congratulations to WECA Member Contractor Sebastian for making the Fresno Business Journal's List of Top Private Sector Employers in the Sacramento Region. The list, ranked by number of employees, highlights the significant contributions these companies have made to the region's economy and showcases their commitment to developing a skilled workforce--as exemplified by all of our other members as well. WECA Member Contractors build our communities!
 

WECA Member Contractors in California: We have a current list of Electrician Trainees who have signed up for our Student Referral Service and are eager to connect with hiring employers. To receive referrals from WECA's Student Referral Service, please contact Trisha Hughes, WECA ET/CE Client Services Specialist, at thughes@goweca.com or 877-444-9322.

Content Courtesy of Department of Labor 

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced a notice of proposed rulemaking to clarify the personal protective equipment standard for the construction industry.
The current standard does not state clearly that PPE must fit each affected employee properly, which the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s general industry and maritime standards do. The proposed change would clarify that PPE must fit each employee properly to protect them from occupational hazards.
The failure of standard-sized PPE to protect physically smaller construction workers properly, as well as problems with access to properly fitting PPE, have long been safety and health concerns in the construction industry, especially for some women. The proposed rule clarifies the existing requirement, and OSHA does not expect the change will increase employers’ costs or compliance burdens. The proposed revision would align the language in OSHA’s PPE standard for construction with standards for general industry and maritime.
“If personal protective equipment does not fit properly, an employee may be unprotected or dangerously exposed to hazards and face tragic consequences,” explained Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. “We look forward to hearing from stakeholders on this important issue as we work together to ensure that construction workers of all genders and sizes are fitted properly with safety gear.”
Submit comments and hearing requests online using the Federal eRulemaking Portal and reference Docket No. OSHA-2019-0003. Read the Federal Register notice for details. Comments and hearing requests must be submitted by Sept. 18, 2023.
PPE must fit properly to provide adequate protection to employees. Improperly fitting PPE may fail to provide any protection to an employee, present additional hazards, or discourage employees from using such equipment in the workplace.
Learn more about personal protective equipment in construction.

Media Contact:
Mandy McClure, 202-693-4675, mcclure.amanda.c@dol.gov
Release Number: 23-1739-NAT
 

Mineral, WECA's HR Management Platform Benefit for our Member Contractors, shared this recent roundup of helpful safety blogs.
 

• 5 Tips for Creating a Safety Mission Statement
• 9 Reasons to Use Risk Assessment to Design a Workplace Safety Program
• 10 Tips for Setting and Measuring Workplace Safety Goals
• 8 Steps to an Effective Safety Risk Assessment
• Anatomy of a Safety Manual Infographic

Dear WECA Member Contractors, Industry Partners, and Industry Supporters,
 
WECA is proud to announce the WECA California Graduating Class of 2023!
 
These Commercial Electrical, Residential Electrical, and Low Voltage Apprentices -- as well as a record number of Electrician Trainees in our GetWired ET Certificate program -- have successfully completed their education with WECA!
 
Help us honor their achievement with your sponsorship of their graduation event(s) on:
 
- Saturday, September 30, 2023 at Lake Oak Meadows (36101 Glen Oaks Road A, Temecula, CA 92592) from 1:00 to 4:00 PM for Southern California graduates.
 
- Saturday, October 7, 2023 at WECA's California Headquarters (3695 Bleckely Street, Rancho Cordova, CA 95655) from 4 PM - 7:30 PM for Northern California graduates.
 
Make their graduation memorable. Your sponsorship can allow you and members of your team to attend and meet the graduates -- especially meaningful for them if you're their contractor. Plus, you can meet WECA instructors and staff, other member contractors, and electrical industry supporters as well.
 
Your sponsorship will be recognized at both graduation events!
 
Please consider the sponsorship opportunities available at the link, and thank you for your support of electrical and low voltage education!
 
Sincerely,
The WECA Graduation Team
 
 
Reserve your sponsorship package

WECA California Member Contractors: Join WECA and the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors Association of California (CAPHCC) at the California State Capitol in Sacramento on August 16 for a joint legislative day. Spend the morning learning about relevant industry happenings at the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The day will begin by hobnobbing with political pundits, lawyers, and soothsayers before segueing to the 'swing space' of the Capitol (the temporary home of California state legislators while the aging Capitol Annex is being replaced) to visit with your Senator and Assemblymember and share your thoughts on some relevant bills awaiting final action. WECA and CAPHCC believe that constituent advocacy is an essential part of citizenship. Registration here.
___
State Legislature: The State Legislature is on its summer break and will return to Sacramento on August 14, just in time for the joint merit-shop legislative day on August 17 (sign up at the link above if you haven’t already registered). Before leaving, they complied by passing a State budget that included several environmental policy changes sought by Governor Newsom to speed up project delivery and reduce endless CEQA litigation used by unions and NIMBYs to slow or halt construction. One type of project NOT included in the CEQA bill was new home construction – a popular segment for union greenmail challenges.

PLA bills

• SB 150 Requires the inclusion of community benefits in project labor agreements adopted by a state agency for projects of $35 million and above in construction costs. It defines community benefits to include local hire provisions, partnerships with high-road construction careers programs, and other methods to promote the employment of individuals from poor areas and veterans. This does not apply until 2026. (Signed)
• AB 3 requires the California Energy Commission (CEC), by December 31, 2026, to develop a second-phase plan and strategy for seaport readiness that builds upon the recommendations and alternatives in the strategic plan for offshore wind (OSW) energy developments that is due to the Legislature by June 30, 2023. The CEC must consult with unions on PLAs to achieve workforce development and apprenticeship goals.
• AB 439 extends a ten-year pilot program that allows the Los Angeles Unified School District to use job order procurement contracts to repair and renovate school buildings and grounds only if the LAUSD has entered into a project labor agreement or agreements for all its public works projects. Which, of course, it has.
• AB 499 authorizes the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority to use job order contracts (JOCs). Requires JOCs to be subject to the PLA between LA Metro and the Los Angeles/Orange Counties Building and Construction Trades Council or an amendment or extension of that agreement.
• SB 4 Provides that affordable housing development is a use by right (i.e., not subject to CEQA or other discretionary review by the relevant city or county) on infill sites owned by a church or non-public college, notwithstanding any contrary local planning or zoning. Waives CPRs and DLSE enforcement under a PLA.
• SB 284 “expands fair contracting requirements for IOUs while requiring a skilled and trained workforce to perform the work under prevailing wage law.” Section 5 of the bill permits IOUs to require contractors to execute multi-craft project labor agreements.
• SB 394 Requires the California Energy Commission, in consultation with the California Department of Education, Division of the State Architect, Office of Public School Construction, and Natural Resources Agency, to facilitate an interagency process and stakeholder engagement to develop a Master Plan for Healthy, Sustainable, and Climate-Resilient Schools. The plan includes ‘recommendations to ensure that LEAs have access to sufficient technical assistance, professional learning, training programs, and sustainability and climate resilience personnel pipelines to implement decarbonization and adaptation plans that include high road labor standards, project labor agreements with unionized workforces…’
• SB 423 Extends and expands by right approval of both affordable and market-rate multifamily housing projects under SB 35 (Wiener), of 2017, including extending the sunset from 2026 to 2036, relaxing specified construction labor requirements, expanding to parcels where parking is a permitted use, and removing the exclusion of the coastal zone. Waives CPRs and DLSE enforcement under a PLA.
• SB 584 requires a PLA or STWF to build “Laborforce housing, " defined as public housing with a mixture of household income ranges at or below moderate income. It would be paid for by a new 15% fee collected from transient occupancy residential property owners - like AirBnB owners. The housing would be built by public agencies.
• SB 617 Expands an existing authorization for local water agencies to use the progressive design-build method of project delivery for specified water projects to include transit and transportation agencies and any project. Requires the use of STWF unless they have a PLA.
• SB 574 This bill prohibits a state agency from undertaking a major construction project, defined as a project that will exceed $35 million unless that project is subject to a project labor agreement (PLA) and that PLA includes a community benefit goal. (Two Year)
• SB 706 Expands an existing authorization for local water agencies to use the progressive design-build method of project delivery for specified water projects to include any city, county or special district and any project. Requires the use of STWF unless they have a PLA.
• SJR 5 urges the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to update its Uniform Guidance to explicitly allow states and localities to implement strong procurement standards that advance high-quality jobs and equitable hiring, including lifting the local hire prohibition on federally funded projects, and in so doing empower California lawmakers and agencies to create equitable infrastructure jobs that can strengthen our cities, counties, and the state. Makes findings that the Uniform Guidance has impeded the implementation of policies, including targeted hire provisions and project labor agreements.

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Building Trades’ Housing Bill Stalls Senate Bill 584, a proposal to tax Airbnb and other short-term rentals to fund affordable housing projects, is dead for this legislative session. The State Building and Construction Trades Council-sponsored measure cleared the state Senate at the end of May with no votes to spare. Still, Sen. Monique Limón, the Santa Barbara Democrat who authored the bill, pulled it from consideration in the Assembly several weeks back, reports CalMatters. Her office said Limón did not have time to resolve a disagreement with the Assembly housing committee over wage and labor standards for projects that would be eligible for the grants. Limón intends to revive the measure next year, though it may include additional changes. Her office said the senator is exploring whether she could reduce the proposed 15% tax rate or exempt small operators while raising enough money to make the fund worthwhile. “While the bill is part of a desired and needed conversation about the impact short-term rentals have on our housing market,” Limón said in a statement, “it is clear this bill could benefit from more time to continue discussions at the state and local level to understand the underlying issues the legislative process has uncovered.”
___
He's Out! In a related story, after less than two years on the job, President Andrew Meredith will be replaced as State Building and Construction Trades Council president by Chris Hannan, who heads the Orange County and Los Angeles Council.
___
Unions, Once Again, Seek to Define Contractor’s Scope An new proposal surfaced at the recent Contractor State License Board meeting. The sprinkler fitters unions (under the umbrella of the Sprinkler Fitters Association of California) want to change the scope of work for Fire Protection Contractors (C-16). They proposed the following change, “A fire protection contractor lays out, fabricates and installs all types of fire protection systems and firefighter air replenishing systems; including all the equipment associated with these systems, excluding electrical alarm systems.” The petition states that “there is no current requirement as to who may install or repair a FARS in California, and the most qualified to install piping and system components that are placed in structures for life safety measures are C-16 Fire Protection Contractors.” The petition states that installing or repairing the FARS components needs to be more comprehensive to trust the work of unregulated installers or repairers. However, existing regulations defining the C-36 – Plumbing Contractor classification, in CCR Section 832.36, provides that work performed by licensed plumbers includes, in part, “[p]iping, storage tanks and venting for a safe and adequate supply of gases and liquids for any purpose, including vacuum, compressed air and gases for medical, dental, commercial and industrial uses,” which generally describes FARS technology. The staff report concluded, “It is therefore questionable to state that there are unregulated installers or repairers.” The Board rejected the proposal as lacking any justification for the amendment. Still, history suggests the fitter unions will be back with another proposed regulation at CSLB or the State Fire Marshall or possibly a bill to accomplish the exact change.
___
Chips, We Love Chips! Ariz. Sen. Mark Kelly introduced bipartisan legislation to spur domestic microchip manufacturing as part of a concerted effort to revitalize microchip manufacturing on American soil. Called the Building Chips in America Act, the proposed legislation aims to seize the opportunities created by the CHIPS and Science Act, attracting billions of dollars in domestic manufacturing investments and strengthening national security while upholding environmental safeguards. Story
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Phoenix Breaks Record with Consecutive Days 110 Degrees or Higher Much of the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing withering high temperatures, which scientists warn are increasingly likely. When asked how hot it is, Arizona WECA boss Bob Bartlett said, “It’s so hot that I’m sweating like Krysten Sinema on election day.”
___
And Another Sinema Story The revelation that Sen. Sinema (I-AZ) had spent over $500,000 in campaign funds to a single security contractor—first reported by The Daily Beast in February—prompted campaign finance watchdogs to warn the arrangement raised “red flags” that Sinema should publicly explain. The Arizona senator never responded to questions about her unusually high outlays to TOA Group, an LLC owned by Vrindavan Bellord, the sister of her former ally and colleague Tulsi Gabbard. But Sinema’s latest federal campaign finance filing offers a clear answer to whether the senator has reconsidered her security arrangement or her obligation to be more transparent about it. Story
___
And the final Sinema Story this Week, Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), famous for his role as self-appointed chair of the Bagel Caucus, is headlining an event for the Replace Sinema PAC, an organization dedicated to defeating Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-Ariz.). Goldman is one of four members of Congress to endorse Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), along with former Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Reps. Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Seth Moulton (D-Mass.). [Punchbowl]
___
California Court Clarifies Employer’s Obligation to Reimburse Expenses. On July 11, 2023, the California Court of Appeal in Thai v. IBM held that whether an employer is obligated to reimburse expenses incurred by an employee working from home turns on whether the expenses were a direct consequence of the discharge of the employee’s job duties, not on whether the employer directly caused the expenses. This case is important for all employers whose workforce suddenly began working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic and employers who continue to permit employees to work from home today. Story
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OFCCP Publishes CSAL for Construction Contractors In June 2023, the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) published a new Corporate Scheduling Announcement List (CSAL) for construction contractors. The latest CSAL identifies 250 federal contractors, federally assisted contractors, and federally assisted subcontractors for compliance evaluations. While the agency is not required to publish the CSAL, it serves as a “courtesy notification” to contractors selected by the OFCCP for a compliance evaluation. According to the OFCCP, the CSAL provides contractors with notice to prepare for the compliance evaluation and encourages them to take advantage of the agency’s compliance assistance offerings. Story

WECA’s GetWired online delivery and instructional teams met for their 2nd semiannual meeting of 2023 on Saturday July 8^th to welcome new instructors to the team and talk about continuous improvement to our online training delivery, as well as to discuss upcoming WECA and industry initiatives.

 

Galen Eckert, WECA's ET/CE Online Education Manager, says “It was another fun event filled with informative content as well as a little goat talk!” (Some context on the goat talk: In his spare time, WECA's GetWired Curriculum Development and Training Manager Dan Bierly and his wife run an equine rescue and rehabilitation farm called "Hoofbeats Equine Rescue" in Texas, and the GetWired team always enjoys hearing updates on the many horses, goats, and more that they care for on their property.)

 

The team discussed the continuing expansion of GetWired’s three course formats (which now include fully online and even self-paced options for most courses in WECA's ET Certificate progression), including ongoing plans to update the GetWired 200 series courses to include graded homework assignments.

 

The team also discussed future ideas for GetWired’s onsite labs, possible topics for new WECA continuing education courses, the status of changes in California requirements under consideration for workers on BESS and Solar projects, and the anticipated timeline for California's roll-out of the DIR’s updated Certification Exam based on the 2020 NEC. (We're now anticipating a mid-Fall 2023 roll-out.)

 

“There was also plenty of laughter and camaraderie amongst the team.” Eckert said, “Informative, and fun as always!”

WECA is excited to announce another way students can take GetWired 204, the eighth class in WECA's Path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate!

We've long offered GetWired 204 as an instructor-led online course with one hands-on lab on a Saturday. And we still do!

But for students who would prefer to take this course at their own pace, on their own time, we're now offering a fully self-paced online option, just like we've been offering for earlier courses in the GetWired series! Students who might prefer this format include:

• Students with job, childcare, or other obligations preventing them from taking the instructor-led scheduled courses in the evenings

• Students who would benefit from being able to review the material at a slower pace, such as students for whom English is a second language

• Students who just prefer to work on the coursework at times and places when it works best for them

---

WECA's new GetWired 204 Self-Paced Option is an entirely online, self-paced alternative version of our GetWired 204 course, which expands on the concepts and skills built in earlier courses. Topics covered include:

• Transformers
• Special locations
• Hazardous locations
• Healthcare facilities
• Places of assembly
• Commercial garages and motor fuel dispensing facilities
• Motors, generators, A/C and refrigeration and fire pumps
• Series-parallel circuits
• Basic lighting control – online interactive lab
• Single-phase motors

GetWired 204 Self-Paced includes an independent study project that you must complete to earn course credit. The project is designed to help you develop the on-the-job skills you need to be an expert electrician. This course is loaded with interactive practice and an online, self-guided lab to ensure that skills covered in class can be applied on-the-job.

• Total class hours available: 39

• Standard Tuition Fee: $389

 

If all of this sounds like it would work for you,

enroll in GetWired 204 Self-Paced Online today!

 

Think you'd prefer being able to interact with an instructor and learn along with other students, on a schedule two evenings a week, including one onsite in-person lab on a Saturday?

Enroll in an upcoming instance of GetWired 204 with onsite lab here!

 

Content courtesy of SmartDollar

 

SmartDollar is offering ways to win serious money for the month of September.

 

But you don’t have to wait until September to prepare for this giveaway. Create your SmartDollar account now so you’ll be ready to log in every day and max out your entries!

 

You could win:

• $500 Prize Each Week

• $1,000 Budget Bonus Prize

• $5,000 Grand Prize

 

Check out the full giveaway rules here.

---

Not yet signed up for SmartDollar? No worries -- getting started is easy! Learn how below.

 

SmartDollar is a financial wellness benefit for WECA apprentices. We announced our partnership with the Dave Ramsey-founded online financial wellness platform in January, 2021 to provide our apprentices with a sound foundation in personal finance management. This benefit is available to all WECA apprentices free of charge. Not yet signed up for SmartDollar? No worries -- scroll to the bottom of this article for instructions!

 

What is SmartDollar? SmartDollar is a step-by-step approach to handling money with the number-one authority in personal finance, Dave Ramsey. More than 4.5 million people have started on Dave's plan and taken control of their money, and you can too! SmartDollar will equip you to get out of debt, on a budget, and on your way to a strong financial foundation.

 

The average person pays off $9,405 of debt and saves $6,127 in the first twelve months, and you can too!

 

"This program is powerful yet simple to understand. The Baby Steps make understanding how to win with money easy! Dave's lessons are fun, informative, and incredibly encouraging. It really doesn't feel like I'm taking a financial course. It's more like learning finances from a good friend...or a financially savvy stand-up comedian! The online tools are fantastic as well, and I love being able to 'ASK DAVE' any question and do my budget online. Love it all!" - Recent participant

 

With SmartDollar, you'll learn how to...

 

• Jump-start your money
• Knock out debt
• Secure your dream home
• Retire in style
• Demystify your credit score

 

How does SmartDollar work? With so many ways to engage in SmartDollar activities and content, SmartDollar Points have been designed to encourage users to establish true behavior change. (Check out the graph below for a quick rundown). The greater the importance and required time of each activity, the greater the amount of points that can be earned. For example, each Core Lesson video completed is worth 250 points. Completing a shorter Deep Dive video is worth 50 points. Tracking a transaction in EveryDollar is only worth 20 points, but users are encouraged to track all their financial transactions with no points limitations. These example activities are key for building the confidence you need to reach your financial goals.

Taking advantage of your free financial wellness benefit, SmartDollar, is easy!

 

To set up your account after accessing your dashboard, click either of the links shown as highlighted in the screenshot to the right of this paragraph. You'll be taken to a page with a SmartDollar enrollment link, where you will be able to set up immediate access to this important benefit.

 

Ready to get started?

?

?Login to your GOWECA dashboard

Congratulations to WECA Member Contractors Barnum & Celillo Electric and Royal Electric for making the Sacramento Business Journal's List of Top Private Sector Employers in the Sacramento Region. The list, ranked by number of employees, highlights the significant contributions these companies have made to the region's economy and showcases their commitment to developing a skilled workforce--as exemplified by all of our other members as well. WECA Member Contractors build our communities!

Congratulations to WECA's Advocacy Team for making Sacramento Business Journal's 2023 list of Top Business Advocacy Groups! WECA is proud to represent the needs of electrical, low voltage, and solar contractors and the electricians and technicians they employ across our region.

We had a great time the other week hosting Member Contractor Royal Electric and their 2023 crop of Skilled Trades interns. It's fun to witness Royal inspiring these young adults to kick-start rewarding careers in our industry.

WECA's Assistant Director of Apprenticeship Wendy Flanagan says "It was great to spend time with this engaged group of young adults that are starting their career in the trades. They actively participated and you could tell they are excited about what they are learning and their futures. One young woman said she has always wanted to be an electrician, and you could feel her enthusiasm."

Heath Anderson, WECA's Outreach and Workforce Development Specialist in Arizona, has been helping to put together a West Valley Workforce Success Series of webinars in partnership with the Western Maricopa Coalition (Westmarc) and others; their upcoming July 19th webinar on Workforce Experiential Learning will also feature our founding member contractor in Arizona, Corbins.

We encourage all of our Arizona members to register for this thoughtful and informative webinar--and our California and Utah members can get ideas from it, too! They're aiming for great workforce takeaways for all attendees.

WECA is excited to announce another way your Electrician Trainees can take GetWired 204, the eighth class in WECA's Path to an Electrician Trainee Program Certificate! We've long offered GetWired 204 as an instructor-led online course with one hands-on lab on a Saturday. And we still do! But for students who would prefer to take this course at their own pace, on their own time, we're now offering a fully self-paced online option, just like we've been offering for earlier courses in the GetWired series! Students who might prefer this format include:   Students with job, childcare, or other obligations preventing them from taking the instructor-led scheduled courses in the evenings   Students who would benefit from being able to review the material at a slower pace, such as students for whom English is a second language   Students who just prefer to work on the coursework at times and places when it works best for them WECA's new GetWired 204 Self-Paced Option is an entirely online, self-paced alternative version of our GetWired 204 course, which expands on the concepts and skills built in earlier courses. Topics covered include:   Transformers Special locations Hazardous locations Healthcare facilities Places of assembly Commercial garages and motor fuel dispensing facilities Motors, generators, A/C and refrigeration and fire pumps Series-parallel circuits Basic lighting control – online interactive lab Single-phase motors GET WIRED! 204 self-paced includes an independent study project that students must complete to earn course credit. The project is designed to help them develop the on-the-job skills they need to be an expert electrician. This course is loaded with interactive practice and an online, self-guided lab to ensure that skills covered in class can be applied on the job.   Total class hours available: 39   Standard Tuition Fee: $389 You can enroll your trainees or encourage them to do so here: GetWired 204 Self-Paced Online If your trainees would prefer being able to interact with an instructor and learn along with other students, on a schedule two evenings a week, including one onsite in-person lab on a Saturday: Enroll in an upcoming instance of the original GetWired 204 here Or, if they'd prefer that instructor interaction and learning along with other students, on a schedule two evenings a week, but with an online instructor-led lab: Enroll in an upcoming instance of GetWired 204 with online lab here

 

 

California Per Cal/OSHA, employers with outdoor workers must take the following steps to prevent heat illness: * Plan - Develop and implement an effective written heat illness prevention plan that includes emergency response procedures. * Training - Train all employees and supervisors on heat illness prevention. * Water - Provide drinking water that is fresh, pure, suitably cool and free of charge so that each worker can drink at least 1 quart per hour, and encourage workers to do so. * Shade - Provide shade when workers request it and when temperatures exceed 80 degrees. Encourage workers to take a cool-down rest in the shade for at least five minutes. They should not wait until they feel sick to cool down. Cal/OSHA urges workers experiencing possible overheating to take a preventative cooldown rest in the shade until symptoms are gone. Workers who have existing health problems or medical conditions that reduce tolerance to heat, such as diabetes, need to be extra vigilant. Some high blood pressure and anti-inflammatory medications can also increase a worker's risk for heat illness. To prevent heat illness, it is crucial that supervisors are effectively trained on emergency procedures in case a worker gets sick. This helps ensure sick employees Department of Industrial Relations Release No.19-44 Page 2 receive treatment immediately and that the symptoms do not develop into a serious illness or death. Cal/OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention special emphasis program, the first of its kind in the nation, includes enforcement of heat regulations as well as multilingual outreach and training programs for California's employers and workers. Detail on heat illness prevention requirements and training materials are available online on Cal/OSHA's Heat Illness Prevention web page and the 99calor.org informational website. A Heat Illness Prevention online tool is also available on Cal/OSHA's website. Cal/OSHA helps protect workers from health and safety hazards on the job in almost every workplace in California. Employers and workers who have questions or need assistance with workplace health and safety programs can call Cal/OSHA's Consultation Services Branch at 800-963-9424. Complaints about workplace safety and health hazards can be filed confidentially with Cal/OSHA district offices. Employees with work-related questions or complaints may contact DIR's Call Center in English or Spanish at 844-LABOR-DIR (844-522-6734).     Arizona

 

Download: Arizona Heat Safety Resource Guide   State of Arizona Guidance on Heat Stress Awareness https://www.azica.gov/heatstress   OSHA on Heat Exposure https://www.osha.gov/heat-exposure   OSHA on Heat Illness Prevention https://www.osha.gov/heat

     

Utah State of Utah Guidance on Extreme Heat (WECA notes: it looks like this site is a work in progress, but if you scroll down you'll find some useful links.) https://beready.utah.gov/utah-hazards/extreme-heat/   OSHA on Heat Exposure https://www.osha.gov/heat-exposure   OSHA on Heat Illness Prevention https://www.osha.gov/heat

Content Courtesy of City of Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety

The LADBS "Listen to the Industry" live webinar series details are here!
These sessions will be held on July 19 & 20, 2023 . Join LADBS subject matter experts who will provide updates as well as listen to you during Q & A sessions. Sign up now and secure your spot! See details below, click on the session(s) you wish to attend and confirm via zoom registration.

The following webinars provide an overview of most common correction notice items identified by LADBS by industry, followed by Q & A session.

Solar
Date: WED, July 19, 2023
Time: 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Click to Register to Attend

Electrical Code
?
Date: THUR, July 20, 2023

Time: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM

Click to Register to Attend
 

Content Courtesy of Cook Brown, LLP

As temperatures soar this summer, Cal/OSHA safety inspectors will be descending upon work sites throughout California to determine whether employers are complying with heat procedures.

California’s Heat Illness Prevention in Outdoor Places of Employment Regulation
Pursuant to California’s Heat Illness Prevention in Outdoor Places of Employment Regulation, when the temperature exceeds 80 degrees Fahrenheit, employers are legally required to provide all outdoor workers with fresh drinking water, shade, and, whenever requested by a worker, cool-down rest breaks in addition to regular rest breaks.
 
Employers are also required to maintain a written heat illness prevention plan and provide training for employees to recognize the common signs and symptoms of heat illness and what to do in case of an emergency. To ensure better preparedness, it is recommended that employers start planning for heat safety now.

Read on

 

Content Courtesy of Mineral

We’re excited to introduce Mineral Expert Sessions - a new collection of short, informative, and engaging content presented by certified Mineral Experts and subject matter experts! Mineral Expert Sessions are pre-recorded and take place on a recurring basis (with more topics coming soon!), so your clients will have plenty of opportunities to learn, refresh, and take away insights that fit into their schedule.

Whether they're just getting started in their HR career or an industry veteran, we have sessions to help ensure their business is compliant and ready to face the intricacies of the HR landscape. Below is a list of Mineral Expert Sessions your clients can attend in the future.

Upcoming Mineral Expert Sessions

Employee Handbook Basics: Part 1 (30 min.)

In this session, you’ll learn about the basics of handbook creation, useful for any HR professional, including contents for a compliant handbook, key policies to consider, and handbook acknowledgement.

Employee Handbook Basics: Part 2 (30 min.)

Learn about best practices for distribution and storing employee handbooks, as well as practical tips for maintaining a compliant handbook and guidance on how to stay proactive when laws and policies change.

Workplace Safety Program Foundations: Part 1 (35 min.)

Get ready to explore the building blocks to create an effective safety program. We take a look at the importance of safety to all businesses, how to craft a safety mission statement, and define safety improvement goals your company should aim for.

Workplace Safety Program Foundations: Part 2 (45 min.)

Learn how to leverage a safety risk assessment to identify areas of opportunity. Additionally, we’ll cover the process step-by-step, give you actionable advice for prioritizing safety risks, and provide guidance on how to design a safety roadmap. 

Register here
 

WECA's Fall 2023 (Oct- Dec) course catalog is now available on our website for your Electrician Trainee and Journeyperson Continuing Education employees' enrollment. GetWired instructor-led classes always fill quickly, so be sure to encourage your employees to enroll ASAP to get their spot!

Encourage your Electrician Trainee employees to view their options and enroll here.
 
Encourage your Journeyperson employees to view their options and enroll here.

Employees can also enroll over the phone at (877) 444-9322, in person at our California HQ in Rancho Cordova, or by email at info@goweca.com.

WECA's Education Partner ProCore has released a publication, "How We Build Now," which provides insights into the the current state of the construction industry. The report examines various aspects of the construction process, including technology adoption, workforce dynamics, sustainability practices, and project management strategies.

Full report available for free download after registration

Some key insights from the report that we found interesting, as WECA continuously evaluates ways to provide additional support to our members on advanced construction technology usage, training, and implementation:

The majority of construction firms surveyed are actively looking for new technologies and/or reviewing the effectiveness and efficiency of their existing technology stack.
The majority of specialty contractors are well on their way or already consider themselves a digital-first business.
Ranking alongside construction management platforms, respondents said clean technologies (involving green, sustainable or innovative materials) and BI platforms will be among the top technologies that drive change in the construction industry over the next three years.

A growing number of firms also have on their horizons planned adoption of Extended Reality (XR) technologies (typically augmented reality (AR) and/or virtual reality (VR); artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and next-gen BIM.