October 6, 2007
NECA chapter governors packed a lot of action into their one-day meeting in San Francisco yesterday, passing two bylaw amendments and all four ordinary proposals up for consideration as well as approving nominees for our 2008 executive committee. Two of the ordinary proposals could bring about changes in your local labor agreements.
The governors affirmed our executive committee’s decision to adopt enabling language for the industry “Code of Excellence” as mandatory (Category I) language in all NECA-IBEW labor agreements. The Code of Excellence is a program to promote jobsite excellence and customer satisfaction. It was first envisioned by the IBEW 8th District nearly 10 years ago as a local program to bring out the best from the workforce in order for signatory contractors to satisfy the customer’s needs and focused on three goals:
A Code of Excellence program has been adopted into many local agreements and on individual jobs. The resolution passed at the recent Board of Governors Meeting means that every agreement negotiated between NECA chapters and IBEW locals will henceforth include enabling language stating that each area should develop and adopt its own Code of Excellence with some minimum guidelines. The IBEW has also agreed to this proposal. The Code will become universal across our industry, though customized to address specific needs of different regions.
More information, including the enabling language and a video in which IBEW International President Ed Hill and Secretary-Treasurer Jon Walters discuss the history, purpose, and potential of the Code can be found on our members-only site. Click here for access.
The governors also reaffirmed optional shift language as developed in response to a previous proposal passed in 2004. That proposal from our Quad Cities Chapter requested negotiation of an optional shift clause allowing lower premiums, if agreed to by the local parties. Thus, action at this year’s Board of Governors meeting reaffirms that, if the local parties agree, the standard shift language can be modified to insert lower (but not higher) shift premiums.
In addition, the governors approved a proposal supporting the newly created “Emerson Hamilton Scholarship Fund” within the ELECTRI International Foundation, named in honor of a distinguished industry leader who served as NECA’s president from 1986 through 1989 and in a number of other offices and positions within our association. The fund will provide scholarships for both students and faculty of university construction management programs and NECA Student Chapters.
The fourth ordinary proposal passed resolved that, on any panel of the Council on Industrial Relations where the case at hand involves matters which directly impact an Integrated Building Systems (IBS) agreement, there will be at least one management member who is an active systems contractor or representative of such contractor. The 12-member CIR panel consists of six IBEW appointees and six NECA appointees, and NECA will encourage IBEW to consider the needs of the IBS industry in its appointments as well.
Also passed was a bylaw amendment formalizing the curtailment secret ballot voting by chapter governors and another that made some technical corrections to the indemnification section of NECA’s bylaws.
Following the voting on proposals, Rex Ferry of Girard Ohio was elected as NECA’s first-ever President-Elect. This new position holds a one-year term that will commence January 1, 2008. As President Elect, Ferry will provide support for current NECA President, Milner Irvin, while he gains understanding of the NECA President’s role and responsibilities as he prepares for his upcoming term as NECA President.
The Election of Vice Presidents occurred, with David MacKay of Weymouth Massachusetts being named as the new District 1 Vice President. Franklin D. Russell of Mobile Alabama was re-elected as the District 3 Vice President. John M. Gueldner of San Antonio, Texas was re-elected as District 5 Vice President. Also re-elected were John J. Negro from Cedar Rapids, Indiana as District 7 Vice President and Richard Nogleberg from Citrus Heights, California as District 9 Vice President. The newly elected and re-elected District Vice Presidents will begin their two-year terms January 1, 2008. Profiles for the NECA Vice Presidents are available online.
John R. Colson was once again selected by the Executive Committee to serve as Vice President at Large for a two-year term to commence on January 1, 2008.