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March 31, 2015

March Member News

IECRM Member News

The City of Denver Building Department has recently issued a warning for contractors regarding the indirect dangers associated with working inside marijuana grow facilities relating to pesticide use.  You can learn more about the risks of working in such an environment and view the entire article here.


 

According to Eaton Corp.’s 2014 Annual Tracker Report report, there were 3,634 reported outages in 20914 – an increase of about 12% from the 3,236 outages reported in 2013. The report proves outages are still a major problem for data center and IT managers across the country. Also included in the report are “top” outages lists, including the most significant reported outages, as well as data center outages.

While exact figures may vary, Eaton says when it comes to assessing the cost of data center power outages, consider the following findings from a recent Ponemon Institute study of 41 data centers:

  • $11,000 – The price tag for 1 minute of downtime for an enterprise whose data center is core to the business, such as an e-commerce company.
  • $1,000,000 –  The average cost of a typical 90-minute data center power outage.
  • 95% – Percentage of respondents who said they experienced one or more unplanned outages in the past 24 months.

“The Blackout Tracker Annual Report underscores the importance of having a comprehensive power protection plan, illustrating the scope of power outages across the country and the damaging impact they can have on businesses,” said Mike DeCamp, senior marketing communications manager, Eaton’s Power Quality Division. “Power outages cost the U.S. economy $150 billion in damages annually, so it’s important for businesses and other facilities to consider the right power backup solutions to avoid costly downtime.”


 

The California New Car Dealers Association recently selected Federated Insurance Companies as the recommended insurance carrier for Property & Liability Insurance. According to President Brian Maas, ”We were happy to partner with Federated Insurance because they have devoted many valuable resources with the goal of providing superior service to our members. We value their substantial local sales team and the industry-specific compliance education they offer.”

More than 4000 associations and national buying groups throughout the United States recommend one or more of Federated’s insurance programs. “Federated is proud to support the great work of the California New Car Dealers Association through our direct marketing team, our commitment to trade associations, and our specialized insurance products and risk management services,” said Jeff Mount, Federated Senior Vice-President & Director of Marketing Services and Support.

Federated Insurance is also asking the “H.R. Question of the Month.”  This month’s question deals with the issue of Termination notices and, more specifically, what are the requirements for notice to employees over the age of 40?  View the entire article and answer here.


 

Fisher & Phillips, LLP would like you to know that there are several court cases related to employment law that are changing HR rules for employers in Colorado.  Recently, in a 9-0 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court abolished a precedent on which the regulated community has relied to keep federal agencies in check for nearly 20 years. This precedent, commonly referred to as the Paralyzed Veterans doctrine, required a federal agency to engage in notice-and-comment rulemaking before revising its definitive interpretation of a regulation.  In its departure from the Paralyzed Veterans doctrine, the Supreme Court paved the way for even greater deference to federal agencies. According to the Court, the Paralyzed Veterans doctrine is contrary to the clear text of the Administrative Procedures Act’s rulemaking provisions and improperly imposes on agencies an obligation beyond the Administrative Procedures Act’s maximum procedural requirements. Perez v. Mortgage Bankers Association consolidated with Nickols v. Mortgage Bankers Association. You can read the entire article including the implications for employers here.

In another case, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that an employee should have her day in court to determine whether or not United Parcel Service, Inc. violated the Pregnancy Discrimination Act when it denied light-duty work to a pregnant employee who was restricted from heavy lifting by her medical provider.  UPS had a policy limiting work accommodations (such as light duty) to three classes of workers regardless of whether or not the workers requested light duty as a result of pregnancy. The Court held today that the employee had shown that there was a genuine factual dispute as to whether or not UPS treated some employees more favorably without having reasonable, non-discriminatory reasons for doing so. Young v. UPS.  Read more about this case and the court’s ruling here.


 

Graybar has recently released a new eBook entitled “Four Tips to Running an Efficient Business.”  The book focuses on boosting business productivity and saving you and your company the most valuable resource available – time.  You can learn more and download the book on this website.


 

Greenlee: A Textron Company have recently released a line of new Saber Cable Stripping Tools – the GTSD-1930 & GTS-1930 These new tools provide an alternative to exposed blades, intended to reduce the number of on-the-job laceration injuries.  The Saber also allows anyone on the job-site to strip cable up to 3 times faster than with a traditional blade.  Learn more about these new products here.


 

Network Insurance Services, LLC and Pinnacol Assurance have issued a “Save the Date” for their complimentary, full-day training event that focuses on the health of your employees and your business. This year, they would love to see you in Denver, Grand Junction and Loveland for the 2015 Risk Management Symposium.

Denver | June 12
Grand Junction | June 30
Loveland | Aug. 6

Questions? Contact Lori Whitesides at [email protected].

You can also view the March Edition of “Pinnacol Pointers” here.  This month’s topic focuses on the changes to Colorado Workers’ Comp Laws that will occur on April 1st.


 

Northstar Commercial Partners announced today another acquisition for Grease Monkey International, one of the nation’s largest franchisers of automotive preventative maintenance centers. With over 290 locations throughout the world, the purchase of the two buildings in Illinois and Wisconsin facilitates further expansion for Grease Monkey and adds to Northstar’s national presence.


 

Schneider Electric has announced the dates for their 2015 Global Automation Conference.  You can learn more about the conference, view the agenda, and register here.


 

Woods & Aitken, LLP is pleased to announce that Laura J. Sova has joined the firm as an associate at the Denver office. She joins the firm’s litigation team and construction law practice group. With the addition of Laura, the Denver office now has nine licensed attorneys in Colorado that focus on construction law and complex civil litigation.  Laura received her J.D. from Creighton University Law School, where she was a member of the Creighton Law Review, Moot Court Board, and received numerous CALI Excellence for the Future Awards. During law school, Laura clerked for a mid-size firm in Omaha in both the litigation and transactional groups.  Upon graduation, Laura served as a federal judicial clerk for the Honorable Gary A. Fenner of the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri in Kansas City. Prior to joining Woods & Aitken, Laura worked for a boutique law firm in Kansas City, Missouri.  Woods & Aitken, LLP has been representing clients in the construction industry since the law firm was founded in 1921. Since its inception, the firm and its members have represented family- or employee-owned construction companies providing representation as a “trusted advisor” in the context of the client’s overall strategic plan, strengths and vulnerabilities and with the client’s long-term business goals as the ultimate measure of the firm’s success. The firm has offices in Denver, Lincoln, Omaha, and Washington, D.C.

IECRM Self-Pay Tuition Policy

 

Self-pay students who are employed with a member company must register and pay through the member company using the IECRM Flashpoint Enrollment Portal/Process in order to qualify for member rates.

Self-pay students that are employed with a member company but that do not register and pay through the member will be charged the non-member rate for tuition, books and applicable fees.


Self-pay students who are employed with a member company and require a payment plan will not qualify for the member rate and will be charged the non-member rate for tuition, books and applicable fees.


Self-pay students who do not work for a member company will continue to be charged the non-member rate for tuition, books and applicable fees.


To maximize association/membership benefits, ALL member companies are encouraged to register and pay for all enrolled apprentices utilizing internal payment arrangements and processes between employer and employee.


We value our IECRM members and apprentice community. We encourage all apprentices to be enrolled in the four-year apprenticeship program, earning, and learning their way toward Journeyworker licensure. We encourage all members to utilize the member discount for tuition, books and applicable fees to ensure the long-term support and success of the next-generation electrician.


(Payment Plans are available, please reference the Self Pay Payment Plan Policy.)


Self-Pay Payment Plan Policy


We offer the following arrangements for students that are unable to pay in full at the time of registration.


● Self-pay students will be charged the non-member rate.
● A 50% down payment of total semester tuition, books and applicable fees are due at registration.
● Remaining balance can be divided up to 3 additional monthly payments ($10.00 processing fee applies on each installment)
● All payments that are declined will incur a $20.00 NSF fee.

 

We encourage all students who are employed with a member company to work with their employer to register and pay through the IECRM Flashpoint Enrollment Portal/Process. This will ensure the student is paying the lowest possible rate for tuition, books and applicable fees.