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Government Affairs
Registration is now open for NRMCA’s newest course, Think Like an Owner. This course is intended to empower the participants to understand the drivers of financial performance and improve their management with an eye to profitability of their business center. The course is based on insights gleaned from the Performance Benchmarking Survey and seeks to address the issue of declining profits in a growing market. Participants will learn how to read financial statements, measure performance, examine elements of profit and loss, and think in terms of economic profit. This course is a must-attend for industry participants, from plant managers to company presidents, who want to run their operations profitably. Click here to register soon as this course is sure to sell out quickly. For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org. As Congress returns from holiday recess, Democratic House leadership is eyeing a mid-January vote for the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. This legislation is a smorgasbord of anti-business policies, from codifying President Obama Administration National Labor Relations Board decisions, including card check, joint employer, persuader rule, blacklisting rule and many others that some predict would have a chilling effect on the economy and job creation. NRMCA strongly opposes this legislation and has actively lobbied against it in conjunction with the Coalition for a Democratic Workplace. The legislation, sponsored in the Senate by Bernie Sanders (D-VT) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), will not be taken up in the Senate. However, House passage is a dangerous precedent and underscores the importance that a pro-business majority in the Senate be maintained in 2020. For more information on the PRO Act click here. To send Congress a message opposing this legislation, click here. Congress returned to Washington on Tuesday, January 7, to kick off the Second Session of the 116th Congress. Overshadowing the legislative session is impeachment, and, more broadly, the 2020 elections. Trade and international tensions are further complicating the landscape. The Democratic presidential primary continues to unfold dramatically, as late entrants Michael Bloomberg and Deval Patrick kick off their campaigns and the rest of the remaining contestants gear up for Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and beyond. While prospects of meaningful policy work in Washington are dim, there was renewed discussion of infrastructure toward the end of 2019; House Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Peter DeFazio (D-OR) is expected to introduce a surface reauthorization bill. In addition, the Committee has announced a hearing on the Water Resources Development Act reauthorization, although it is expected that the Senate will put forward a reauthorization bill first. It is possible that the House cobbles together a number of smaller bills typically considered separately to produce a “larger” infrastructure package. The Senate has already passed a surface transportation reauthorization package out of the Environment and Public Works Committee, but there is no proposal as to how it will be financed. Meanwhile, Congress is expected to go through the typical procedures this spring for producing a budget and appropriations. The appropriations process will be of particular interest to NRMCA as we guard against efforts of other industries to insert preferential language for their materials. For more information, contact Andrew Tyrrell at atyrrell@nrmca.org.
SEO
NRMCA has crafted the fifth annual member survey to measure regulatory action within the industry to determine regulatory trends on specific issues, issue types and in geographic regions. This information, while strictly confidential, will help NRMCA to better tailor its actions to address and/or combat any such issues, and to keep a finger on the pulse of when, where, how and why regulatory agencies are targeting and/or levying enforcement actions against the industry. NRMCA urges you to take the survey at your earliest convenience. The survey will be held open until 5 p.m. Eastern time on Friday, February 28. For moreinformation, contact Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. As of January 6, 2020, commercial motor vehicle carriers were required to be registered with the new, secure Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. Carriers are now required to input all their CDL-holders’ positive drug and alcohol tests, refused tests and return-to-duty testing elements. Carriers are also mandated to query the Clearinghouse for prospective drivers that may have drug and alcohol program violations, and annually query for all drivers to check for any positive tests before a driver is allowed to operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) on public roadways. Furthermore, carriers are required to have consent from their drivers before conducting a driver query of the Clearinghouse. In order to gain consent from drivers, while not required of drivers, those drivers wishing to continue to drive for the carrier will need to register with the Clearinghouse to grant consent and to review their own information. Driver and carrier registration is completed online through FMCSA’s website by clicking here. Specifically, the elements for the Clearinghouse all carriers and drivers need to know are: 1. This is NOT a proposal, this program was finalized in December 2016 and became effective January 6, 2020. 2. Carriers are required to be registered with the Clearinghouse. 3. Drivers must give consent to employers in one of two ways. Written consent is all that is needed if the employer is only conducting a limited query. Drivers must give consent by registering online if employers are conducting a full query (see #6 below). 4. The Clearinghouse will contain only driver positive drug/alcohol tests, refused tests and the steps completed for the return-to-duty process after a positive test. 5. Information gathered in the Clearinghouse will be nationwide, meaning drivers that move jobs frequently will have information in the Clearinghouse accessible to all current and future carriers from January 6, 2020 moving forward. 6. There are two types of queries that can be performed: full and limited. A full query is required for pre-employment and if a positive test is shown in the Clearinghouse. A limited query is a query by carriers of all their CDL-holders annually, to determine if a positive test is shown in the Clearinghouse. 7. Carriers can use third-party services to both report violations and query their drivers. However, third-party services must be made as the carrier’s designated service agent when the carrier registers and the third-party must be an authorized services registered through FMCSA. 8. Querying the Clearinghouse does have a cost. While single queries cost $1.25 for limited and full queries, carriers can purchase “bundles” of queries based on the carriers needs and number of drivers. 9. Training for personnel with the carrier and drivers will be key for a smooth registration and for maintaining compliance. Click here for more information on the Clearinghouse, including all requirements, factsheets, query pricing schedules, Frequently Asked Questions and more. You may also contact Gary Mullings at gmullings@nrmca.org or Kevin Walgenbach at kwalgenbach@nrmca.org. Registration for NRMCA’s Spring Safety Course from May 13 - 15 in Glendora, CA, is now open; please note that this course will sell out very soon. The 2.5-day course teaches participants about OSHA safety compliance beginning with why safety is so important and details the reasons why an effective safety program actually saves money through loss prevention and control. Participants learn about the new silica rule, electrical safety, machine guarding, fall protection, hazard communication, confined spaces, personal protective equipment, firefighting and evacuation, maintenance shop safety, chute handling, fleet safety, pre-trip inspection and much more. Click here for location details, registration options and staff contacts. 
Products & Services
NRMCA is offering 25% off its Safety & Environmental lessons through the end of February. Lessons are available for online viewing or DVD format. These lessons comprise a library of standalone training resources and publications to help ready mixed concrete drivers and operations staff stay safe while complying with regulations on the federal level. Whether your drivers need training on preventing backing accidents or information to prevent slips, trips and falls at the workplace, NRMCA’s Safety and Environmental lessons will help keep your folks at the top of their game this winter. Order online today and receive 25% off. Please use Discount Code SAFE20 to receive the online discount. 
Promotion
NRMCA is seeking nominations for the NRMCA Promoter of the Year – Pavements Award, Promoter of the Year – Buildings Award, State Affiliate Promoter of the Year Award and the John Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award for Promotion. These awards will be presented at NRMCA’s 2020 Annual Convention, March 7-9 in Las Vegas, NV. Nominees for the Promoter of the Year award must be current employees of NRMCA Producer members; nominees for the State Affiliate award must be employees of the affiliate and have worked in the industry for at least five years; nominees for the John Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award must be former employees of NRMCA member companies who are retired or deceased. You can help industry promotion champions get deserved recognition by nominating them for these prestigious awards. The most recent award winners are Duane Coy, Dolese Bros., Inc. (Promoter of the Year – Pavements); Oliver Brooks, Martin Marietta Metro Ready Mix (Promoter of the Year – Buildings); Joel Waters, Mississippi Concrete Association (State Affiliate Promoter of the Year) and Larry Gibbes (John Roberts Lifetime Achievement Award). Please submit a nomination of no more than two pages, detailing a nominee’s exceptional promotional efforts over the last five years or longer in some, or all, of the following performance categories: • Conversions to concrete resulting from promotional activities; • Promotional presentations to specifiers, developers, potential end-users, concrete industry personnel or other individuals or groups; • Professional development support of other ready mix promoters through leadership activities; • Involvement in local, state and national trade association promotional activities; and • Educating potential markets about advanced and innovative concrete technologies. The deadline for submitting nominations is January 17, 2020. Click here to access more information and nomination forms. Questions can be directed to Phil Kresge at 215-779-7375 or by e-mail at pkresge@nrmca.org. 
Business Advancement
NRMCA’s January and February Plant Manager Certification classes filled to capacity over the holiday but don’t hit the panic button! There are lots of room in the remaining three 2020 classes. By plan, these classes rotate east, south, north, south central and west as follows:
Click here for registration options and more information. NRMCA’s once-a-year Dispatcher Training Forum will be held January 28-30 in Orlando, FL. Schedulers and dispatchers work for three days learning how to make the order flow system seamless and productive in their company. Key skills covered are: • ASTM-C94 and other technical knowledge that assure the order’s materials correct; • The plant’s production system as well as Drivers’ Hours of Service that impact efficient delivery timing; • Properly handling of technical, practical and customer-service issues; • Juggling priority customers, advance notices, callbacks, plant managers’ and sales reps’ demands; • Managing stress, building phone skills and using peer relationships, and • Dealing with the gazillions of details that can stifle the system’s flow and the bottom line. Click here for more information, including registration options and staff contacts. March 7 – 9, Las Vegas March 10 – 14, Las Vegas March 17 – 19, Dallas March 24 – 27, Boston April 28 – May 1, New Orleans May 13 – 15, Glendora, CA September 27 – 29, Aurora, CO November 17 – 19, Glendora, CA December 15 – 18, Phoenix 
Calendar
*Please note that e-mail and direct links to each event listed below can be accessed from NRMCA's Web site. January 14 – 16, Des Moines, IA *Sold Out January 14 – 16, Nashville, TN January 21 – 24, Cincinnati *Sold Out January 27 – 31, Ontario, CA January 28 – 30, Orlando, FL January 28 – 30, Dallas January 29, Louisville, KY February 6, Omaha, NE February 11 – 12, Orlando, FL February 20, Castle Hayne, NC February 25 – 28, Miami *Sold Out |
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