PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

New Technology In Construction

Construction is an ever-changing business and as smart businessmen and women we need to embrace the new technology solutions available to us in an effort to keep our companies profitable and growing in this very competitive market.  As we all know, keeping up with this changing technology, software, tools and product applications, can be a daunting task.

Today we can utilize technology in many ways to streamline our operations.  From the everyday use of software systems, such as Word, Excel and Office Works, to the more expanded project management and estimating programs, we have just started to touch a small portion of the "state of the art" technology that is available to us.

Transferring information from the field to the office is a task that is often cumbersome and rarely accurate.  With items such as cellular picture phones, Blackberry's, Palm Pilots, GPS tracking and wireless internet, you can make reports from remote sites, post them on a secure website and send them to your home or office on a daily basis in a timely and accurate process.

With all the technology available to us today and with the continued ease of use, technology has gone from just a nice thing to have, to an absolute necessity to remain competitive.

We at IFCA are dedicated to the continued education of our members.  If there is a class or seminar that is available through our sources on this subject, or another topic that may be beneficial to your union business, please feel free to contact our Executive Director, Kim Clerkin (610-225-1050).

—Tony Iannucci, President of IFCA, Aimm Philadelphia Installations, Inc. (856-546-1212)

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WHAT'S NEWS WITH THE UNIONS?

METROPOLITAN REGIONAL COUNCIL

Edward Coryell, Executive Secretary-Treasurer/Business Manager

The Joint Association Committee met for the first time since negotiations.  We spoke about Job Start Forms, E-remittance, Bonds, Pin Point, Jurisdiction, the Apprentice Program, the Productivity Committee, Work Outlook, Drug Testing, and Qualified Manpower.  Everyone is concerned about the outlook of work.  If you are looking for work, don't forget to consider Delaware and Lehigh Valley.  Pin Pointing is a tool that is available to our union contractors to obtain work that might otherwise go open-shop - Rob Naughton can speak with you about the policies and procedures of this program (215-569-1634).

Productivity Committee Meeting @ the JAC (November 21):  The Productivity Committee is still going strong.  A group of contractors along with Union Representatives continue to meet to discuss changes to curriculum as well as how to make everyone more productive.  Joe Durkin will address the IFCA employers about this subject in greater detail at our January General Membership meeting.

Copies of the new agreement books are available to any industry contributor by contacting the association office.  

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INTERNATIONAL UNION OF PAINTERS & ALLIED TRADES DISTRICT COUNCIL 21 ("DC 21")

Harry Williams, Business Manager/Secretary Treasurer

The Safety Committee met early fall with Domenick Salvatore, OSHA's Compliance Assistance Specialist. Domenick spoke about local fatalities and the need for everyone to engage in a proper safety program.  IFCA distributed OSHA handouts to all members, including copies of the OSHA 300 Form, which can be downloaded from the OSHA site (www.osha.gov). Domenick can help any member navigate through the OSHA web site and/or answer any question you may about OSHA's polices and programs (215-597-4955). OSHA is putting a push on the OSHA 300 form - please make sure that you follow-up on these forms do to whatever is required.

IFCA's new Apprentice Representative is Mark Duffy, Sloan & Company; IFCA's new Safety Committee Representative is Geoff Furtaw, Ceilings Inc . Join me in congratulating them on their new appointments. 

Safety Saturday: SAVE THE DATE: May 19, 2007 - details about this event can be found on DC 21's web site (www.dc21.org).

The changes to the agreement have been printed. Updates to the agreement were distributed to all IFCA members. Please insert the new pages into your old 3-ring binder agreement - contact IFCA with questions.

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LABORERS' DISTRICT COUNCIL ("LDC")

Wade H. Stevens, Jr., Business Manager

New Agreement Books: The new agreements have been printed. Books have been distributed to the IFCA membership. Non-members should contact the union direct to receive a copy of the new agreement.

E-remittance: The LDC is requesting that all employers try to work towards e-remittance. The system is easy to use -it will save your office personnel a lot of time.

Work in the Counties: Wade Stevens encourages contractor members to work in the counties. Call him to discuss business opportunities.

IFCA is available to assist any contractor member with respect to labor relations-contact Kim Clerkin, the Executive Director (610-225-1050).

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GET THE SCOOP

The line-up for Guest Speaks at our monthly General Membership meetings is as follows:

• January: Joe Durkin, the Director of the carpenters' JAC Committee, will join our General Membership meeting to talk about the Apprentice Program.
• February: Ken Kleinman, our OSHA expert from Stevens & Lee, and Domenick Salvatore, an OSHA Compliance Assistance Specialist, will be our guest speakers. The topic is obvious - OSHA!!!
• March: The General Membership meeting will be held on March 26 instead of the first Monday in April. To date, we have not scheduled a guest speaker.

Education:

• OSHA TRAINING: The Mid-Atlantic Safety Council has resumed their OSHA 30 training. The winter schedule starts in January. Contact the association for details.
• DREXEL/COMMUNITY COLLEGE WINTER TERM: If you are interested in taking construction-related courses, tuition reimbursement is available to any field or office personnel. In order to be eligible you must work for an IFCA member in good standing. The Winter Term starts in January. For information about Drexel, contact the Carpenters JAC @ 215-824-2300. For information on the Community Colleges, contact the Consortium @ 215-218-3886.
• WORKSHOP: IFCA is organizing a workshop for our employers on "How to Protect Your Assets: Lawsuit Protection." Look for the details about it some time in January.
• COMPUTER CLASSES: Don't forget - the association can arrange for you and your office personnel to take computer classes @ the JAC or DC 21. Scheduling is flexible - we request a minimum of 8 participants. Contact the association for more details.

2007 Winter Conference: The association's annual Winter Conference will be held @ Casa de Campo in the Dominican Republic February 22-28, 2007. Last year's Legal Seminar was informative - if you have a topic you want us to address at this conference, please send the association an e-mail (kimclerkin@attglobal.net).

AWCI Convention & Intex Expo: This year's convention will take place @ Walt Disney Swan and Dolphin Hotel in Orlando, Florida April 1-5, 2007. Trade Show: April 4-5

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SAFETY SEGMENT

Remember, It's Safety and Health
John H. Young, Skanska USA Building Inc. and the MidAtlantic Construction Safety Council

An incident on a jobsite recently profoundly reminded us that the health aspect of what we do is as important as safety. A 40 year old worker collapsed during morning coffee break, was treated initially within minutes by emergency responders and then rushed into the ER at the medical facility where the Project is located. He was subsequently taken by helicopter to a larger center city facility where it was determined he had suffered a stroke. In the prime of life, sitting with others taking a break, he almost died. As far as safety went, he was doing everything he was supposed to.

But what about his health? Sometimes people have conditions they aren't even aware of; no symptoms, no warning, no prior distress, even no pain. An aneurism can give way and, depending on its location, you are on your way out before you hit the ground. Maybe it's something "in your genes" like high cholesterol or triglycerides, poor cardiovascular condition, diabetes or something else passed along to you. Tests can show signs of some conditions long before any problems develop.

Whether you have "bad genes" or not, you have the ability to determine much of your own destiny when it comes to your health. If you have a "condition" you are aware of, most likely you have been counseled on good health and living habits to minimize issues and extend good quality of life. Following the guidelines can help you really be able to "live your life", hopefully long and healthy.

But what happens when you don't pay attention to what all the "experts" tell us about diet, exercise and rest? What if you are making poor life style choices that conflict with "the right things to do"? A good diet is as simple as paying attention to portion size, selection and timing. Exercise, or lack thereof, is a problem for many and usually ends up at the bottom of the priority list. A good night's sleep starts with allowing enough time between your last meal and getting to bed at a decent time.

But you also have to take into account the issues of smoking, drinking, activity level, stress management and living in moderation to have a good chance to live well and long. As an example, stress management recognizes that we can't control the stressors but we can work on our reaction to them. Counting to ten is an example; so is finding that "happy place" in your mind to go to when things start to get really bad. Stress can kill; and short of that, it can make you sick.

Learn to live in moderation, to control your reaction to stress and to make good life style decisions to support being and staying healthy and active.

The above is only a portion of Pat Merk's, Health & Safety Director for District Council 21 and Member of MidAtlantic Construction Safety Council, article. To receive a copy of the complete article, please send an e-mail to Kim Clerkin (kimclerkin@attglobal.net).

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ROBIN KRAMER SAYS…

Retirement Saving Is More Important Than Ever

It's never been more important to save for retirement. Baby boomers are set to strain the social security system in the years ahead. Studies repeatedly show that we fail to save enough on our own for retirement. The earlier you start and the more you save, the more comfortable your later years can be.

Fortunately, it's never been easier to save in tax-advantaged accounts such as 401(k) and similar plans. These plans offer a flexible way to cut your current taxes while you accumulate savings. Recently Congress made changes to encourage participation and to make these plans more attractive.

One change is that you could find yourself automatically enrolled in your company's 401(k) plan as soon as you become eligible. You'll have the chance to opt out, of course, but you should think twice before you do. Here are some reasons why.

• Automatic savings can become painless. It's much easier to save if part of your paycheck goes into the plan before it goes into your pocket.
• If your employer matches your plan contributions, it's like receiving "free" money. A 50% match means you receive a 50% first-year return on your contribution-and that's before any investment earnings.
• Features such as today's higher contribution limits and catch-up contributions for older workers were due to expire at the end of 2010. Now they've been made permanent, and they'll generally be indexed for inflation in future years.

Beginning in 2007, you'll be able to receive personalized investment advice from your plan provider.

If you name a non-spouse as beneficiary, that individual can make hardship withdrawals from the plan or preserve the tax benefits if they inherit the plan proceeds.

You'll also see more employers offering a Roth 401(k) option. This option trades off the upfront tax benefit in return for tax-free distributions when you retire.

So if you find yourself automatically enrolled, don't rush out to opt out. At least try it for a few months before deciding not to save. In fact, you should consider increasing your contributions if you can afford it.

Robin Kramer & Green, LLP
425 Commerce Dr.
Ft. Washington, PA

215-641-8300 (O)
215-641-8335 (F)
info@rkgcpa.com

Contact Robin Kramer & Green to discuss your retirement options.

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TAKE IT FROM KIM

IFCA Membership: If you are not a member of IFCA, please contact the association to discuss membership opportunities. We're always looking to enhance our member benefits and at IFCA we believe we have a lot to offer to union interior finish contractors. Take a look at the list of our members (page 3), they have the best reputations in the industry. Call me @ 610-225-1050.

New Member Benefit-Web Site Reimbursement: As a result of the increased Industry Advancement, the Board of Directors has approved of a new member benefit - Web Site Reimbursement. To learn more about this new member benefit, please contact the association office @ 610-225-1050. Maximum one-time reimbursement is $1,000.

Bond Reimbursement: The association provides bond reimbursement to our members. Our agreement with the carpenters requires a $75,000 bond while the IUPAT bond is tiered based on manpower (1-15 is $30, 000; 16-35 is $40,000; over 35 is $50,000). The maximum reimbursement for members per bond is $1,000. Questions should be directed to me.

2006-2007 Membership Books: The 2006-07 IFCA Membership Books have been updated. New Membership Books have been distributed to members. If you are in the union construction industry and want a copy of our membership book, contact IFCA.

AWCI CARES: The Foundation of the Wall & Ceiling Industry has created this new program. It is designed to provide financial assistance during times of need arising from illness, accident, death or hardship beyond insurance or financial capabilities. Assistance is available to the employees and families of AWCI member companies. Contact IFCA to receive an application or go to AWCI's web site @ awci.org under the foundation.

Finish First Awards: The applications for this year's awards program were due November 15th - IFCA is again thrilled with the level of participation. Sponsor packets have been mailed to our industry friends and we are hopeful that all sponsors will renew their commitment from last year. SAVE THE DATE:  June 1, 2007 @ the National Constitution Center.

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LEGAL NOTES FROM STEVENS AND LEE

Effective January 1, 2007, Pennsylvania mechanics' lien law will be significantly different and these changes present threats and opportunities to all sorts of companies and every company will need to know how these new amendments might affect them. The highlights of these amendments are as follows:

Except in limited circumstances, stipulations against liens between an owner and contractor (that bar mechanics' lien claims by junior tier claimants if properly recorded) and advance mechanics' lien waivers by contractors and subcontractors (that is, waivers obtained before actual payment) will be VOID AS AGAINST PUBLIC POLICY. This is the most significant change. Subcontractors will now have meaningful lien rights (or payment bond rights) in all commercial construction projects and in large residential projects.

However, lien waivers and stipulations against liens will remain valid and enforceable (i) for residential building projects where the total price of the contract between the owner and the general contractor is $1 million or less and (ii) as to subcontractors, where the general contractor has posted a payment bond to assure payment of all labor and material supplied by subcontractors on the project.

The second significant change is that preliminary notice of intent to file a lien by subcontractors for alteration or repair work has been eliminated. Until now, the filing of mechanics' lien claims by subcontractors for alteration or repair projects was virtually impossible because the subcontractor had to give notice of intention to lien before its work was completed and most subcontractors never did that (primarily because they did not know they had to).

As amended, preliminary notice of intent to lien on repair and alteration projects will no longer be required, meaning that subcontractors on repair and alteration projects will have up to five months after completing their work to give formal notice of intent to lien.

The third significant change is the apparent expansion of lien rights to subs of subs, which would include materialmen selling to a subcontractor that has a direct contract with the general contractor. Pennsylvania mechanics' lien law has always limited lien rights to general contractors and subcontractors, leaving many materialmen who sold to subcontractors with no recourse when the subcontractor went belly up.

The fourth significant change is that the deadline to file a lien claim is being extended from four months to six months. Formal notice of intent to lien by subcontractors will still be required, so the deadline for that notice will be expanded from the current 90 days to 150 days (five months) from the date of last work performed or material delivered.

The final significant change involves lien priority, with the amendments providing that, regardless of whether the lien has priority from the date of visible work on the ground or from the date the lien claim was filed, all lien claims will be subordinate to (i) purchase money mortgages and (ii) open end mortgages securing a loan whose proceeds were used to fund all or part of the improvement on the property subject to the mortgage.

Submitted by Steven J. Adams, Esquire (610-478-2133)

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CALENDAR

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PICTURES

Golf Committee

(pictured left to right)
Tom Clerkin, Bob Sullivan, John Matter, Kim Clerkin, Frank Lutter

2006 IFCA GOLF OUTING RESULTS:

Low Team:
Gary Blaszczyk/Frank Capecci/Roy Link/Jim Garcia (65)

2nd Team:
Dave Ruggieri/Steve Ruggieri/Jack Haagen/Anthony Cacciavillani (65)

3rd Team:
Tom Clerkin/Geoff Furtaw/Glenn Reilly/Ken Yakopcic (65)

4th Team:
Peter Bradley/Ron Martin/Tom Kueny/Bob Kempf (66)

5th Team:
Kim Clerkin/Jim Landis/Joe Hazlett/Roger Taylor (66)

6th Team:
Mike Powell/John Myerski/Wayne Sanders/Rich Schneyder (67)

7th Team:
Tony Iannucci/Mike Tierce/Marty Monteleone/Bob Sullivan (67)

High Team:
Dane Shiplee/Michael Shiplee/Joe Durkin/Sherri Stewart (81)

Closest to the Pin:
#5-Bob Sullivan 4' 2"
#9-Paul Lewis 5'5"
#13-Frank Maimone 8'6"
#16-Gary Blaszczyk 5'6"

Longest Drive:
#3-Steve Molloy
#11-Craig Melograno

Straightest Drive:
#17-Mike Scheftel

The event was perfect - we can't wait for next year!

SAVE THE DATE: September 10, 2007

The association wishes to thank and recognize the following hole & beverage/snack sponsors from this year's industry golf outing - their friendship and support is valued by IFCA. 

Armstrong World Industries
BPB America, Inc./Celotex/Capual/Gyptone
Bell Supply/Shore Supply
Keith Bush Associates, Inc.    
CIESCO Truss/CIESCO, Inc.
Clark Steel Framing           
Dietrich Industries
Grabber Construction Products
Kamco Building Supply              
Kass of Pennsylvania
George F. Kempf Supply Co., Inc.
Steven F. Kempf Building Material Co.
Marino/Ware             
Marjam Supply Co.
Modern Fasteners
National Gypsum
S & S Resource Co.
Specialty Products & Insulation
Stevens & Lee

"I have a tip that can take five strokes off anyone's golf game,
it's called an eraser."
A. Palmer

Wishing EVERYONE a WONDERFUL Holiday Season!!!

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IFCA

Kimberly A. Clerkin, Executive Director
Valley Forge Office Center
676 E. Swedesford Rd., Ste. 300
Wayne, PA 19087
Phone: 610-225-1050
Fax: 610-225-1052
Email: kimclerkin@attglobal.net

We're on the web at www.ifcaassociation.com