NECA This Week

NTW 9/21: New Manual Labor of Units, Moneyball Contracting & More

Sep 22, 2026

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Industry News

Insurance Coverage for Trades May Not Include A.I.

Heads up contractors: if you use generative A.I. in any of your project work and something on the job goes wrong, your insurance policy may not cover the claim. In nearly every state, insurance companies have filed for the option to include generative A.I. exclusions for several kinds of ordinary liability policies, according to the report, “The A.I. exclusion hiding in your contractor insurance,” by Trades Coverage.

NECA News

New MLU: Every Member Gets a Free Subscription

Since 1923, the NECA Manual of Labor Units (MLU) has been the estimating resource of choice for electrical contractors. The 2025-2027 edition is now available and every NECA member receives a complimentary copy! The primary contact for each NECA member company, or the individual designated to receive MLU access, received an email on Thursday, September 17 from NECA with instructions for activating a two-year subscription to the 2025-2027 edition. The subscription includes full access to the online labor units database and an electronic copy of the Manual. Contact [email protected] with any questions.

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Contractors Are Signing Up Fast for Labor Relations Conference

Registration is already strong for this year's Labor Relations Conference, November 2–4 in Phoenix, and the room is filling up! Sessions dig into the relationships that hold the industry together: employer to employee, contractor to customer, and the legal, regulatory, and contractual frameworks that tie it all together. Expect practical takeaways on the CIR, labor law and history, grievances and negotiations, non-standard IBEW agreements, direct-hire recruiting, and how hyperscale development is reshaping labor markets, plus strategies for building strong relationships before problems start.

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Moneyball Contracting: Turning Business Data Into a Winning Strategy

More than 100 people logged in to Josh Bone's Moneyball Contracting presentation last Wednesday, which explored how electrical contractors can use data to make better decisions, improve performance, and grow their businesses. Just like the stats on a baseball card tell you more about a player, the numbers behind your business can reveal how it's performing and where there's room to improve. During the presentation, Josh referred to the ELECTRI Industry Benchmarking Tool, which lets contractors compare their businesses with industry peers. Sign up for the tool and help build a stronger data set for electrical contractors.

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MEP Innovation Conference: Jan. 25-27 in Tampa

Join us January 25-27 in Tampa, FL, for the MEP Innovation Conference, hosted in partnership by MCAA, NECA, and SMACNA. It's the industry's leading technology event, bringing together mechanical, electrical, plumbing, service, and sheet metal contractors for three days of shared learning and innovation. You'll walk away with contractor-led education sessions, interactive roundtables, and hands-on technology demonstrations that show how electrical work connects to the rest of the MEP spectrum, and how that collaboration drives better productivity and profitability on every project. See the technology shaping the trade and the partners shaping your next job.