2009: The Year In Review

Let me start by apologizing for the lack of our regular newsletter. 2009 proved to be a challenging year on many fronts and the time escaped us. Even with the slowing economy and the daunting changes in the workforce, there were a number of highlights for the Chapter.

For the 2009 Wire Off Competition the Apprenticeship & Training Committee completely revamped the format for the event. A new written exam was developed, and the competitors were faced with an in-depth, hands on, project that mirrored the type of challenge that they would see at the National Apprentice of the Year competition. 6 apprentices squared off in the all day event and the outcome was a great display of talent and open competition. When all was said and done, Mr. Steven Hatley of Great Western Electric was deemed the 2009 Wire Off Champion and recognized at the graduation ceremony.

The 2009 Graduation ceremony took us all to an island paradise as we celebrated Aloha Style. Attendees were treated to a great evening of traditional food, live dancing, games and raffles. 21 apprentices were recognized for their accomplishments and completion of the program. Apprentice of the Year honors were given to the following individuals: 1^st Year - Derek Maldonado, 2^nd Year – Jorge Romero De La Torre, 3^rd Year – Lugene Frazier and 4^th Year honors went to William Kirkpatrick who had taken the award during all four years of his apprenticeship.

Training efforts for your association remain our top priority. The Chapter continues to run the state’s largest collective apprenticeship program producing more journeyman electricians each and every year. In addition over 800 electricians and contractors were trained through IEC’s ongoing continuing education classes. The Board of Directors is currently leading the Chapter in restructuring apprenticeship training into a daytime/block schedule in an effort to provide contractors with a more highly skilled level of apprentice. To aide in this, the Chapter has taken over additional space which will be remodeled into permanent classrooms and training labs.

                         2010-2011 Board of Directors and Officers

Bryan Abeyta, Bixby Electric – President

J. Dee Dennis III, DKD Electric – Vice-President

Tom Vick, Silverado Enterprises – Treasurer

Kurt Kesselman, Sound & Signal Systems – Secretary

Trent Johnston, Mosher Enterprises – Member

Don Aragon, VA Electric - Member

                                       Training Department News

The NNMIEC Training Department continues to provide quality continuing education opportunities for journeymen throughout New Mexico. 2010 classes will be taught in Las Cruces, Farmington and Carlsbad areas, as well as the ongoing instruction at our Albuquerque training facility. 

We began the year with two successful presentations of Photovoltaic Power Systems, instructed by PV expert John Wiles. The classes were attended by 140 students. Inspectors, engineers, contractors, journeymen and others interested in the photovoltaic industry were provided with a high quality course that included practical and code-specific applications. NNMIEC will continue to offer PV classes periodically.

The NNMIEC Codes, Standards and Safety Committee will be reviewing courses to provide continuing education credit for EL-1J certification renewal. Beginning in January of 2011, sixteen hours of continuing education per renewal cycle will be required of those holding the EL-1J certificate. The committee is also working with OSHA to create an alliance at the chapter level.

The apprentice-to-journeyman ratio requirement developed by Construction Industries Division is scheduled to become effective on July 1st of this year. The requirement will allow for no more than two unregistered apprentices to work under the direct supervision of one journeyman on privately funded commercial and industrial projects, three unregistered apprentices to one journeyman on residential projects. The rule does not affect IEC contractors, as we are held to a one-to-one ratio by the NM State Apprenticeship Council. Please call the NNMIEC office if you have concerns about the ratio requirement.

NNMIEC Codes, Standards and Safety Committee

Carlos Montano, DKD Electric

Carlos Roybal, NNMIEC Senior Instructor

Greg Isaacs, Pueblo Electric

Ric Sian, Elite Electric

Ron Alley, NNMIEC Training Director

Trent Johnston, Mosher Enterprises

William Richardson, Responsive Inspections

IEC Codes and Safety News:

http://www.ieci.org/index.mv?screen=CSNews&xsub=2

                              2010-2011 School Year Update

Scheduling and construction plans are underway for the 2010-2011 school year. IEC has acquired over 5000 sq. ft of additional space adjacent to the current office where classrooms and lab space will be built out. This space will serve apprentices attending both daytime and evening classes as the Chapter transitions into a full daytime training program. On-site classes and lab space will provide for greater oversight and improved management of the training as well as provide for greater flexibility in scheduling.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: For the 2010-2011 school year ALL 1^st and 2^nd year electrical apprentices will attend training under the daytime/block schedule. 3^rd and 4^th year apprentices will remain under the traditional evening schedule with classes being held (2) nights per week from August-April. All low voltage apprentices (1^st – 3^rd year) will remain under a traditional evening schedule as well.

Apprentices will begin receiving information on their school schedule in the coming weeks and contractors will receive a training schedule for their daytime 1^st and 2^nd year apprentices. In addition, all apprentices will be scheduled for orientation prior to the start of the school year. Students or contractors needing to request a schedule change must contact the IEC office as soon as possible in order to make arrangements.

During this transition contractors will be seeing new processes and procedures for attendance requirements, safety training and other important changes. The IEC office will make every effort to keep members and students up to date during this process and welcome you to contact the office at any time with questions or concerns. 

                              IEC National: Political Updates

A nation of sheep will beget a government of wolves."

 ~~Edward R. Murrow

NLRB

President Likely to Use Recess Appoint to Seat Craig Becker

Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, has indicated the President Obama will use his authority to appoint Craig Becker to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) during the upcoming, two week congressional recess.  This maneuver, known as a recess appointment, can be used by presidents when their nominees cannot get approval from the Senate.

Recess appointments are temporary in nature, as they only last as long the current session of Congress.  In this case, if Mr. Becker is recess appointed, his term on the NLRB will expire at the end of this year.

The potential recess appointment is necessary as Mr. Becker’s nomination received a bi-partisan opposition in Senate during a debate in February when it failed to be approved by that body.

As we reminded readers then, do not underestimate the importance of the NLRB.  The right appointees can have as much impact on labor relations in this country as legislation, such as EFCA, and possibly even more.

PLAs

Final Rule on PLA Reg May Soon Be Issued

It appears likely that Federal Acquisition Regulatory (FAR) Council may finally issue an interim final rule or final rule implementing President Barack Obama’s project labor agreement (PLA) Executive Order 13502 into federal procurement regulations.

As you know, E.O. 13502 authorizes and encourages federal contracting offices to require union-only PLAs on federal construction projects in excess of $25 million.  These PLAs will also apply the subcontracts on those projects.

The final rule to implement E.O. 13502 into federal procurement regulations was sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) March 16 for final review.  OMB has up to 90 days, with a possible extension, to review the final rule before it is published becomes a formal rule; however a final or an interim final rule could be issued at any time.  

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