ECA News & Events Update
NECA Education Advancement Resource Network (EARN)
Pete Mastrorocco, Vice President, Education for the National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA) recently announced a new educational initiative within NECA — the Education Advancement Resource Network (EARN), a network of higher learning powered by NECA. The program seeks to connect all NECA Stakeholders with institutions of higher education for degree and certificate programs designed to improve our value proposition as service providers. NECA has kicked off this program with 17 certificate programs delivered through three institutions— Brandman University , Louisiana State University Online and Oakland City University . Most of these online, self-paced programs can be initiated at any point, allowing NECA members to get started right away while still managing a busy work schedule. Watch NECA this Week, NECA Video Update or visit  www.necaearn.org  for more information.
NECA Legal Alert: COVID-19 and Contractor Liability
Employee and workplace safety should be the top concern for contractors during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, every business has justifiable concerns with employer liability as it makes decisions for moving on with operations.

Any contractor can be sued for anything, by anyone, at any time. That statement was true before, is true during, and it will be true after the COVID-19 pandemic. But keep in mind that there must be some underlying fraud, negligence or wrongdoing to actually impose liability on a contractor. This alert details some best practices to avoid such liability.
Event Changes and Cancellations
You can find all ECA, NECA and Industry Event date changes or cancellations due to COVID-19 on ECA's website here.
NECA FREE WEBINARS
Cash Flow Amid Covid-19 Webinar - Tuesday, April 14, 2020 | 2:00-3:00 PM ET (1:00PM CST)



Employee Resource Systems: Employee Assistance Program April Webinar
April 21, 2020 webinar: “Effective Communication with Children.”  Tune in to this session to learn about different communication styles and how to communicate effectively, starting in early childhood. 

Username: ECA
Password: Chicago


U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) temporary regulations - Stay-at-Home Order(s) and FFCRA impact.
Please click on the link below for the DOL's temporary regulations applicable to the Family First Coronavirus Response Act clarifying how local, state, or federal “shelter in place”/“stay at home” orders affect entitlements to FFCRA leave. 
Slow the Spread of COVID-19 with Proper Cleaning of Electrical PPE
Due to the cross-contamination challenges impacting our industry caused by COVID-19, Enespro has updated our Care and Maintenance Guidelines for Electrical PPE, incorporating important CDC guidelines and references to ASTM F496.
U.S. Treasury Updated Paycheck Protection Program
(PPP) Application Form (CARES Act)
Please click on the link below for the Treasury Department's new version of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) application. Please disregard the previously distributed form.
 
Please visit the ECA website at www.ecachicago.com (Latest News) and also the NECA website at: www.necanet.org under the COVID-19 Resource Center, for much more information. Please contact the ECA with any questions at: (708) 531-0022. 
NECA Project Excellence Awards Deadline Approaching
Recognizing the outstanding work, professionalism and ingenuity of NECA member contractors.

Applications are due by April 30, 2020. Submit your project today!


Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) Sick Leave Templates
(Developed for ECA by Baker McKenzie)
In accordance with the Family First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) and the Emergency Paid Sick Leave Act (EPSLA), employees may be eligible for up to 80 hours or 10 days of paid sick leave. Employees are required to request the sick leave from their employer. To help with this we have had the ECA counsel, Baker McKenzie, put together a template request form and letter that you may choose to use for this purpose. Please click on the link below for template letters.
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know.
NECA Safety Updates -
COVID-19 Related
Please click on the link below for a number of NECA Safety updates, including information regarding:
 
·      Coronavirus Risk Assessment Checklist;
·      Coronavirus Construction Site
Guidelines;
·      Coronavirus Safety Talk - Social
Distancing;
·      Coronavirus Safety Talk - Worksite
Recommendations;
·      Coronavirus Safety Talk - Symptoms of
COVID-19;
·      Coronavirus Safety Talk COVID -19 and
Other Communicable Diseases;
·      NECA Infectious Control Policy; and
·      FFCRA Safety Poster.

Listing of State-by-State Executive Orders (A NECA compiled listing)
Please click on the link below for a listing of State by State Survey of Executive Orders.
CARES Act Update
(Baker & McKenzie)
Please click on the link below for a recent article from Baker & McKenzie (ECA legal counsel) called, " SBA and Treasury Announce Mobilization for Paycheck Protection Act, Signaling Swift Steps Toward CARES Act Relief" regarding updates to the CARES Act.
Families First Coronavirus Reponse Act (FFCRA) -- ECA Webinar Q & A Update
During our FFCRA webinar held Monday, March 30, one of the issues addressed was when an individual qualified for the two weeks of emergency paid sick leave (EPSLA). At that time (Mon 3/30) the DOL had indicated that the “IL Stay-at-Home Order” did not meet the definition of a State or local quarantine or isolation order. The presenter noted this during the presentation.
 
Unfortunately, as of Wednesday, April 1, the DOL issued Temporary regulations and in so doing changed the definition of a quarantine or isolation order to include “shelter-in-place, or stay-at-home orders issued by any Federal, State or local government authority”.
 
This now means that in theory the “IL Stay-at-Home order” could qualify an individual for paid sick leave (EPSLA). However, because the Illinois Stay at Home Executive Order excludes the construction industry, from the stay-at-home requirement because construction is considered as essential, employees who are essential workers do not qualify for the paid sick leave based on this criteria alone. 
 
Please note that (1) employees who are not essential are eligible for the two weeks of emergency sick leave unless their work site is closed for reasons unrelated to COVID-19; and (2) essential workers remain eligible for emergency leave under the remaining criteria.
 
The Government's response to COVID-19 is a very fluid and evolving situation. We will continue to provide updates as information becomes available.
NECA SAFETY Offers Two New Documents In Regard to Safety & COVID-19.
Please review two new documents from NECA Safety: “Risk Assessment Process and Checklist for Work Impacted by COVID-19” and “NECA Example Exposure Control Plan (ECP).”

Links to these documents are below and can also be found on the ECA website at www.ecachicago.com and also on the NECA website at: www.necanet.org under the COVID-19 Resource Center, along with much more information.



SBA Loan Information, Comparison Analysis
Senate Passes CARES Act
On March 26, 2020, the Senate passed “Phase III” of the Coronavirus Response Package, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act in a 96-0 vote. The House is expected to pass the $2 trillion bill on Friday, March 27, 2020. A full summary of the CARES Act and the full CARE Act can be found by clicking on the links below. 

USDOL Required FFCRA Posting
The US Department of Labor (DOL) has published the required posting pursuant to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). Please click on link below. The notice must be posted in your workplace. For more guidance on this, the USDOL has provided some FAQs at the following link: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/pandemic/ffcra-poster-questions . 
EJAB NDERA Referral Follow-up
In regard to compliance with the NDERA, the Electrical Joint Arbitration Board (EJAB) has submitted a clarification regarding the Recall scenario concerning lay-off of employee(s).  Please click on the link below for the EJAB notice.

Also, please click on the link below for a copy of the “National Disease Emergency Response Agreement (NDERA),” as well as the jointly created NDERA Question and Answers. Please review the Q & A sheet. This will assist firms in complying with the agreement!

Construction Impact letter, Contract Rights, and FFCRA FAQ
Please see this template letter from NECA that you may find useful in dealing with your customers concerning construction impacts resulting from COVID-19.




CISCO: Most PBC Work continues, but with Precautions
The City of Chicago released a list of 182 “scopes of work” at various Public Building Commission site locations showing 158 still in progress (24 cancellations). Listed below is a brief summary of specific protocols that PBC has already directed for immediate implementation. These protocols will support its collective efforts to mitigate this challenge.  Read more
Chicago Department of Buildings
Update
Pursuant to the Governor's "Stay at Home" Order initiated on March 21, 2020, construction is deemed an essential infrastructure exception. Construction projects may continue as long as management and workers comply with social distancing requirements, which include maintaining at least six-foot social distancing from other individuals, washing hands with soap and water for at least twenty seconds as frequently as possible or using hand sanitizer, cover coughs or sneezes (into the sleeve or elbow, not hands), regularly cleaning high-touch surfaces, and not shaking hands. Many construction projects have implemented more stringent infection control measures, and if so, those should continue as well.
 
The Chicago Department of Buildings (DOB) will continue to process permits and make itself available to answer questions and assist contractors in any way possible. As a reminder, the following protocol is available so you can manage your Department of Buildings needs via a call, email or online:


Portions of this article were excerpted from a DOB E-mail Update (3/21/20).

Rebuilding Together - April 25, 2020 (Christmas in April) POSTPONED
The Annual Rebuilding Chicago Event has postponed, and will take place later this year. More information will be distributed once arrangements are made.
POSTPONEMENT OF APRIL 15, 2020 SEMINAR

Due to the impact of COVID-19, the Electrical Contractors’ Association of City of Chicago (ECA) has postponed the upcoming ECA Research and Education Committee sponsored seminar: " How to Design Your Company's Internal Processes for Maximizing Profitability' scheduled for April 15, 2020 - it was to be held at the Drake Oak Brook Hotel in Oak Brook, Illinois.   The status of other ECA meetings and seminars scheduled for mid-May will be reviewed as we get closer to the date(s).
EIT BENEFIT FUNDS STATEMENTS REGARDING
COVID-19


Due to the impact of COVID-19, the Electrical Insurance Trust (EIT) has submitted a number of statements regarding EIT's participant services. (The two most recent are available below).


"Electrical Management Essentials: Finance, Insurance & Legal"
-- ON HOLD --
"Electrical Management Essentials: Finance, Insurance & Legal" - On Hold -

This one-day class, designed specifically for NECA’s small and medium-sized contractors, will bring in three experts to discuss the essential elements of finance, insurance and risk, and legal issues that all contractors need to know. On the financial side, the experts will examine topics such as indirect costs, work in process, financial statements, and profit fade. They will cover key protections for managing your risk and the essential insurance policies you must have. And finally, they will discuss important changes to overtime laws, guidance for drafting and interpreting product and services contracts, and provide you with best practices for workplace investigations. 

This program was originally scheduled to be held on April 24, 2020 at the Westin Hotel in Itasca, Illinois. However, the program is now ON HOLD!
ECA Membership Meeting -
May 13, 2020 (Evening Program)
The dinner program will feature industry updates, and guest presentation from Josh Bone, Director of Industry Innovation - National Electrical Contractors Association. This event will be held at Ocean Prime Restaurant, Chicago, IL.

"NECA Safety Professionals Conference" - POSTPONED!
May 18 - 20, 2020
The NECA Safety Professionals Conference has been postponed!
"Advanced Estimating of Electrical Construction" - POSTPONED!
May 20 - 21, 2020
The Electrical Contractors' Association of City of Chicago (ECA) Research and Education Committee workshop called, "Advanced Estimating of Electrical Construction" has been postponed!
ECA's Annual President's Party
Friday, May 22, 2020
Crystal Gardens at Navy Pier

This year's President's Party will feature an evening under the canopy and twinkling lights of Navy Pier's Crystal Gardens.

Ride the new Centennial Wheel, Dueling Piano's and more!

ECA Young Professionals Event -
May 27, 2020
The next Young Professionals event is scheduled for May 27, 2020 at the IBEW-NECA Technical Institute (INTECH) in Alsip, Illinois. The event is to include a facility tour of the school, as well as a discussion on renewable energy and energy storage.

Registration coming soon to www.ecachicago.com . 
ECA Golf Outing -
June 1, 2020
The Electrical Contractors’ Association of City of Chicago (ECA) is pleased to present a special event in lieu of the ECA Annual Spring Conference. The event is the “ECA Golf Outing.” This is an opportunity for Chapter members to not only participate in a complimentary golf outing on June 1, 2020 at Kemper Lakes Golf Club, 24000 N. Old McHenry Road in Kildeer, Illinois, which includes use of a driving range, lunch, food and beverages on the course, cocktails and dinner, networking and a raffle; but, an opportunity to contribute to the NECAPAC.

Save the Dates

June 14-18, 2020, at the Broadmoor, Colorado Springs, CO


ECA SUMMER SOCIAL EVENT
August 14, 2020
Air and Water Show Rehearsal
Lakeside Theater
Chicago, IL


WELCOME TO CHICAGO PARTY!
NECA CONVENTION: Welcome event hosted by ECA Chicago
October 2, 2020
Soldier Field
Chicago, IL