News from PCCA
PCCA Member Appointed to Safety Advisory Committee
US Department of Labor announces 15 members of Advisory Committee on Construction Safety, Health
WASHINGTON – Matthew Compher, VP Safety, Health, Environmental & Training at PCCA member Quanta Services Inc. has been appointed to a two-year term on the US Department of Labor's Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health.
The committee provides advice and assistance to the Secretary of Labor and the Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health on Construction Safety Act-related policy matters and the setting of construction standards. The announcement from the Department of Labor can be viewed here.
PCCA Applauds Introduction of Bipartisan Dignity Act
May 25, 2023 - Reps. María Elvira Salazar (R-Fla.) and Veronica Escobar (D-Tex.) introduced an updated version of the Dignity Act this week to address our nation’s broken immigration system. The Power & Communication Association and its members fully support this legislation as a strong yet fair way to address the critical worker shortage that significantly impedes our industry and the American economy.
"PCCA members work every day to close the digital divide and strengthen America's power grid, but we desperately need workers to finish the job," PCCA Chairman Ed Campbell, Quanta Services, said. "The Dignity Act is a well-balanced, common-sense approach that addresses all the immigration challenges. It tackles the workforce issue while also investing billions in border security measures, overhauling our failed asylum processes, and improving the legal immigration system."
US Department of Labor Announces More Than $12M in Grant Funding Available for Worker Safety, Health Training Grants
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the availability of more than $12.7 million in funding to make more good jobs available to the U.S. workforce by supporting training initiatives designed to promote safe and healthy in the nation’s workplaces.
PCCA 2023 Convention Review
Photos
Photos from the 2023 convention are now available under the Members Only menu of the PCCA website. Look under the Members Only menu for the Photo Gallery link.
Presentations
If you missed one of the sessions, read it here. Convention Presentations are available in the Members Only area of this site. Look for the Education link after you've logged in.
If you missed it, you can also take a look at the convention Program & Auction Catalog.
PCCA Journal - 2023 Q1 - Available
The latest edition of the PCCA Journal is in the mail but you can avoid the wait by reading it online.
Featured in this issue: A look at how VUCA in Electric and Broadband Markets Creates Opportunities; Congress Considers Legislation to Exempt Broadband Grants from Taxation; Preconstruction: The Foundation in Operational Excellence ...and more.
The PCCA Journal is portable and optimized for reading on your phone or tablet.
PCCA 78th Convention Schedule & Auction Catalog
Program Schedule & Auction Catalog
PCCA 2023 Convention
March 3 - 8, 2023
Nobu Hotel at Eden Roc
Miami Beach, Florida
Advisory Committee on Construction Safety to Meet
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration will hold a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health on March 1, 2023, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. EST.
PCCA Says New WOTUS Rule Jeopardizes Broadband & Power Grid Goals
A new EPA rule on Waters of the U.S. will slow utility construction work and delay the nation's goals of universal broadband access and a stronger, more reliable power grid, according to the Power & Communication Contractors Association.
"The Power and Communication Contractors Association strongly opposes the EPA's recently announced final rule on Waters of the United States (WOTUS) and the repeal of the Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR)," the association said in a statement. "PCCA members across the country are working tirelessly to expand access to high-speed broadband, modernize and strengthen our nation's electric grid, and provide the essential workforce for these and many other critical infrastructure projects. However, burdensome federal regulations and policies have slowed work and jeopardize the goals set by the Biden administration to achieve universal access to broadband and a modern electric grid within the next decade. Instead of critical permitting reforms and similar regulatory updates, this decision rolls back positive changes made during the last administration. With a case affecting WOTUS regulations pending before the U.S. Supreme Court, this decision injects confusion into what should be a busy year of construction. PCCA urges the Biden administration to roll back this regulation as soon as possible and asks the new 118th Congress to make construction permitting reform a top priority."
PCCA Selects New Dates/Venue for 2023 Mid-Year Meeting
Waldorf Astoria Monarch Beach Resort, Dana Point, California
August 6-9, 2023
Dear PCCA Members,
In November, PCCA was notified by the Hyatt Regency Lake Tahoe Resort, the scheduled location for the 2023 PCCA Mid-Year Meeting, that all waterfront sections of the resort will be closed for renovation during the summer of 2023 and that we needed to find a new location for our meeting. We typically plan our meetings 3 to 5 years out in the future because most venues book a majority of their meeting space and big room blocks years in advance. As soon as we were notified, we got busy looking for a replacement location. PCCA Chairman-Elect Ed Campbell and I sent out RFPs to more than 30 properties and took two trips to look at properties at the end of November and early December.
PCCA Journal - 2022 Q4 - Available
The latest edition of the PCCA Journal is in the mail but you can avoid the wait by reading it online.
Featured in this issue: A recap of the PCCA 2022 Mid-Year Meeting, PCCA's Annual Product Showcase, PCCA's opposition to onerous labor regulations ...
...and more.
The PCCA Journal is portable and optimized for reading on your phone or tablet.
PCCA Announces 2023-2024 Scholarship Program
PCCA has begun accepting scholarship applications for the 2023-2024 school year. The scholarships are open to the children and other dependents of PCCA members' employees. Each scholarship is worth up to $10,000, and up to four scholarships are awarded every year.
PCCA will also be awarding a $1,000 scholarship to a student at each school participating in PCCA's Who Will Do the Work? program. These applicants do not need to be affiliated with a PCCA member.
The application deadline is February 15, 2023.
We encourage all of you to pass along this information to your employees and their children. Please provide this information to your HR departments and use the PCCA scholarship program as a benefit to employees. A promotional flyer is available for you to download and distribute.
PCCA Comments in Opposition to NOPR on Project Labor Agreements
The Power and Communication Contractors Association issued comments to the Biden administration on October 18 strongly objecting to the proposed use of government-mandated Project Labor Agreements on federal construction contracts of $35 million or more.
"Simply stated: mandating PLAs on broadband and electric system contracts involving federal dollars will slow projects and drive up costs. These industries are already facing monumental worker shortages, and adding on PLA requirements will further shrink the pool of available workers, resulting in much slower deployment of broadband buildouts and energy system upgrades. Added costs will also significantly reduce the number of projects ultimately put into service," PCCA said.
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