Many in the field may not realize how their daily job impacts the people they work with and the bottom line. At the MCAA Field Leaders Conference, your field team can benefit from the know-how of someone who has experienced it all in The Foreman’s Impact on Profitability session led by MCAA member Mark Rogers. Rogers began his career as a Steamfitter Apprentice in 1986 with Local 420 in Philadelphia, went on to start his own mechanical contracting company in 1996 and served as MCAA President in 2011. He volunteers around the country presenting his “Real Cost of a Man Hour” and has given the talk over 125 times to over 20,000 UA Members. Rogers is passionate about education for everyone in the industry and tailored his presentation at the Field Leaders Conference specifically so those in the field can better understand and appreciate their overall role and impact on a job. Register your field personnel today! This is a conference you can’t afford them to miss.

As more contractors use BIM in virtual design and construction, they are faced with many limitations, including no drawing standards, a lack of drawing content specific to manufacturers, software systems that don’t connect and no easy way to estimate shop hours versus field hours. The goal of MCAA’s WebLEM+Plus is to become a single solution to all of these challenges.

When the WebLEM+Plus is released soon, you will find a complete buildout of the Work Activity Method Labor Units (over 100,000 labor units are being added to the LEM) which allow contractors to specifically identify shop and field labor separately.

You will also find features in this release which allow each manufacturers and drawing content providers to attach their drawing content (.ITM and RFA), technical data, pictures of the product, item weight, etc. to each and every labor unit.

When the WebLEM+Plus website is released, be sure to keep coming back to the site as we work with manufacturers to get their information connected and available to you.

We’re also making it easier for software partners and all MCAA members to connect to our data by providing APIs for our software partners to use, and by making our unique data identifier available for our contractors to download and be the central data key that connects all of the software systems they use.

And, we’ve published the first ever drawing content standard to help all industry partners work together better.

MCAA contractors will soon have a single source for all of their needs and it’s the WebLEM+Plus. So, stay tuned! We’ll keep you updated!

Local affiliated association executives and MCAA staff came together July 28-31, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to educate, network and share industry best practices and experiences. The conference kicked off with an update from MCAA CEO John Gentille, MCAA President Brian Helm, MCAA COO Tim Brink and MCAA Executive Director, Executive & Conference Services Melissa Funyak. UA Assistant General President Mike Pleasant shared a UA update along with information on the UA/MCAA Joint Strategic Planning Committee with Co-Chair Mark Rogers.

Jim Estabrook of Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper, P.C., explained how to use the Industry Funds Operation Guide and LMCC Funds to help ensure trusts are operating properly. He explained best practices and uses of funds, as well as questionable practices.

Our partner with Ice Miller, Ryan Poor, and Ed Kommers, MCA of Western Washington, reviewed MCAA’s Collective Bargaining Guide, a value-added tool and resource available to all members free as a benefit of membership. Additionally, Scott Strawbridge, Mechanical Contractors Council of Central CA, explained what happens when bargaining between labor and management hits an impasse.

Additional education sessions covered MCAA’s Career Development and Women in the Mechanical Industry initiatives, MCERF, IFEBP services, technology, association management best practices, and the changing cultural makeup of today’s workforce and how innovation evolves from multiple viewpoints. Beyond the sessions, executives had time to explore MILWAUKEE TOOL headquarters.

The conference concluded with current AEC Chair, Tony Saporito (MCA of New York) stepping down and the introduction of Ed Kommers (MCA of Western Washington) as the new AEC Chair, Rick Lundvall (MCA of Rockford) as the Vice Chair and Chip Martin (CPMCA) as the new Program Chair.

The executives were proud to present John Gentille, MCAA CEO, with the first-ever John R. Gentille Excellence in Leadership Award, highlighting the members’ appreciation for the leadership he has provided.

The next AEC Best Practices Conference will be held on July 26-29, 2020.

Your field leaders are professionals who build people as much as they do projects. Do they have the skills needed to motivate people, use influence over authority, and mentor, coach and empower their crews? Mark Breslin’s presentation at the Field Leaders Conference offers new ideas, strategies and tools to help them enhance crew performance. Mark is speaking in both locations, so choose your preferred city to learn more and register now!

Your field leaders are the face of your company. Are they prepared to communicate effectively, bridge conflict and personality clashes, and protect your company’s image? Kevin Dougherty’s presentation at the Field Leaders Conference provides the tricks and tactics they need to get even the most difficult people eating out of their hands, plus other ideas for improving communication with crews, other subs, management and owners. Kevin is speaking in both locations, so choose your preferred city to learn more and register now!

3M Fall Protection has announced an immediate stop use and product recall of the 3M™ DBI-SALA® Nano-Lok™ edge and Wrap Back Twin-Leg Self Retracting Lifelines. The twin-leg Nano-Lok edge is part of a personal fall protection system and connects two self-retracting lifelines/devices (SRL’s/SRD’s) directly under the dorsal d-ring of a worker’s harness. It is intended to be anchored at foot-level, and is designed for sharp edge applications. The twin-leg Wrap Back Nano-Lok is intended for wrapping around an anchor and incorporates a similar energy absorber. 3M has determined that in the event of a fall and under certain conditions, the energy absorber may not properly deploy which could expose the worker to serious injury or death.

Recall Notice

Your company’s bottom line, and its ability to obtain future work, is at risk each time you hire a subcontractor. Companies whose subcontractors consistently perform the industry’s necessary safely functions well have a much easier time securing future work. So how do you go about finding safety-conscious subcontractors? MCAA’s Guide to Subcontractor Safety Management simplifies the process by providing a system for subcontractor evaluation.

You will learn:

• How to objectively select subcontractors that are committed to jobsite safety
• How to assist your subs through the process of establishing and implementing the programs, policies, procedures, and safe work practices necessary to consistently perform their work safely
• How to verify and document that the necessary safety and health measures have been established, and are consistently implemented

Download Guide