In last month's newsletter I wrote about individual and company goals. This organization also has goals we are working diligently to achieve. Your LCCA leadership and committees have met for strategic planning to develop and implement goals for 2007 as well as into the future. These goals are:

1. To promote economic development in Lake County in order to increase member's construction opportunities.

2. To improve relations between labor unions and members.

3. To increase political activism by providing tools to seek legislative help with local and state contracting problems.

4. To promote and improve safety on the jobsite.

5. To promote construction as a career and assist apprentice programs meet future needs.

6. To increase membership in LCCA.

7. To provide networking opportunities, both internally for members and externally with similar groups.

8. To make it easier to get member questions answered on labor, legal issues, etc.

9. To develop a public relations program to increase the Association's name recognition in the community.

10. To develop model compliance programs for affirmative action, sexual harassment and other HR issues.

While these goals are sizeable, they are attainable. Our committees are dedicated to LCCA as well as to our industry. During the year we will keep you abreast as to where we are in achieving our goals.

Wellenstein & Sons, Inc.
227 Sussex Street
Pewaukee, WI 53072
Phone: (262) 695-3580
Fax: (262) 695-3585
CONTRACTOR
Bart Wellenstein, Vice President
Rough and finish carpentry.
Sponsor: Rick Grabowski, Pickus Construction

LCCA's Annual Trade Show will be held Thursday, March 22, 2007, at Midlane Golf Resort. This is a new time of year at the request of vendors who participated in the last event in October of 2005. Most agreed the late fall time was difficult and a date closer to the start of the construction season would be better.

Information for vendors who wish to participate in the event has been sent and vendors are starting to respond. As in the past, booth space is limited and will be assigned on a first come, first served basis.

New this year: expanded floor space! LCCA exhibit space will utilize all of the Chandler Room at Midlane, allowing vendors to reserve one or two tables depending on the space they need.

Also new this year: contractor member companies will receive two tickets for complimentary registration for the trade show. Non-member contractors will also be invited to attend.

A 50-50 raffle run from September to December at LCCA Membership Meetings netted $1,300 that was earmarked for disaster relief in New Orleans. After looking at several programs, we chose to help a campus ministry group that included over 700 college students from many religions who participated in the Volunteer Disaster Ministry Neighborhood Clean-up Project in late December. Working with several agencies including the American Red Cross, Volunteers of America and other local agencies, the students were asked to go into devastated communities to clear debris, renovate and repair housing, parks and other similar work.

After talking with the project leaders, it was clear that they did not really know the potential risks they were facing; therefore, we offered to provide the students with some basic PPE - gloves, safety glasses, dust masks, reflective vests and first aid kits.

The areas served by the project were: Oak Island, Gentilly Vascoville, the 9th Ward and many more. The students provided thousands of hours of community service and everybody who participated in the raffle can take credit for making their experience safer.

After more than 14 years on the LCCA Board of Directors, Jim Pickus has stepped down. Jim served as President of LCCA in 1998 and 1999. He has represented LCCA on the MARBA Board of Directors since 2002 and was active in many LCCA committees before that.

We wish Jim well in his future endeavors and thank him for his many years of service to LCCA.

Rick Grabowski, Pickus Construction & Equipment, has been appointed to the MARBA Board to fill the vacancy left with the resignation of Jim Pickus. Rick has been serving as LCCA's Alternate Director for the last year. Micky Day, DK Contractors, will assume the Alternate Director's position.

Mike Wolff, Lake County Grading, has been appointed to represent LCCA on the Lake County Partners (LCP) Board of Directors. LCP is the economic development engine in Lake County working to retain business in the county and getting new business to locate here. Their efforts can dramatically increase the construction market as these companies build new facilities and remodel old buildings. Because of a lack of efficient transportation systems in the county, LCP is also the leader in getting a greater investment in road and transportation improvements. When prospective companies are able to efficiently move materials, product and employees in an area, they are more likely to select that area for their facilities.

By popular demand LCCA's Summer Outing will be a boat cruise on Lake Geneva on Friday, June 22, 2007. What better way to welcome the first day of summer than with a boat cruise on one of the Midwest's most beautiful lakes - Lake Geneva. Look for all the details in March's Newsbrief!

The April 26, 2007 Membership Meeting brings the LCCPAC Auction. The Auction will raise money to help keep members competitive. 100% of Auction proceeds will go to candidates who support our efforts!

What can you do to help? Donate auction items and come to the auction ready to bid and buy. Donations must have a value in excess of $150. We would like to have all items by March 23.

Bargaining Right Assignment Forms were sent recently to Contractors who employ Operators and Technical Engineers as we get ready to negotiate both contracts this year. Assigning Bargaining Rights is very important to getting a contract we all can live with. By not joining the collective bargaining group, you just strengthen the hand of the unions - and there could be a significant downside for you since the union is under no obligation to give you the same agreement.

Assignment of Bargaining Rights forms must be returned to the LCCA Office no later than March 1. If you did not receive the forms, just call the LCCA Office and we will send you the necessary information. Remember, complete, sign and send the assignment by March 1!

The Operating Engineers Local 150 has asked MARBA to renegotiate the Landscape Agreement that expired December 31, 2006. Notices were sent to Contractor Members in November but no LCCA members elected to assign bargaining rights for the contract negotiations. The primary negotiator for the agreement is the Illinois Landscape Contractors Bargaining Association who have not yet reached an agreement. It is expected that the existing contract will be extended for several months while the parties continue to negotiate.

On Dec. 18, Gov. Blagojevich signed into law legislation increasing the state minimum wage to $7.50 per hour on July 1, 2007. The minimum wage will increase by an additional 25 cents in each of the following three years to $7.75 on July 1, 2008; $8.00 on July 1, 2009; and $8.25 on July 1, 2010.

The bill was approved in the Veto Session with a House vote of 74-43 and it passed the Senate 40-17. All this occurred before any change in the makeup of either chamber. The original Senate version would have included a "Cost of Living Adjustment" (COLA), but this was removed from the final version that passed in exchange for the annual increases through 2010.

The Bureau of National Affairs data through October, 2006 showed an average first-year wage increase for union workers of 4.1% in new contracts - the highest of any industry sector! This is substantially up from the 3.4% increase reported for the same period a year ago.

Wages and fringes for Elevator Constructors Local 2 increase January 1. New rates are:

Mechanic in Charge -- $47.30
Mechanic -- $ .045
Health & Welfare -- $8.275
Pension -- $4.46
Educational Fund -- $ .55
Annuity -- $ .18
Vacation Pay – 6% of wage for under 5 years and 8% over 5 years.
Employee Contribution for Welfare ($ .035)

The U.S. District Court has ruled that a General Contractor signatory to the MARBA Carpenter's agreement, is liable for unpaid fringes for a third tier subcontractor. In the case a non-signatory subcontractor was hired by the general contractor to perform work that included work normally done by carpenters. The sub, in turn, hired a signatory carpentry company to perform the work. The carpenter sub failed to pay benefits and the Benefit Funds sued the general to collect since it had no agreement with the subcontractor. The court agreed with the funds that the General was liable since the contract provides that the signatory employer "shall not subcontract any work coming within the jurisdiction claims of the union to any person, firm or corporation not covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement with the union."

The results are in and LCCA Contractors have spoken - the construction industry is stagnant. In fact 61.5% of all respondents rated the state of the industry Stagnant with another 30.8% reporting growth. But comparing the results with the same question in 2003, the market is better for some. In fact in 2003, 27.7% reported the state of the industry as Weak compared to just 7.7% this year. And while 5.5% reported they considered the industry Prosperous in 2003, no one chose this response this year. Here are the other results:

If yes, what costs are most likely to impact future projects?

How has jobsite safety changed generally in last 10 years?

How has your safety record changed in the last 10 years?

How has your EMR changed in the last 5 years?

Thank you to everybody who took the time to participate in the survey. LCCA now uses Survey Monkey to conduct the survey and we only receive tabulated results so you can respond without fear that your individual response will be know to anyone here at LCCA. We will continue to ask your opinion to help us make more intelligent decisions on the goals and programs of the association.

LCCA will once again have a booth at the 17th Annual Construction Safety Conference & Expo. The conference will be held February 13-15 at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. LCCA Safety Committee Members will be manning the booth, so if you are going to the conference, be sure to stop by our booth.

The conference will be held on February 13 and 14 with professional development seminars on February 15. John Drebinger, a communication and motivational expert, will head the list of keynote speakers and address the group on Tuesday morning at 7:00 a.m. Starting at noon, a panel of OSHA executives including Edwin Foulke, Paula Wight and Steven Witt will discuss OSHA activities.

Complete conference information can be found on the Chicagoland Construction Safety Council's website - www.buildsafe.org. And some exhibit space is still available. If you are interested, call Beverlee Carrick at (708) 544-2082 x202.

Last month the trust document establishing the LCCA-Laborers Local 152 Safety & Education Fund was signed. Negotiated into the last Laborers Local 152 Agreement, the fund will permit LCCA to expand the current Safety Fund that was established in the Cement Mason Local 11-362 Agreement in 1999. Currently, the Safety Fund subsidizes safety training and provides other safety services for LCCA members. With the addition of the Laborers, we will be able to expand our efforts to provide more safety help for members.

The Board of Directors of the new fund will include: Rick Grabowski, Pickus Construction & Equipment; Mike Lazzaretto, Laborers Local 152; Fred Rodheim, Abbott Laboratories and Gary Dowty, LCCA. The LCCA Safety Committee is already looking for new programs that will help members eliminate injuries on the jobsite. If you have any ideas on how we might help you, just let us know.