by Georgia-SMACNA | Oct 27, 2016 | News
SMACNA’s Board of Directors installed its Executive Committee to serve from Oct. 19, 2016 to Oct. 25, 2017. Their terms began Oct. 19 at the close of SMACNA’s 73rd Annual Convention.
Following is a list of new officers:
SMACNA Executive Committee
President
Joseph R. Lansdell
Poynter Sheet Metal, Inc.—Bloomington, Ind.
President-Elect
Jack Knox
R.F. Knox Company, Inc.—Smyrna, Ga.
Secretary/Treasurer
Nathan Dills
ACP Sheet Metal Co., Inc.—Oklahoma City, Okla.
Vice President
Angela M. Simon
Western Allied Mechanical—Menlo Park, Calif.
Immediate Past President
Guy Gast
The Waldinger Corp.—Des Moines, Iowa
Jack, congratulations and thank you for your dedication and commitment to the industry!
by Georgia-SMACNA | Oct 26, 2016 | News
The construction industry has largely recovered from the recession, at least in terms of billions of dollars in construction put in place. Up until the last two years, it seemed like a very slow recovery, but then the return to growth blossomed. The acceleration of growth in the past couple of years wasn’t a complete surprise. However, fresh memories of the recession kept some companies from hiring until everyone else started hiring to the point where labor shortages in the industry became a big issue. Pent-up demand was set free in almost every construction sector.
The economy is still adding jobs, and people are buying homes and spending money on consumer and durable goods, but not as much as before the recession, or enough to boost the Consumer Price Index. So, what do we see now for future growth? Continued slow growth in most areas, but, as noted above, those billions add up.
FMI’s Construction Outlook Q3 2016 Report (PDF)
by Georgia-SMACNA | Oct 11, 2016 | News
SMACNA’s technical library is now available as a subscription cloud-based service. As a SMACNA member or SMACNA chapter, your organization has received one free subscription to the full 37-title SMACNA technical library and all the CADD files in Architectural Sheet Metal Manual, 7th Edition.
Check Out Your Free Subscription Library
To access your free subscription:
- Go to the SMACNA home page at www.smacna.org and log in with your SMACNA user name and password*.
- Click the SUBSCRIPTIONS button at the top right of the SMACNA homepage. That will take you to the new Subscription Store.
- Select the eLibrary tab to see all of the free titles in your subscription account.
This member benefit is not subject to annual subscription renewal fees. The subscription will never expire unless your firm is no longer a SMACNA member.
One of the best things about your free subscription is that every person at your company will have access to your SMACNA subscription. You may have an unlimited number of people using the eLibrary at any given time, but only one person per title at the same time.
Special Member Prices
If you like what you see, you may purchase additional “user seats” to enable concurrent use of a document, at the very low member discounted price. That way more than one person can access the most popular titles at the same time.
For a limited time, members and chapters may purchase a second annual subscription to the entire SMACNA eLibrary for only $245. After December 31, 2016 the price for a one-year subscription to the complete eLibrary will be $419. Members can purchase additional subscriptions to specific documents at the much lower, member price.
Remember you already have one free complete subscription that entitles you access to all of the SMACNA technical titles as a SMACNA member benefit.
Your Questions Answered
If you have more questions about SMACNA’s new Subscription Store, check out the FAQ for answers.
Need Help Getting Your SMACNA Credentials?
*Need help accessing your SMACNA user name and password? Follow these easy steps or email membership@smacna.org
Follow these easy steps to log in to the members-only site:
- Go to www.smacna.org
- Click on the red Login button in the upper, right-hand corner, of the website.
- Click on the link to Retrieve Your Password.
- Enter your email address in the space provided.
- Click Send My Password. A temporary password will be sent to your email address.
- Follow the steps provided in the email to create a permanent password.
- Your password info can always be accessed by clicking on the My Profile link at the top of the website once you are logged in.
by Georgia-SMACNA | Oct 5, 2016 | News
On September 30, 2016, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (“DOL”) released a Final Rule Establishing Paid Sick Leave for Federal Contractors. The Rule implements Executive Order 13706 which requires contractors working on federal contracts to provide paid sick leave to certain employees.
The new requirements apply to contracts entered into on or after January 1, 2017. Contractors who disregard the new requirements can be subject to debarment, among other penalties.
The Final Rule in general:
- Requires that employees of contractors, or subcontractors, working on or in connection with federal contracts accrue not less than one hour of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked.
- Allows contractors to limit sick leave accrual to 56 hours (i.e., 7 days) per year, but requires contractors to carry over an employee’s unused leave into the next year.
- Does not require contractors to pay out accrued but unused sick leave when an employee separates employment, but requires contractors to reinstate an employee’s accrued sick leave if an employee is rehired by a covered contractor within 12 months of separation.
- Allows employees to use their paid sick leave not only to care for their own physical or mental health but also to care for sick children, parents, spouses or partners, and for circumstances related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
Unlike some state and local ordinances, the Final Rule does not provide any exemption for contractors who are signatory to a collective bargaining agreement or for those within the construction industry.
Areas that provide paid leave through a local vacation or other plan may meet their obligations via that plan as long as the benefit provided (leave) is at least as good as the paid leave required by the Final Rule. Specifically, the Final Rule includes a provision providing that a contractor may fulfill its obligations through a multiemployer plan that provides paid sick leave in compliance with the requirements of the Final Rule. However, this does not allow the employer to shift responsibility to the plan. The new provision also provides that regardless of what functions the plan performs each contractor remains responsible for any violation of the Final Rule that occurs during its employment of the employee.
SMACNA is currently working on more detailed guidance for SMACNA members who are federal contractors. Additionally, we anticipate that new information will be coming out over the next few months and SMACNA will continue to monitor and update SMACNA members as appropriate.
by Georgia-SMACNA | Aug 26, 2016 | News
Partners in Progress, SMACNA, and SMART’s joint labor-management initiative just launched its newly redesigned website: pinp.org. The new site offers a wealth of customer-focused resources, expertise information, and best practices available for contractors and local unions alike.
In addition to the facelift—which can be viewed on computers, laptops, mobile devices, and cellphones—the redesign directs potential clients to signatory sheet metal contractors and provides business development resources and best practices for locals, contractors, and training centers. Users may also click directly to the Partners in Progress Facebook and Twitter webpages.
Visitors can find a contractor on the redesigned website’s customer section, which leads to SMACNA’s member directory online. (Contractor listings are based on data member companies have provided in their online profiles.)
The new site also promotes sheet metal and HVAC expertise. The site encourages visitors to select sheet metal contractors with the proper expertise and provides links to the three Expertise websites:HVACexpertise.org, ASM-expertise.com (architectural sheet metal), and Industrialexpertise.com. These Expertise websites were developed by the Best Practices Market Expansion Task Force.
In addition to directing potential customers to SMACNA contractors, these sites help users gain a clearer understanding of the importance of selecting a sheet metal contractor with the right expertise. Additional customer-focused sections cover the SMART Code of Excellence and Green Expertise.
The revamped Partner’s site also offers a variety of labor-management resources and best practices that have been developed and collected by the Best Practices Task Force. Best Practices “how-to” guides, a photo library, and professional Expertise ads, which can be customized by contractors and chapters for marketing, are available to members of affiliated organizations.
Electronic issues of the Partners in Progress magazine are also available. You can change your magazine subscription preferences too. You may read news and press releases, apply to participate in the Expertise branding program and use the Expertise logos, view schedules, see presentations from past and upcoming Partners in Progress Conferences, and more.
Register for your free account by visiting www.pinp.org. On the home page, click the login button on the top right. (All applications will be reviewed before approval.)
Check out the new Partners in Progress website www.pinp.org and learn what these great resources can do for you.
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