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October 2017
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Chief Executive Officer's Notes
What a difference a year makes! As I reflect on PCOC over the past 12 months, it is exciting to see this organization come back to life! The recent Board of Directors meeting in San Diego allowed me the opportunity to give a State of PCOC update. It’s clear that folks are getting the message that we’re up to the task of providing them an organization that is willing and able to speak forcefully and defend our issues while also building bridges to different stakeholder groups that might not always agree with us. Membership growth continues to be a priority, and under the leadership of Karen Grenz, our Membership Director, we will maintain aggressive outreach to new members who can only bolster our strength. It’s amazing to have many of you help with growing our membership, and I’ve always believed that current members are the best spokespeople for any successful association. Regulatory and legislative issues are front and center, and PCOC involvement is imperative on topics such as elimination of rodenticides, pyrethriods use and concerns related to California's waterways and the ability to use fumigation into the future. None of these issues are going away, and active engagement will be critical as we look to the future. The other thing to note is that in 2018, California will be electing a new governor, and there will be new appointed people to run agencies and departments that impact us, so we will be watching this closely as well. Also, I want to acknowledge the new committee chairs this year for their commitment to PCOC, as they are important to policy formation, as well as leading the association on relevant issues that affect our members. Developing a deep bench is important to any successful organization, so the more involvement we can get at the committee level the greater benefit it will be for PCOC. At the end of the day, its great people that make it all work and we have that covered. "Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.” (Helen Keller) Chris Reardon 
Upcoming Events
West Coast Rodent Academy – November 15-17, 2017 PCOC Golf Tournament – December 7, 2017 Board of Directors Meeting – December 8-9, 2017 Pest Ed 2018 – January 16 & 18, 2018 Legislative Days & Board of Directors Meeting – April 16-18, 2018 
Legislative Update
There has been a lot of action this month taken at both the governor’s office, as well as the Structural Pest Control Board (SPCB). A few bills that were sponsored by the SPCB that got signed by the governor are AB 593 (Gloria), AB 1590 (Chen), and SB 800.
There have also been some regulatory changes as well. California Code of Regulations Title 16 Section 1914 has been amended to state that if a company has been surrendered to the SPCB, that name and phone number are no longer allowed to be used in the future. Sections 1993.2, 1993.3, and 1993.4 have clarified the definitions of an in-ground termite bait station and how they can be used. It is recommended that those code sections be looked up for further clarification if it is needed. The SPCB has also recently taken action on the updating of continuing education in regards to IPM. Changes to section 1950 and 1953 will be coming in the future. Please keep an eye for what these changes are. These changes will be sent to the Department of Consumer Affairs for review before any action is taken. Take a look at the materials for the most recent SPCB meeting for details as to how these regulations will change. These will go through many steps before they are enacted. So, if you would like to submit comments on them, keep an eye out for when that comment period is open so you can make your voice heard if you have any issue with these changes. Darren Van Steenwyk, BCE Affiliate Corner
Bayer has a long heritage of using science to help create a better life. Like our customers, we are dedicated to caring for the spaces where we all live our lives, because we know that healthy environments help lead to thriving communities. We work collaboratively with customers and partners across turf, golf, production ornamentals, vegetation and pest management industries to deliver innovative and inspiring solutions that help foster healthy environments where we all live, work and play. Dr. Eric Paysen is the Bayer Professional Pest Management Sales Manager for Northern and Central California. Eric has been working in the pest control industry since 1999. He managed the Clemson University Urban Entomology Research Lab, testing prototypes of many products used by the structural pest management industry today. He has earned a M.S. degree in entomology, specializing on biting flies, and a Ph.D. focusing on the ecology and control of ants. In 2006, he received the Bayer "Young Scientist of the Year Award.” He has been employed as technical director, for eight years, by a cutting-edge 160-route pest control firm in Southern California and has run his own small business. Currently, Eric is proud to be part to be part of the Bayer team and would be happy to serve as a resource for your company. Eric Paysen, Ph.D. Mobile: 1 602-245-3659
PCOC Monthly Insurance/Safety Tip
Workers’ Comp and the Gig Economy
In October 2016, the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries ordered San Francisco-based Postmates, Inc., which delivers groceries ordered with an app, to pay accumulated back workers’ comp premiums to the state’s monopoly workers’ comp provider. In California, a driver for Uber was awarded damages by the California Labor Commissioner’s Office for being misclassified as an independent contractor. The ruling is being appealed by Uber, but class-action lawsuits from other drivers are in the works. Confrontations like these have occurred throughout the nation, not to mention the rest of the world, where the ways services have been traditionally provided and paid for are being upended. The rationale for on-demand or gig economy employers sidestepping workers’ comp has been the fragmented nature of its employment relationships. "Much of the on-demand economy is not structured around having a business model where they employ full-time workers,” said Kristin Sharp, Washington-based executive director of the Shift Commission on Work, Workers, and Technology to BNA Bloomberg. There is little doubt that many gig economy jobs are hazardous. Uber, Lyft and Postmates drivers face the same risks as taxi drivers, whose likelihood of getting killed on the job is five times the average. New York State requires Uber drivers to participate in its Black Car Fund, which provides workers’ comp insurance to taxi and limo drivers. Uber drivers are required to pay a 2.44 percent fee based on the fare to the fund. Lack of Insurer Innovation One problem is that the workers’ comp insurance industry hasn’t been very innovative about offering solutions. "A business can hire gig workers to do their job and that business is free to classify those workers as employees for work comp purposes and purchase a work comp policy and they would be covered,” said Steven A. Bennett, associate general counsel and director of workers’ compensation programs for the American Insurance Association. But a tailored product for the special needs of a gig economy employer would make more sense, especially from a marketing standpoint, according to Los Angeles-based Edward Canavan, vice president of workers’ compensation practice and compliance at TPA Sedgwick Claims Management Services Inc. And what about the cost shifting that’s going on right now, where auto insurers are taking on more risk in these situations? "If I was a carrier,” said Canavan, "I would start thinking about coverage issues, I would start thinking about liability issues, I would start thinking about cost shifting … could these workers potentially be tempted to shift costs somewhere else because they don’t have coverage?” Even if gig economy workers are independent contractors, some sort of workers’ comp protections, even something like New York’s Black Car Fund, might be a good idea. For more information, please contact the PCOC Insurance Program Department of EPIC at (877) 860-7378 or, email us @ ProPest@epicbrokers.com. Also check out: www.pcocinsurance.com Paul Lindsay Member News
New information from Department of Pesticide Regulation in regards to applying to Agriculture Continuing Education hours, click here. District News
October BIG VALLEY DISTRICT – October 18 @ 4:00 PM SANTA CLARA DISTRICT – October 18 @ 6:30 PM LOS ANGELES / SOUTH BAY DISTRICT – October 19 @ 6:30 PM SAN GABRIEL DISTRICT – October 19 @ 6:30 PM DIABLO VALLEY DISTRICT – October 24 @ 6:30 PM SAN FERNANDO VALLEY DISTRICT – October 25 @ 6:00 PM CENTRAL VALLEY DISTRICT – October 26 @ 4:00 PM November SAN BERNARDINO/RIVERSIDE DISTRICT – November 1 @ 6:00 PM ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT – November 9 @ 6:00 PM SOUTHERN VALLEY DISTRICT – November 9 @ 6:30 PM VINTAGE COASTAL DISTRICT – November 9 @ 7:00 PM SAN DIEGO DISTRICT – November 14 @ 5:30 PM VENTURA DISTRICT – November 15 @ 7:00 PM SANTA BARBARA DISTRICT – November 16 @ 6:30 PM
Did You Know???
ATTENTION ALL OPERATORS, FIELD REPS AND APPLICATORS:Division 19, Title 16, California Code of Regulations has been amended to add Section 1960 and now requires all licensees due to expire on June 30, 2016, or after, who have never been fingerprinted, to complete the fingerprint (Livescan) process as a condition of renewal. Please click here to see the full notice and the form needed. PLEASE NOTE: LICENSING WILL BE CONSIDERED EXPIRED IF THE PROCESS IS NOT COMPLETED.New Members
PCOC Leadership Lens
NPMA BenefitsAs a member of PCOC, you’ve got the benefits of a full NPMA membership in your corner. There are many benefits to membership, and we’re listing 10 of them here:
With NPMA membership and benefits accessible when you join PCOC, you’ll have a wealth of advantages at your fingertips. Speaking of NPMA, this year’s NPMA PestWorld convention is right around the corner. B’MORE PESTWORLD 2017 will take place in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 24-27. Below are some important links to help you get started:
Hope to see you in B’more! Nicole Keefe Frequently Requested Information
*NEW* NPMA LOGIN FOR JOINT MEMBERSHIP LOGIN: Email or Personal ID PASSWORD: npma Frequently Asked For Websites
Department of Food & Agriculture California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) DPR on Facebook DPR on YouTube (see "playlists" for videos pertaining to new surface water regulations) DPR on Twitter DPR LinkedIn Healthy Schools Act Structural Pest Control Board Find Your Legislator |
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