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February 1, 2021
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Featured Content
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OCA Chapter Work Forecast Programs
Upcoming Virtual OCA Chapter programs to feature industry outlook information from local and national presenters and all members are invited
OCA Chapter Work Forecast Programs will be held virtually this year. This gives members the opportunity to attend chapter programs and access information from around the state without traveling. We are also excited to have some national presenters joining us as some of our featured speakers.
Members are always welcome to attend chapter events outside of their designated chapter, whether in-person or virtual, and we hope to have some new names joining us for our virtual programs! For more information about each chapter Work Forecast program that is currently open for registration, or to register, see below.
Current Chapter Work Forecast Programs open to all members for registration are:
2/4/21 - Columbus Chapter – click here for the invitation
2/11/21 - Toledo Chapter ODOT Forecast Program – click here for the invitation
2/16/21 - Cleveland Chapter – click here for the invitation
2/18/21 - Dayton Chapter – click here for the invitation
Additional chapter Work Forecast programs will be posted on the OCA website when registration opens. For more information about OCA Chapter events, contact Director of Chapter Development, Melanie Kitchen, by emailing her at [email protected].
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News |
Passing of ALL Crane Co-Founder Jake Liptak
OCA was saddened to learn of the recent passing of ALL Erection & Crane Rental Co-Founder Jake Liptak. A memoriam to Mr. Liptak can be found here. Please keep the family and company members in your thoughts during their time of mourning.
Ohio BWC Safety Congress Registration Now Open
Registration is now open for the 2021 Ohio Safety Congress & Expo (OSC21)! Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, OSC21 will be a completely online event, including a first-ever digital expo.
Visit the OSC21 website for more information and to register for the event, which will stream live March 10-11, 2021. Now in its 91st year, the Ohio Safety Congress & Expo is the largest and longest-running regional occupational safety, health, and workers’ compensation conference in the U.S.
More than 4.000 representatives from Ohio businesses and government are expected to attend the event to discover the strategies and tools needed for a healthy, safe, and productive workforce. The event offers topics on organizational behavior, safety leadership, emerging trends, and mental health. Participants can visit the digital expo marketplace, compete in a scavenger hunt, download resources, earn attendance credit and chat with others.
Help for Employers - COVID-19 Vaccine Policy Resources
Now that Ohio has rolled out its COVID-19 vaccine program, there has been much discussion about the role employers can or may play in the process. One obvious question has been, “Can employers establish policies requiring their employees to have the vaccine?”
In response to such questions and concerns, OCA’s national affiliate, AGC of America (AGC) has recently produced several resources to assist member firms as they consider any vaccine policies. The following resources were developed by AGC and Fisher Phillips, one of the country’s largest labor and employment law firms dedicated to representing employers, and are FREE to AGC members:
• “Sticking Points: What Construction Employers Need To Know About COVID-19 Vaccines” WebEd playback
• “Vaccination Q&As for Construction Employers” document
These resources are provided to inform OCA/AGC members about their rights and obligations under federal law so that they can make well-informed decisions when adopting employment policies and practices related to COVID-19 and other vaccinations. They are not intended to signify that OCA or AGC recommends employer vaccination mandates. OCA and AGC oppose government mandates requiring construction firms to require employee vaccination and supports construction firms’ freedom to choose the best approach for their individual businesses and workforces.
For additional OCA-provided resources on other coronavirus-related matters of significance, visit OCA’s Coronavirus Resources section on our website
The Road Ahead - Conaway Conference 2021 Registration Open and Sessions Filling Up!!
The Conaway Conference is going virtual and it is shaping up to be a great one. Three half days of great speakers, presentations, educational sessions and industry updates. Because we are going virtual in 2021 there are a number of new opportunities for you to share your message with an anticipated 400+ attendees to this new and engaging event. Logo banners in the virtual lobby and booth space in the live and interactive exhibit hall.
Free BWC Webinars & Virtual Classes - February 2021
BWC is hosting several occupational safety and health webinars and virtual classes in February including:
• Weekly Webinars – now presented live with BWC discount program & continuing education credits!
» Accident Analysis
» Office Ergonomics Tips for Teleworkers
• Virtual classes -
» Electrical Safety in the Workplace
» Job Safety Analysis
» OSHA Recordkeeping Half-Day Workshop
» Lockout/Tagout and Safety-related Work Practices
» Hazard Communication Half-Day Workshop
• Online E-Courses
» Bloodborne Pathogens,
» Developing a Safety Culture,
» OSHA Recordkeeping 101 and others
Additional information on all February distance learning, including registration, can be found here.
Scholarship Opportunity - Ohio's 4th Annual Civil Rights Transportation Symposium
Each year during the Civil Rights Transportation Symposium, ODOT awards 3 students a $1000 scholarship. These scholarships are targeted toward students who are enrolled in a post-secondary education institution pursuing a STEM or construction related degree. Students must meet scholarship eligibility requirements to be considered and submit a brief essay describing what impact they foresee technology and innovation having on the transportation industry. Deadline for this scholarship is 11:59pm on February 19, 2021.
The guidelines and application are attached. If you have any questions they can contact [email protected].
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The Ohio Contractors Association's Northwest Chapter and the Laborers' District Council of Ohio would like to invite Northwest Ohio Chapter Contractors to a unique webinar, scheduled for Tuesday, March 9th at 9:00 a.m.
During the webinar, contractors will receive vital information to enable your business to win more projects.
Here's what you can expect to learn from this session:
* Laborers' Health & Safety Fund
* Fair Contracting Staff
* Apprenticeship Standards and Recruitment
* Training and Upgrading Opportunities
* Health and Pension Benefits Available
Click here for a program flyer and registration link. Please contact Vince Irvin at 740-504-2707 with any questions about the virtual program.
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Watch Out for Unemployment Benefit Scams
Unemployment benefits fraud is so widespread in Ohio that Gov. Mike DeWine, First Lady Fran DeWine, and Lt. Gov. Jon Husted each had claims falsely filed in their names.
So many false claims have been filed that state officials are now checking on every claim to make sure it is genuine. That often leads to legitimate claims being delayed.
A lot of Ohioans are just now finding out that they have become the victim of identity theft, as they get a 1099 tax form from ODJFS for jobless benefits dishonestly filed for in their name, said ODJFS spokesman Tom Betti.
Scammers employ a variety of techniques to obtain people’s identities and exploit them to wrongly get unemployment benefits, Betti said. In rare cases, he said, thieves even file for benefits using the identities of dead Ohioans, so they can snatch debit cards sent to the mailboxes of the deceased.
Anyone who finds that their name has been used to obtain unemployment benefits should take three steps, Betti said.
First, victims should follow directions enclosed with the 1099 and report the identity theft to ODJFS via the department’s website as soon as possible. That will allow the state to conduct investigations and, if necessary, issue a corrected 1099 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
ODJFS also has a fraud phone line (1-800-686-1555), though the wait times can be extremely long. Fraudulent claims should also be reported by filling out the required form online at the Jobs and Family Services website: Office of Unemployment Insurance Operations | Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Second, victims should file their taxes as they normally would, without factoring in the scam – though they should follow up with ODJFS if they do not get a corrected 1099.
Finally, Ohioans who are scammed should take steps to protect their identity, including those listed on the Ohio attorney general’s website. People who want to see whether they have been victimized can receive a free credit report online, he said.
FASB Pension Disclosure Assistance - 2020 Tax Year
OCA’s union collective bargaining agreements (CBAs), require signatory contractors to contribute money into multi-employer pension plans on behalf of their union employees. The plans provide benefits to union employees who may work for many employers during their careers, thereby enabling them to accrue benefits in a single retirement plan.
The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), which sets accounting rules for U.S. companies, issued standards several years ago, requiring disclosures from employers participating in multi-employer pension plans (Accounting Standards Update 2011-09). The standards require contractors to report certain information on their financial statements for all multi-employer pension plans in which they participate.
OCA compiles an annual summary spreadsheet to assist contractor members with the required financial disclosures. However, employers remain solely responsible for the financial disclosures and will also need to determine the amount of their own contributions made to each plan and to all plans in the aggregate.
We are awaiting information from two pension funds, and plan to have the 2020 tax year FASB chart posted on the OCA website on or before February 6, 2020. Please check in the “Breaking News” section at www.ohiocontractors.org
If you have any questions about the 2020 tax year FASB chart, please contact Mark Potnick in the OCA office.
Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (The Act), enacted on December 27, 2020, extends many of the unemployment related provisions originally passed in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act
(CARES Act) through March 14, 2021. Below is a summary of extensions and amendments:
Upcoming Ohio EPA Webinars
Preparing a Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plan
Deeper Dive into the Universal Waste Rules
Safety Congress - Virtual Assistance and Resources OEPA-BWC
Several OCA Chapter Scholarships Currently Available
OCA’s nine Chapters award scholarships at various times of the year throughout the state, totaling nearly $30,000. Scholarships typically range from $1,000 to $2,500 per award. Currently, two OCA Chapters are accepting scholarship applications. Students pursuing construction-related careers in Ohio’s heavy highway industry are encouraged to apply.
Current chapter scholarship applications available are:
Columbus Chapter - click here for the application
Please help us get this information out to our future workforce! If you know of students working or going to school in any of the above chapter areas that would benefit, please pass this information along. For more information about OCA Chapter Scholarships, please contact Director of Chapter Development Melanie Kitchen at [email protected].
On behalf of ODOT’s Division of Construction Management and Office of Roadway Engineering, registration is currently open for the following sessions of Worksite Traffic Supervisor (WTS) Prequalification Testing.
• February 16 – Afternoon » Click here to register.
• March 2 – Afternoon » Click here to register.
• April 6 – Morning » Click here to register.
• April 6 – Afternoon » Click here to register.
Click here to access the PDF flyer.
Prerequisites – Do not register for WTS Prequalification testing until the prerequisites have been completed. Please see the online registration form and flyer for details.
Pre-registration is required for WTS Testing. Seating capacity is limited for each session, based on social distancing requirements due to COVID-19.
Please review the important updates and safety protocols as described per the links above.
Quick Links to On-line OCA Resources
• Current Ohio Contractor Magazine
• Safety Resources
• Labor & Employment Information
• OCA President's Commentary
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