The U.S. Department of Labor's Quarterly Update on Compliance Assistance Resources: FY 2020 Q3 has been published.
Continuing its 75-year effort to bring utility services to rural Americans, the Power & Communication Contractors Association (PCCA) proudly joined the American Connection Project Broadband Coalition in July. Coalition members are working together to bring high-speed internet access to all households, with a focus on those in rural areas.
Representing nearly 50 companies and business organizations from a cross-section of the U.S. economy, the coalition launched on July 8. It is spearheaded by farmer-owned cooperative Land O’Lakes, Inc., which like PCCA advocates for full internet accessibility, including for all rural Americans.
Read about the coalition's launch at www.landolakesinc.com/Press/News/American-Connection-Project-Broadband-Coalition.
In June, Versalift and TRL Rents announced that they are donating four pieces of new equipment to the State Technical College of Missouri for the upcoming school year. State Tech, the flagship school in PCCA's workforce development efforts, will use the equipment in its Utility Systems Technician and Electrical Distribution Systems programs.
Two new position papers detailing PCCA's views on reforming the Universal Service Fund (USF) and explaining the benefits of fiber over unproven technologies for broadband buildout have been posted on the website under Government Relations.
PCCA sadly reports the passing of our friend Ron Rowe, longtime PCCA member, board member, friend, and mentor 
to so many people in the association and throughout the industry.
"This is sad news indeed. There are few people in this world as genuinely friendly as Ron Rowe," PCCA President & CEO Tim Wagner said. "Lisa and I always enjoyed spending time with Ron and Judy at PCCA meetings. And though he was a quiet man, Ron would speak up during board meetings when a point needed to be made, and when he did, people listened. He will be dearly missed. Our prayers go out to Judy and the rest of Ron's family, friends, and all the people at KG Myers."
At PCCA’s Annual Auction, Herb Fluharty challenged PCCA members to raise funds to replace roofs in Abaco that were destroyed last year by Hurricane Dorian. PCCA members donated more than $180,000 in less than an hour to those who need it most.
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Greg Guidry, Ogletree Deakins, told PCCA that the guidance is notable because federal OSHA formally acknowledges that “[c]loth face coverings are not PPE.” This is important because it relieves employers of any requirement to conduct written worksite assessments and training for face coverings. Nevertheless, OSHA recommends their use in construction as a public health measure.
The guidance is at www.osha.gov/SLTC/covid-19/construction.html.
On May 18, the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) announced that the Power & Communications Contractors Association (PCCA) has won the 2019 CGA President's Award.
"The members of PCCA have embraced the philosophy that damage prevention is a shared responsibility," CGA President & CEO Sarah Magruder Lyle said. "This group has come to the table ready to work and find solutions to the damage prevention challenges that we face. PCCA’s leadership has been clear: they want to be part of the solution."
The latest edition of the PCCA Journal is in the mail but you can avoid the wait by reading it online.
This issue is filled with useful information about managing your business in the wake of COVID-19. We also celebrate 75 years with some big wins and look at PCCA's alliance with WIA to boost workforce programs, and more...
Take it with you.
The PCCA Journal is portable and optimized for reading on your phone or tablet.
Ogletree Deakins, who has provided invaluable information for pccaweb.org throughout the pandemic, has prepared a detailed Return to Work Guide that will help you develop plans to return employees to work and/or the workplace.
In short, with input from more than 30 highly experienced labor and employment lawyers, the Guide contains more than 45 pages of written analysis and recommendations on common return to work issues, plus 23 templates, flowcharts, and checklists as practical tools to help you craft and implement a strategic and safe return to work process. The firm is hosting a Return to Work webinar (https://ogletree.com/webinars/2020-04-23/return-to-work-a-guide-for-getting-the-workforce-back-into-the-workplace/) this Thursday, April 23, to discuss these and related issues.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has issued interim guidance to advise compliance safety and health officers to evaluate an employer’s good faith efforts to comply with safety and health standards during the coronavirus pandemic.
Current infection control practices may limit the availability of employees, consultants, or contractors who normally provide training, auditing, equipment inspections, testing, and other essential safety and industrial hygiene services. Business closures and other restrictions may also preclude employee participation in training if trainers are unavailable and access to medical testing facilities may be limited or suspended.
The following information was sent to PCCA by Greg Guidry, of Ogletree, Deakins, Nash, Smoak & Stewart, P.C. Guidry spoke at PCCA's 2019 Mid-Year Meeting and is a regular contributor to the PCCA Journal.
Due to the mountain of information in our COVID-19 Resource Center, we’ve reorganized it by topic and made it more user friendly. It contains new updates from the U.K. and Canada, as well as a summary of OSHA's New Enforcement Guidance and our regularly updated Chart Summarizing Both State & Local Closure Orders and Chart Summarizing Orders to Screen Employees for Symptoms & Provide Protective Measures.
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