Greetings!
Welcome to the April 2009 edition of the Electrical Contractors' Association newsletter LiveWire.
We hope that you will be able to participate with a number of
upcoming Association activities. Please review the
newsletter and learn about the "Ours to Protect" educational program,
the NECA 2009 Convention, the many Research and Education Committee
programs that are being offered through the ECA, as well as the
programs offered through National NECA's Management Education
Institute (MEI), among other areas.
We hope that all signatory contractors within the Cook
County area will make the commitment to the industry and join our
Association. Please contact the ECA office at: (708)
531-0022 or by fax at: (708) 531-0071 or visit our website
at: www.ecachicago.com for membership information. Please give us some feedback about the ECA LiveWire Newsletter. We'd appreciate your comments. Best regards, ECA Chicago |
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ECA MARCH MEMBERSHIP MEETING
The Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago (ECA) held its March
Membership Meeting on Wednesday, March 11, 2009. The meeting
focused on the upcoming negotiations with Local Union #134, IBEW.
75 attendees were on hand to discuss issues affecting the
industry. A brief questionnaire was distributed to all attendees
to find out what the issues/concerns of the signatory contractor are to
best aid the ECA Negotiation Team. The group looks forward to the
upcoming discussions with our union partners.
Also,
the ECA welcomes Mark Morales and Gil Avilez of Cutting Edge Electric,
Inc. as new members to the Association. We look forward to their
participation with Association activities.
Pictured from left to right:
Brad Weir, ECA President, Kelso-Burnett Co.,
Mark Morales and Gil Avilez, Cutting Edge Electric, Inc. | |
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NECA CONVENTION
The National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) is having their National  Convention
& Trade Show September 12 - 15, 2009 in Seattle, Washington.
Seattle, the "Emerald City," shimmers like a beckoning jewel, fingered
by lush evergreens in the midst of mountains and water.
While it is famed for its natural beauty and mild
climate, this metropolitan center has so much more to offer - world
class arts and culture, entertainment and cuisine; an abundance of
shops and more than 9,000 restaurants in a pedestrian-friendly
environment; vibrant neighborhoods and major attractions by the
score.
Seattle is also known as the technology leader of
the Northwest and has gained a solid reputation as a business
hub. When you come to Seattle, it won't take you long to realize
why this sparkling city is synonymous with fun and excitement.
The Opening General Session will feature Howard
Behar, the Vice President of Sales and Operations for Starbucks and the
Closing General Session will feature world class blind adventurer, Erik
Weihenmayer. The Closing Celebration will be a custom performance
by Cirque Dreams. The energetic show incorporates creative and
original artistry with some of the finest music, costumes, choreography
and special effects ever produced.
We hope that you will be able to attend the NECA
2009 Seattle Convention and experience all that is Seattle, as well as
experience the workshops, training sessions, informative and
entertaining General Sessions.
Registration for the 2009 NECA Convention & Trade Show is to begin in May.
Pictured is the Space Needle, Seattle, Washington.
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NECA FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE REPORT
The
"Electrical Contractors Financial Performance Report 2008" (based on
2007 data) represents the most complete, accurate and up-to-date
database of electrical contractors financial and operating data
anywhere. The information contained in the report is designed to
provide easy-to-understand guidelines for identifying business
strengths, weaknesses and performance improvement opportunities.
The statistics in the report represent broad performance benchmarks
against which a company's performance can be measured. The report
provides a valuable NECA industry standard for your use during audits,
claims/change order negotiation, or with a banker/bonding agent.
The report also contains an easy-to-use chart on cash flow
management. The NECA Index Number is: #1055-09. The
NECA member price is $25.00. You can order a copy by contacting
the NECA Order Desk at: (301) 215-4504 or by calling the ECA for
a copy of the Order Form at: (708) 531-0022 or by clicking here for a copy of the Order Form.
You can then fax the completed form with payment information to NECA
at: (301) 215-4500. If mailing in the Order Form, please
send it to: NECA Order Desk, P.O. BOX 17033, Baltimore, MD
21297-1033. Finally, a PDF download of the Order Form can be
found on the NECA website at: www.necanet.org/store.
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ST. PADDY'S LUNCHEON
 The
55th Annual St. Paddy's Day Luncheon was held on Friday, March 13,
2009. This luncheon has become a unique institution in the
Chicagoland Electrical Construction Industry. This year's "Big
Shillelagh" was Mark Nemshick, Executive Vice President of the
Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago (ECA).
Mark has been instrumental in maintaining the strength of the union
electrical construction industry in the Chicago area since starting
with the ECA in 1977. Congratulations, Mark!
Pictured at left is Mark Nemshick as he accepted the "Big Shillelagh" honor. |
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NECA IIT STUDENT CHAPTER
The Association is pleased to announce that the
NECA IIT Student Chapter has been recognized by both National NECA and
the IIT Board. A meeting is to be arranged during the month of
April to familiarize the students with the ECA, the Chicagoland
electrical construction industry, NECA and our member
contractors. We appreciate the support of the membership and
anticipate many joint efforts with the students.
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ECA IIT IPRO
The Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago (ECA) has worked with  the
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) with its Interprofessional
(IPRO) Program for nearly three semesters. The students are near
completion with the project that is focusing on "green" technologies
and electrical construction. A web-based template to aid electrical
contractors who pursue or are about to embark on bidding "green"
projects is to be reviewed by the ECA Student Relations/IPRO
Subcommittee soon. The students were able to visit a "green" jobsite at
115 N. Wacker in Chicago, Illinois. The ECA thanks Gibson
Electric & Technology Solutions for their assistance in securing
the tour. The students were better able to understand the
complexities of the "green" initiatives for that project and can apply
that to their
IPRO.
ECA IPRO class on roof of 155 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago, Illinois. |
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EPS I PROGRAM
The Electrical Project Supervision Level I (EPS I) began on March 16, 2009. The  program
includes two extra sessions geared for the office personnel to be in
symmetry with the field personnel. Project Managers must be in
sync with those in the field. The EPS program has been updated to
maintain that emphasis on communication that is needed for an office,
for a project to run smoothly. The EPS Program content highlights
include the following topics: Supervisory Role, Effective
Communication, Performance Management, Get Organized, Build Teamwork
and Customer Service. The EPS I is being facilitated by Norb
Slowikowski, Slowikowski & Associates, Inc.
Pictured above is Norb Slowkowski as he began the EPS-I Program.
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| "OURS TO PROTECT"
The
"Ours to Protect" website was formally launched on January 14,
2009. An informational meeting was held at the Drake Oak Brook
Hotel, Oak Brook, Illinois to educate the signatory contractor and
electrician in regard to the "Ours to Protect" initiative. The
introduction on the website sums up the impetus for the website:
"Ours to Protect is an effort by a group of concerned unionized
electrical contractor business owners in the Chicago and Cook County,
Illinois region to gather information from related areas around the
country, evaluate the historical implications of how these areas have
lost and gained market share, and report these findings in a factual
and unbiased manner for consideration by our audience."
We urge all interested to review the "Ours to Protect" website at: www.ourstoprotect.com. Please
register on the site to receive additional educational information
regarding the industry. Your input is needed.
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ECA 38TH ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE
As you are aware, the Electrical Contractors'
Association of City of Chicago (ECA) 38th Annual Spring Conference will
be held June 3 - 4, 2009 at the Grand Geneva Resort in Lake Geneva,
Wisconsin. The Grand Geneva is set on 1,300 scenic, secluded
acres featuring the full-service Grand Geneva Spa and Sport Center -
The Well. In addition, the golf outing scheduled for Wednesday,
June 3rd will be held at the Grand Geneva Resort - Brute Course.
We're sure that these are reasons enough to attend this
Conference. A Registration Form was already forwarded to all ECA
members. You may also visit the ECA website at:
www.ecachicago.com for registration information. Registration
closes April 24, 2009.
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| NECA MEI / ECA EDUCATIONAL UPDATE
Just a reminder that there are three upcoming
educational opportunities available through the efforts of the ECA
Research and Education Committee. The Committee is sponsoring
programs developed through the NECA Management Education Institute
(MEI), as well as a pre-Membership Meeting program.
The first program is a pre-Membership
Meeting session called, "Unemployment Cost Management
Seminar." The program will be held on Wednesday, April 8, 2009
at Harry Caray's Restaurant, Chicago, Illinois. The seminar
will feature Brian Stolzenbach, Seyfarth Shaw and Landon Armbruster,
TALX UC eXpress. Benefits of the program include the
following: Learn what records should be kept during the
employment process; How do you handle problem employees and reward good
employees?; Discuss what should be done after a lay-off,
discharge, or quit; Illinois State unemployment requirements - how do
you respond?; and TALX UC eXpress - An ECA sponsored value-added
program that can represent your firm in all unemployment-related
issues. Registration information is to be forwarded soon to
the ECA membership.
The second program is the NECA MEI seminar called,
"Advanced Project Management Workshop Series: Risk Identification
and Mitigation." This program will offer experienced project
managers an opportunity to explore the types of risk they confront each
day. Throughout the session, each participant will have an
opportunity to collaborate with other experienced project managers and
better understand the role of project management in the business.
The program is scheduled for Monday, April 13, 2009 at the Marriott Oak
Brook Hotel, Oak Brook, Illinois. Registration information has
already been forwarded to all ECA members.
The third program is another NECA MEI program
called, "Principles and Practices of Project Scheduling" which is to be
held on Thursday, May 14, 2009 at the Hyatt O'Hare Hotel, Rosemont,
Illinois. This program offers a comprehensive overview of basic
scheduling concepts and their applications to electrical contracting,
including the use of arrow and precendence diagrams and bar charts and
computational techniques used in precedence networks. Resource
loading, the use of the schedule as a project management tool, and the
communication of scheduling information will also be discussed.
Topics covered include basic scheduling concepts, project and work
breakdown structure, bar charts and the two-week look-ahead, and
activity duration and scheduling. Registration
information is to be forwarded soon to the ECA
membership.
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January 2009 Industry Statistics |
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2008 |
2009 |
Number of Contractors
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921 |
879 |
| Journeymen & Apprentices Employed |
11,266 |
10,470 |
| Monthly Hours Worked |
1,379,523 |
1,097,376 |
| Cumulative Hours Worked for Period |
1,379,523 |
1,097,376 | | |
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UPCOMING EVENTS
April 8, 2009
ECA Regular Membership Meeting
Harry Caray's Restaurant Chicago, IL
April 13, 2009
NECA MEI Advanced Project Management Workshop Series:
"Risk Identification &
Mitigation"
Marriott Oak Brook Hotel
Oak Brook, IL
May 4 - May 7, 2009
NECA Legislative Conference and PLC Summit
Washington D.C.
May 13, 2009
ECA Regular Membership Meeting
Clubhouse Restaurant
Oak Brook, IL
May 14, 2009
NECA MEI "Principles and Practices of Project Scheduling"
Hyatt O'Hare Hotel
Rosemont, IL
May 18 - 21, 2009
ECA Basic Electrical Estimating Workshop
Hyatt Lodge
Oak Brook, IL
May 20 - 22, 2009
CISCO - Public Construction Value Conference
Edgewood Restaurant
Itasca, IL
Registration info.:
(630) 472-9411
June 3 - 4, 2009
ECA 38th Annual Spring Conference
Grand Geneva Resort
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
June 18 - 19, 2009
NECA MEI "Project Management for Electrical Contractors"
Location TBA |
We Need Your Comments
The
Association urges all members to utilize the many resources that are
available on-line at the ECA website. We hope that the
information provided will help you better run your business, by helping
you become aware of what's new in the marketplace not only in the
Chicago area, but nationwide.
Available in
the On-Line Resources section of the ECA Website is the Equipment
& Material Member Exchange.
Visit the "Member's Only" section and unlock all the features
provided to ECA members.
The Events area of the
site is constantly being updated. Please view the calendar for
upcoming educational programming, as this dynamic is
ever-changing. We hope that you will take advantage of the
on-line surveys, polls, etc. Your participation will assist in the
development of future programs offered by the Association.
Please
let us know how we're doing and send your comments via e-mail.
Visit the "Contact Us" portion of the website.
We look forward to your visit to: www.ecachicago.com.
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