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OCAand Coalition Continue to Oppose Major Unemployment Benefit Cutsto Our Workforce
OCA and AGC of Ohio have been leading a coalition of construction employer groups in opposition to the legislature’s misguided efforts to fix the state’s unemployment compensation (U.C.) fund insolvency issue. House Bill 394 was the first attempt to change the benefit system. After intense opposition from our coalition, the building trades and the Operating Engineers and others, the bill hit a brick wall.
As we have noted before, the construction industry’s concern is that if U.C. benefits are drastically cut, it will be difficult to recruit new employees to our industry or retain our current workforce. The bill is being pushed by statewide business groups such as the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the NFIB, and the Ohio Manufacturers Association, who do not have the cyclical layoffs that we face every year due to the winter months.
The latest attempt to address the issue landed this week, in the form of House Bill 620 (Schuring) and Senate Bill 374 (Peterson), identical bills that are undergoing hearings in the House and Senate. In spite of continued statements from sponsors that the new version of the bill(s) would be a more balanced bill than the first bill, which was draconian in its cuts to unemployed workers, it is not. Although somewhat improved from House Bill 394, the new version would still be punitive to our workforce in several ways:
-It would reduce benefit weeks from the current 26 weeks to a sliding scale based on the statewide unemployment rate. 26 weeks could only be reached for our employees if the unemployment rate is greater than 8%. It doesn’t take into account that some counties in Ohio, primarily in southern and eastern Ohio, consistently have much higher unemployment rates than the statewide average. It doesn’t consider that the construction unemployment rate is often higher than other sectors of the economy. Also, bear in mind that 42 states provide at least 26 weeks of unemployment benefits.
-It would cut enhanced benefits for those with three or more dependents from a maximum of $152 per week to $8 per week. That’s a benefit cut of $576 per month for someone with three or more dependents.
-It would freeze benefits at the current rate until the U.C. fund is solvent, which is projected to take from 9-15 years. That’s a long time to go without an inflationary increase in unemployment benefits.
Please click here to read this article in its entirety.
OCA Winter Conference Sponsorships Available
Take this opportunity to sponsor the reception and casino night as well as the awards banquet during this year’s winter conference – our most attended event of the year! We will have large screens throughout the exhibit / reception area, displaying the names of all sponsors. We also list all sponsors in our newsletter. While the sponsorship for the reception on Monday is for associate members, all members are welcome to be a sponsor for the awards banquet on Tuesday. If you did not get the notice but wish to sponsor ($200 for each of the two events), please send Emily Pickens an e-mail at [email protected] and let her know. It’s that easy!
Convention in Rome – Rooms Full
We have now reserved all rooms in our room block. If you are planning on attending and have not reserved your room, please contact Rachel Sirca right away. There is a chance that the hotel may have a room available for you, but there is no guarantee!
ARTBA Offers the Project Management Academy
This intensive three day program offered by the American Road & Transportation Builders Association, ideal for new or prospective project leaders, provides both substantive theory and practical application of project management principles for road and bridge building construction project managers. In an interactive setting, participants will learn from experts in the key disciplines that will make them better leaders and managers. Topics are tailored to the needs of transportation contractors, not general construction.
Up to 15 ARTBA Professional Development Hours available.
When: Dec. 13-15
Where: Illinois Road and Transportation Builders Association (IRTBA) Chicago, IL
Registration:http://www.artba.org/shop/meetings-conferences/2016-pma-chicago/
ARTBA Contact: Allison Rose at [email protected]
For more information, please click here.
Deaths Bring Renewed Focus to Trenching Safety!
Two recent trench collapse accidents in Ohio and a third in Boston highlighted the dangers workers face in excavation projects, where deaths and injuries more than doubled nationwide this year, OSHA said.
The death of a 33-year-old worker in June in a trench collapse brings the number of fatalities this year to 23, compared with 11 deaths in both 2015 and 2014. The rise can be attributed to an increase in building industry activity, according to OSHA's Cincinnati area director Ken Montgomery.
“The economy is starting to pick up and the business of improving infrastructure is also starting to pick up,” Montgomery said. “But, the increase in business is also increasing exposures for workers. People are just not taking the proper safety precautions.”
Collapses at trench and excavation sites are “completely preventable” if contractors comply with OSHA standards “that every construction contractor should know,” David Michaels, director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, said in a statement.
He called the number of cave-in deaths this year “an alarming and unacceptable trend that must be halted.” The contractor, which employed the worker who died in the June accident, is facing a $274,359 fine. Click here to read this article in its entirety.
2017 Conaway Conference Dates
If you are filling in your calendar for 2017, you may want to include the Conaway Conference. The dates of this collaborative conference between OCA and ODOT will be March 14 and 15. Contact Chris Engle or Rachel Sirca with questions.
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