October 7, 2007

Daily Cable - NECA 2007 San Francisco

Town Hall Meeting Provides Forum for "Truth and Trust" in San Francisco

San Francisco became a historic site for NECA and the IBEW this morning as the first location to ever host a NECA/IBEW Labor Relations "Town Hall Meeting." Moderator Mark Breslin--a well-known and candid arbitration specialist who has worked with numerous trade associations and labor unions--described the meeting as an "open and honest" forum for "truth and trust."

Breslin pointed out that, historically, town hall meetings are intended to govern a community and provide community members the opportunity to have their concerns and questions addressed by the leadership. He also noted that many members of both the NECA and IBEW communities were present at today's meeting.

Town Hall moderator Mark Breslin

Addressing this community was a panel of NECA and IBEW leaders, including NECA CEO John Grau, NECA Vice President of Labor Relations Geary Higgins, IBEW International President Edwin Hill, and the IBEW International Secretary-Treasurer Jon F. Walters.

Following opening remarks by Grau and Hill, the panelists addressed a number of key – and at times controversial – issues, including the Code of Excellence, portability, CW/CEs, "small works agreements," pension benefits, market share, and more specifically, the expansion of work in new and emerging markets.

Several NECA contractors and IBEW members offered questions from the floor concerning these issues, while Breslin directed the inquiries to specific panel members for response. While the panelists did not always agree with one another about the answers, the meeting remained an open, honest, and respectful discussion.

Portability, for example, raised a number of questions and comments from the audience. Grau noted, "If we worried less about protecting our own turf or jurisdiction, we would ultimately get more work for everyone."

Concluding, Breslin posed a question to Grau and Hill, "If you could make one significant change in your NECA/IBEW partnership, what would that be?" 

Grau expressed a desire for NECA contractors to have the flexibility to manage their jobs as they see necessary in terms of number of workers and where the workers come from. Hill commented that he wished for the NECA/IBEw relationship to be seen as a partnership as opposed to an adversarial relationship. He noted that NECA and the IBEW share a similar vision and encouraged both groups to take the others' positions and needs into account.

The meeting ended on a positive note. Dan Schaffer of Schaffer Electric in St. Louis said, "It was great to have an opportunity to hear from the leaders of NECA and the IBEW. It isn’t often we get the chance to hear from them and ask them questions directly in an open forum like this."

For the first time this year, contractors found renewable energy solutions in the “Green Alley” section of the NECA 2007 San Francisco Show floor. The “Green Alley” hosts manufactures of the latest solar, wind and other energy-efficient technologies and attendees are getting the chance to speak with them about design and installation innovations and new opportunities in commercial and residential construction.

Attendees also took advantage of the up-to-the-minute information presented in the “Think Green” technical sessions. These sessions gave the attendees the competitive edge they’ll need to meet with new LEED guidelines and stay ahead of the industry in the emerging green construction market.

Dick Nogleberg of Placer Electric, Sacramento CA, took advantage of all the Green Alley had to offer. "In order to survive, you have to change with the times," he said. "NECA is making this possible for us by keeping us informed of new markets that will – and in many cases already are – changing the industry. I think this is just great!"

NECA 2007 San Francisco management seminar, Emerging Green Markets: The Role of the Electrical Contractor on Green Building Projects, offered electrical contractors some guidance on getting involved with sustainable construction projects.

Attendees learned about the history of green buildings, key market drivers, and green standards.

"This is as much about educating our customers as it is ourselves," said Roger Dosman of H&G, South Bend, IN. "If I tell an owner that he's going to lower his monthly power bill from $1,000 to $700, he's definitely sold on the project."

"But before we can do that, we really need to understand just what green building means," said Darryl Schwartz of Schwartz Electric, Wakarusa, IN. "There doesn't seem to be a consistent set of standards or even terminology that we can use as electrical contractors yet. The costs are going to add up. We need to figure out how to do this kind of work – important work that our customers are asking for – and not go broke in the process."

This seminar is based off of a research project funded by ELECTRI International, The Foundation for Electrical Construction, Inc.

Manage Profile