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Industry News and Advocacy
Congress Returns To Work, Virtual Nov. 8 Washington Summit Announced
Congress this week returned for its fall legislative session, with this industry's FY2024 water infrastructure funding still unresolved. The Senate will begin passing its first FY2024 appropriations bills next week, according to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) office. It is anticipated this fight will go on all fall.
NUCA is taking action on a variety of fronts to address our infrastructure needs--and we need you to be a part of our advocacy campaign! Please send our Muster letter to your lawmakers urging them to restore this funding to the final FY2024 appropriations bill. We're also going to hold a virtual Washington Summit on Wednesday, Nov. 8 with lawmakers, with your Chapter scheduling online virtual meetings with your Congressional delegation. Look in your inbox for more information about this virtual event coming to you in the weeks ahead.
Davis-Bacon Changes Effective October 23
The U.S. Dept. of Labor issued a final rule on August 23 making its controversial revisions to the Davis-Bacon Act part of federal law. The rule, "Updating the Davis-Bacon and Related Act Regulations," reverses several much-needed reforms established during the Reagan Administration and dramatically expands the scope and reach of the Davis-Bacon Act, a cumbersome 1930s-era prevailing wage law. The new wage regulations, which will take effect on October 23, 2023, will increase the regulatory burden on small business and the costs of public work projects.
NUCA opposed this change to long-standing Davis-Bacon practices when they were proposed earlier this year by the Biden Administration. Several pro-business and construction organizations are expected to file legal challenges to the new rules.
"Build America, Buy America" Final Implementation Guidance Released
On August 14, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) issued long-awaited final guidance on the implementation of the Build America, Buy America (BABA) Act provisions of the 2021 core infrastructure law. BABA imposes Buy America preferences on certain “construction materials” used in federally funded infrastructure projects.
The final guidance updates the list of construction materials subject to BABA to include “engineered wood.” The final guidance also updates the specific manufacturing processes that must be performed in the United States in order for particular categories of construction material to be considered “produced in the United States.” Consistent with earlier guidance, OMB’s guidance states that an item should not be considered to fall into multiple categories of manufactured products. An item should only be classified as either an iron or steel product, a construction material, or a manufactured product.
Visit the NUCA Lounge at The Utility Expo, Sept. 26-28
NUCA is proud to be a partner of Utility Expo and AEM. And by reading NUCA at Work, you got an invitation to visit the NUCA Lounge at Utility Expo. The Lounge is located in K Lot, so come on by to relax and network. NUCA will be offering Confined Space Entry training sessions on both days, twice a day at 11am and 3pm. This safety course taught by NUCA-certified trainer Brad Baxter, will show you how to work in a confined space environment and identify hazards to maximize safety for you and those around you. Use "NUCA23" to get 30% off the standard badge fee of $99--register here.
Association News
2023 NUCA Convention & Exhibits, October 26-28: Build Your Business!
2023 is the year to "Make NUCA Yours!" and our fall convention the big event to "Build Your Business." Across the fall convention, NUCA has several information-packed business sessions scheduled for you, including John Fluharty discussing damage prevention, Vince Hafeli delivering his powerful talk on recognizing suicide risks at work, AI expert Sabrina Dugan talking about cutting-edge information tech, and a panel of experts on working with railroads and their unique infrastructure requirements. Our inspirational keynote speaker Randy Fox will transform your leadership outlook! The 2023 NUCA Annual Convention & Exhibits will be held October 26-28 in Naples, Florida, at the Naples Grande Beach Resort.
We want you to see you in sunny Florida next month! (We also want to see you and your guest in Palm Springs, California, for the 2024 NUCA Annual Convention & Exhibits, March 20-23, 2024.) Registration for the 2023 Convention is now open at www.nucadigs.com.
Safety Pros: Attend The Safety Damage Prevention Conference, Jan. 25-26, 2024
NUCA's annual Safety Damage Prevention Conference offers a unique opportunity for members involved in safety and damage prevention to hear from experts on a wide variety of topics that impact the industry, and network with others from across the country. This conference also provides an opportunity to address and strategize how members can better navigate complex damage prevention issues. If you're an industry safety professional, mark your calendars for January 25-26, 2024, held at the Hyatt Centric French Quarter hotel in exciting New Orleans, Louisiana. More information will be found atnuca.com/sdpc.
NUCA's Newest Membership Benefit: NUCA Choice
NUCA is proud to promote our newest member benefit, NUCA Choice. NUCA Choice will offer NUCA members commercial insurance options for auto, crime, property, general liability, marine, surety, umbrella, and workers’ compensation. Members can also consult with our provider’s local risk control team and use the FCCI Risk Solutions Network, a cloud-based platform to help participants stay compliant, manage risks, and educate employees. FCCI Insurance Group (FCCI) and NUCA have a joint partnership for FCCI to become NUCA’s preferred commercial insurance carrier. NUCA Choice is offered to NUCA members where FCCI writes business. To find out more, go to NUCAChoice.com.
NUCA Advantage: Make It Yours Today!
"Make NUCA Yours" is our slogan for 2023. Your NUCA membership investment can deliver benefits far in excess of its cost--but only if you ask your human resources office to explore what it offers. Start by forwarding this e-mail to them and ask them to check out NUCA Advantage. Our online portal leads to expanded healthcare benefits options for your company, as well as payroll, wellness, compliance, benefits administration, 401K retirement programs, online training, OSHA logs, and a wealth of free HR benefits available only to NUCA members. Find our expanded NUCA Advantage benefits program at www.NUCAAdvantage.com.
Share The Details About Trenchless Tech Efficiency
Are you seeking to know more about horizontal direction drilling, or auger boring? NUCA's "Trenchless Construction and New Installation Methods" manual can help your estimators, engineers, and project managers recognize that trenchless technology could deliver large cost savings to your excavation projects. The 148-page, full-color illustrated manual carefully addresses and explains the most common trenchless installation methods. Buy a copy for your local planning department to introduce their staff to these cost-efficient subsurface construction methods. The manual is available exclusively from NUCA and can be ordered online at www.nuca.com/trenchlessmanual.
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