APRIL 2007
Continuing Education
Rules:
Chairman
Paul Kennedy and the State Plumbing Board have drafted new standards for
continuing education for licensed plumbers, and new requirements for
apprentices. Key points:
Apprentice training: Increased from 4 years to 5 years. 550
hours of classroom instruction will be required.
Licensed plumbers: Must show 12 hours of continuing education
when they renew. If you hold both journeyman and master licenses, the 12
hours cover both licenses.
When:
The new continuing education/apprentice training system would go into
effect in 2008, at which point plumbers would need to begin meeting
continuing education requirements to renew their licenses in 2010.
Anyone registered as an apprentice would need to meet the new
requirements.
How:
The new standards cannot go into effect until after public hearings are
held. Hearings were held recently in Malden and Worcester. The full 248
CMR Section 11 proposal can be viewed at the State Board’s web site. Go
to Google, type
Massachusetts
Plumbing Board.
Business Friendly:
In a sign that new Governor Deval Patrick will take a positive approach
towards businesses, he announced the appointment of an ombudsman to
speed up the permitting process. Businesses seeking permits and
approvals often need three years to meet requirements. The new goal: six
months from the time businesses apply, to when they break ground. A real
estate lawyer has been appointed to head the effort. The huge North
Point Project in Cambridge could be the first beneficiary of the new
process.
Union Membership:
The US House recently passed the Employee Free Choice Act, which would
alter how employees join a union. The legislation would bypass the use
of the secret ballot election if a majority of employees sign a card
expressing support for joining a union. Passage is sign of renewed
Democratic control of House. Passage in Senate is unlikely, and Bush
would veto.
New Faces:
A special welcome to two new faces at Local 12. The Training Center is
run jointly by labor and management, and Rick Carter has been hired by
the PHCC and Local 12 to replace retiring Training Coordinator Joe
Conley…In union elections, Tim Fandel won a position as Business Agent
when longtime agent Jack McGinnis retired. Kevin Cotter was elected
without opposition to another 3-year term as Business Manager. Agents
Harry Brett and George Donahue were also reelected. Congratulations to
all!
Private Contractors:
The New York Times reports that private contractors have become “a
virtual fourth branch of government.” Private contracts have soared
under the Administration’s privatization policy. Private employees “sit
next to federal employees at nearly every agency; far more people work
under contracts than are directly employed by the government.”
Competition…For
federal contracts has eroded, as more private contractors develop
“contacts” in the government. Only 49% of contracts are now subject to
open competition.
Macomber Out of
Business:
After over 100 years as a highly respected general contractor, Macomber
Builders will go out of business. Reason: Company management had been
transferred to outsider in 2002, and four jobs were bid below cost.
Problems were exacerbated last year by scaffolding collapse which killed
three men. CEO John Macomber put money in escrow to insure that
employees stayed on to close out jobs. John and all the Macombers have
always been a class act, and have acted with great decency. We are sorry
to see them go.
Boston Projects:
Contractors report they expect many large projects to break ground in
2007. The Fan Pier Project on the South Boston Waterfront has been
stalled for over 20 years, but will begin later this year, or in early
2008. Construction will include hotel, office and residential.
Eventually, nine buildings are planned. Major projects planned also for
Harvard, MIT and BU.
Architects Busy:
Architects for commercial and industrial buildings recently hit a new
high for activity. That’s another good sign for the commercial sector,
even if residential sector slows.
Population Shifts:
By 2050, it is expected that only 50% of Americans will be non-Hispanic
whites; 24% will be Hispanics; 15% black; 8% Asians. By 2030, population
of South will gain 52%, but there will be only a 5% increase in
Northeast. (Source: Kiplingers Letter).
Changes:
Those demographic changes present challenges in our industry. The United
Association (the national pipe trades union) reports that 35% of its
members will retire in the next 10 years. New UA head Bill Hite has
committed to an aggressive organizing campaign which expects to bring in
50,000 new apprentices over the next few years. Also, UA has developed
“Helmets to Hardhats” program, which is placing military vets into UA
programs. Local 12 is actively participating in this program. You can
see a joint Local 12/ PHCC of Greater Boston ad on Bruins games, and
this summer during Red Sox contests.
UA Changes:
New UA head Bill Hite has also instituted a “Standards of Excellence”
for union members. At a recent meeting with contractors and union
leaders, he summed up one of his ideas: “If you expect to be paid like
professionals, dress like professionals. Too many guys look like they
fell off a boxcar.” Other items in the UA Standard of Excellence: No
personal cell phone use during work hours. Go to
www.ua.org to see the full text.
30%:
The United
Association is made up of about 30% plumbers, and percentage is growing.
The vast majority of members are pipefitters/HVAC service techs.
Sprinkler fitters are less than 10%.
Nuclear:
Nuclear energy will be back in the next decade. Concerns about global
warming are bringing even strong environmentalists into the nuclear
camp, since it is a form of energy that produces little pollution. Will
be a boon for large union contractors.
Heat Pumps:
New condos in a recycled mill building in Lawrence will be using heat
pumps to provide heating and cooling. Heat pump well will be drilled
1500 into granite bedrock. This is not the first such venture into
alternative methods of heating and cooling…but “natural energy” is now
being used as a major marketing tool. Some contractors have criticized
the ability of such systems to operate with the kind of reliability that
consumers like.
PVC Issues:
There is a continuing discussion at the Plumbing Board about the use of
PVC in plumbing systems. Issue: safety when there is a fire. PVC piping
burns and gives off lethal fumes. Coincidentally, Firestone Roofing
products has recently eliminated its PVC product line, saying they were
concerned with safety issues.
Tastier Water:
The MWRA’s head Fred Laskey is touting the tastiness of the water, ever
since a new treatment plant in Marlborough began using ozone rather than
chlorine as a primary disinfectant. Disinfectant byproducts have been
reduced by 80% through the ozone process. Boston water has always been
regarded as pretty tasty.
Cheaper Metals:
Copper is expected to decline about 6% in price this year. Stainless
steel prices may decline by 25%.
Fran Williams:
Longtime PHCC activist Fran Williams of Belmont has been named the head
of the PHCC Educational Foundation.
Are You Rich?
The New York Times reports that the top 1% of the world's
population holds 40% of global assets. To qualify, you need net worth of
$515,000. Bottom half of population owns only1.1% of globe's wealth
©PHCC of Greater
Boston, 5 Elm St., Danvers, MA 01923 • 978-777-8764
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