MCAA News & Events

Words: Dan Kamys
2008 MCAA Convention
The MCAA has sold Masonry Showcase to Hanley Wood and will now be the sponsor of World of Masonry. The show will be held Jan. 21 -25, 2008, in Las Vegas. The MCAA will have four educational programs at the convention, including the Masonry Quality Institute, Basic Masonry Estimating and the Masonry Codes and Standards session. All four would be eligible for certification credit.

The convention will feature the Spec Mix Bricklayer 500, the Masonry Skills Challenge and the Fastest Trowel. The opening session speaker will be Henry Winkler, "The Fonz" from Happy Days. There will also be a mason contractor appreciation night, which will include free drinks, food and giveaways including cash, casino chips and equipment from exhibitors, all free of charge. The Mason Contractor headquarter hotel will be Caesars Palace.

Masonry Industry Certification Program
The MCAA certification program is moving forward, and the MCAA will begin taking registrations for certification before the end of 2007. The first test to be given is expected to occur in the middle of next year for those who qualify. The MCAA certification committee will have a panel at the MCAA annual meeting in Las Vegas to review the program and answer questions. The MCAA has approved all the St. Louis presented education programs for credit in the program.

MCAA Meets With OSHA and BAC
The MCAA officers recently met with OSHA and the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) in Washington. The meeting with OSHA was productive, resulting in a new MCAA Alliance program. The group also toured the new, impressive National Training Center the BAC recently opened in Maryland. The trip culminated with a meeting with BAC President John Flynn to discuss ways the MCAA could work with the union in areas of common interest. Several items were discussed, including allowing open shop contractors the ability to take one of the contractor college courses, which would be a way for the union to introduce open shop contractors to what the union has to offer. The MCAA is planning on working with the International Masonry Institute on having an open house at the Training Center either later this year or early next year.

MCAA Joins Lawsuit Against DHS
The MCAA recently joined a lawsuit filed against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in San Francisco challenging the process taken to implement the no-match rule. The suit alleges that the DHS did not follow proper protocol in the implementation of the new rule, and they need to follow the proper protocol before the rule can be implemented. The ACLU and the AFL/CIO have challenged the legitimacy of the rule in a separate suit.

Marketing Efforts
The MCAA marketing committee has committed $125,000 to support the Masonrysystems.org Web development project undertaken by the Masonry Executives Council. The launch of the Web site will be in early-2008. The committee also has earmarked $75,000 to go toward the development and implementation of a new masonry design magazine, Masonry Design, with the sole purpose of promoting masonry design to the design community. The first of six bimonthly issues will launch in January 2008. The initial distribution will consist of more than 17,000 design firms. The certification program will be promoted in each issue of the magazine

MCAA's Forklift Training Manual
The new look of the MCAA's forklift manuals are near completion. The MCAA has worked closely with the Laborer's Union in updating the program. The Laborer's Union will be implementing the new training program sometime in early-2008 for union contractors. The MCAA simultaneously will launch the program for open shop contractors.

National Education Series
New dates and locations for the popular National Education Series courses, including the Masonry Quality Institute, Understanding Masonry Codes & Standards, Masonry Foreman Development Course, Basic Masonry Estimating and the Wall Bracing Design Course have been released:

Masonry Quality Institute
Applying the Quality Process to the Masonry Industry

The Masonry Quality Institute assists masons in evaluating services, meeting stringent customer expectations and improving profitability. The course includes an introduction to the quality process and detailed implementations of the basic principles of quality, along with learning strategies for team building and problem solving.

Dates and Locations:
Jan. 23-24, 2008 - Las Vegas (World of Masonry)
Feb. 26-27, 2008 - Dallas, Texas
March 4-5, 2008 - Denver
March 11-12, 2008 - Chicago (MCAA Office)
March 25-26, 2008 - Tampa, Fla.
April 8-9, 2008 - Baltimore
April 22-23, 2008 - Phoenix, Ariz.
May 13-14, 2008 - Louisville, Ken.
June 3-4, 2008 - Seattle

Understanding Masonry Codes and Standards
Your Guide Through Changes in Specifications and the Masonry Code

The Understanding Masonry Codes and Standards seminar will guide you step-by-step through the recently updated masonry specification provisions included in the consensus masonry standards.

Dates and Locations:
Nov. 6, 2007 - Chicago (MCAA Office)
Jan. 21, 2008 - Las Vegas (World of Masonry)
Feb. 26, 2008 - Chicago (MCAA Office)
May 6, 2008 - Chicago (MCAA Office)

Masonry Foreman Development Course
Creating a Solid Foundation for Masonry Leadership

The Masonry Foreman Development Course teaches key areas for responsibility for foremen such as communication, leadership, problem solving, accident prevention, cost awareness, planning and organizing, production control and contract documents.

Dates and Locations
Jan. 20-21, 2008 - Las Vegas (World of Masonry)


Basic Masonry Estimating
Improve Your Estimates and Increase Profit

Learn the basics of masonry estimating in the Basic Masonry Estimating seminar. This session includes a step-by-step approach to estimating including direct and indirect costs, materials, labor, equipment, project and office overhead, and profit.

Dates and Locations
Jan. 22, 2008 - Las Vegas (World of Masonry)

Wall Bracing Design Course
Bracing Masonry Walls Safely

Gain knowledge of how to confidently design and construct bracing that will meet OSHA's requirements for a variety of common masonry structures through the Masonry Wall Bracing Design Course.

Dates and Locations
May 7, 2008 - Chicago (MCAA Office)

For more information and to register for these programs, please contact the Mason Contractors Association of America at 800-536-2225, or visit www.masoncontractors.org.
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