The Heat is On
The arrival of summer typically brings more work, but this year has been a unique one. While some of us never stopped, many are finally getting back to work or seeing our workloads increasing. With the work demands during COVID, it is more important than ever to maintain a clean, well-organized jobsite. Additionally, we all need to stay diligent in enforcing social distancing, the wearing of masks and other PPE, and all the other factors needed to keep our people safe while getting the job done. I encourage each and every one of you to stay up to date and informed, so our people and their families can thrive. While no jobsite is completely risk free, it is our duty to keep our employees as safe as possible.
I am glad to see that Congress has been getting back to work as well. A new PPP loan extension has been approved and signed by the President, which will be a help to the many small business within our industry. Additionally, it seems that continued infrastructure legislation is getting the much-needed attention it deserves. The House passed a $1.5 Trillion dollar bill and the Senate is facing increasing pressure to move on its own legislation. The heat is on – particularly with the September 30 deadline for the highway funding reauthorization. Get ready to add your own pressure to the pot so we can ensure the industry receives this much needed funding.
NUCA’s Sept. 21-23 Summit may have to change because of the continued effects of COVID-19. We are in the process of hammering out all the details about how best to tell our story virtually to our elected officials, as we know how important it is for them to hear our voices. We are going to strive to balance the need for our own representation of the industry and the safety of our members. Stay tuned to the N@W newsletter and NUCA’s social media outlets for more info as it arises.
If you are reading this and are not yet a member of NUCA, now is a fine time to join or get one of your subcontractors to join with our 50% off new members’ dues campaign. Perhaps you have appreciated this fine publication for years or benefited from the hard work this association does for the industry at large. Consider doing your part and signing up now, but hurry. The campaign ends August 31.
Finally, as I said back in February and the annual convention, if we all just add one new member, it will strengthen our association’s programs in Washington and our local chapters. I know we face extraordinary conditions in the world right now, but I believe we will come through them stronger and more prepared for what yet lays ahead. Remember, there is strength in numbers. The more industry companies we can pull together into one unified voice, the more we will be able to affect and grow the industry and the nation. Just add one.
Sincerely yours,
Fred Chesney, NUCA Chairman of the Board / Centerline Utilities Inc. Tags: Chairman's Message, July/August 2020 Print Issue