Masonry Magazine April 1998 Page. 28
commit to recruit the masons we will need to expand our industry's markets.
As contractors, we are short-term results oriented. We see results of our labors immediately as our buildings are completed. Unfortunately, recruiting our workforce is painfully slow. We must not become impatient or lose sight of our ultimate goal - a well trained and qualified work force.
Training Series
Our Masonry Training Series continues to gain acceptance and use. It is by far the most complete and comprehensive training manual for our industry. To meet further industry need, the MCAA is making plans to develop a Spanish version of our training series. We hope to have our Spanish series on the market in time for the fall school season later this year.
VICA
The MCAA continues to be committed to an integral part of the Vocational Industrial Clubs of America's masonry program. This past year, 45 students from around the country competed in Kansas City to build the best masonry project. MCAA has brought the two winners here to Charlotte. They will be demonstrating their winning skills on the Expo show floor.
New Training Programs
The MCAA has targeted thirteen cities around the country in which no apprenticeship or training programs exist. It is our hope to assist in establishing local apprenticeship and training programs in those areas. This is an important part of insuring that we meet the challenge of developing a larger workforce. After all, if young people are interested in our industry, we must have the educational outlets available to train them.
Lastly, we have partnered with the Washington Conference of Mason Contractors to develop a Foreman Training Program. The pilot program is being run here at the MCAA Conference. As contractors, we must support this program fully. Our supervisory employees can make or break many of our projects and indirectly our companies. We must invest the time and money to train our foremen. We must resist the temptation to short cut their management training or worse, skip it entirely and just send them out to manage crews without the necessary skills.
Legislative Action
Government intervention in our business is one area that alone, we as contractors can do little about. OSHA regulations, taxes and other government requirements handcuff our abilities to manage our companies the way we choose. The MCAA's involvement in the legislative process has grown steadily over the past five years.
Last year, the MCAA and its members were one of the major participants in a Construction Industry Legislative Conference. Five construction associations met in Washington to educate our elected officials on issues impacting construction. The Board has agreed to conduct our own legislative conference later this spring. By conducting the Masonry Industry Legislative Conference, it is our hope to focus members of Congress on issues affecting mason contractors and small business needs.
Simply meeting with our elected officials is not enough. We must help to elect more Representatives and Senators that support our issues. For this reason, the MCAA PAC has set a goal of $35,000 which will be given to the federal candidates who support our position. The MCAA PAC dollars are not association dollars. Nor are they your membership dues dollars. PAC revenues are personal contributions members give. I would urge all of you to contribute to the MCAA PAC.
Safety
A safe working environment is a way of life for anyone in construction. Responsible mason contractors spend thousands of dollars to train their workers in safety, because it is the smart thing to do. The MCAA has invested significant association resources to develop safety programs and materials to help your firm work safe. This year, the MCAA has completed Part II of our forklift training manual. This new addition is the "hands on" portion of forklift training that will help meet OSHA's new forklift training requirement.
In addition, we have added six modules to our safety training topics. The new modules cover scaffold safety and silicosis-fall protection. Lastly, the MCAA partnered with the ASA and Intec to offer our members a comprehensive computer safety software. This easy to use program has everything a contractor needs to meet OSHA requirements. It will be demonstrated in our booth at Masonry Expo. I encourage you to stop by for a demonstration.
Technical
This past year we have established a technical committee to collect, evaluate and disseminate all pertinent technical information gathered from organizations that effect the mason contractors. To meet the needs for the high tech 21st century the modern mason contractor must be more aware of any changes in construction standards for masonry which will effect his job quality and performance. Your Association has representatives and officers on the Council for Masonry Research (CMR), Masonry Alliance for Codes and Standards (MACS), the IMI, the ASTM, the Masonry Standards Joint Committee and just recently the formation of a task force to develop a standard practice for bracing of masonry walls during construction. A seminar is being presented with these new guidelines at our convention. Never before has the magnitude and involvement of the industry been so