2023 is the year to "Make NUCA Yours!" and our fall convention is the big event to "Build Your Business." Register today for the 2023 Convention and beat the September 22 deadline for our hotel room block! Across the Oct. 26-28 Fall Convention, NUCA has several information-packed business sessions scheduled for you, including John Fluharty discussing damage prevention, Vince Hafeli delivering his powerful talk on recognizing suicide risks at work, AI expert Sabrina Dugan talking about cutting-edge information tech, and a panel of experts on working with railroads and their unique infrastructure requirements. Our inspirational keynote speaker Randy Fox will transform your leadership outlook! The 2023 NUCA Annual Convention & Exhibits will be held October 26-28 in Naples, Florida, at the Naples Grande Beach Resort. Registration for the 2023 Convention is now open at NUCADIGS.com.

Congress this week returned for its fall legislative session, with this industry's FY2024 water infrastructure funding still unresolved. The Senate will begin passing its first FY2024 appropriations bills next week, according to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) office. It is anticipated this fight will go on all fall. NUCA is taking action on a variety of fronts to address our infrastructure needs--and we need you to be a part of our advocacy campaign! Please send our Muster letter to your lawmakers urging them to restore this funding to the final FY2024 appropriations bill. We're also going to hold a virtual Washington Summit on Wednesday, Nov. 8 with lawmakers, with your Chapter scheduling online virtual meetings with your Congressional delegation. Look in your inbox for more information about this virtual event coming to you in the weeks ahead.

 

Congress must be reminded in 2023 and 2024 that the water and wastewater resources allocated through the EPA's State Revolving Fund programs are a critical step this nation must take to improve public health, economic strength, and your business's success. Start your planning: the 2024 Washington Summit will be held May 21-23, 2024, headquartered at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill hotel. Registration will open later this year. We need to see you in Washington next spring!

BigIron Auctions last event for NUCA netted a million dollars in sales and over $9,000 for the NUCA Foundation. Members asked for another BigIron Auction event--and now it's here! The latest Focus Auction Fundraiser will be held online Sept. 27, 2023. Items opened for inspection beginning today, Sept. 6th. NUCA National Partner BigIron Auctions market your surplus equipment (listed and sold from your location), and collect buyer payments. A percentage of the proceeds will be donated to the NUCA Foundation for Education & Research. Contact BigIron at 1-800-937-3558 or bigiron.com/selling for more information. Long-time NUCA member Chris Duininck had a terrific experience with our 2022 BigIron Focus Auction: watch his personal testimonial here (1:51).

NUCA is proud to announce that Garney Construction completed the NUCA STAR safety program. The company is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, and achieved the STAR Program’s top Platinum Level status. The company is both a NUCA National and a NUCA of Metro Washington D.C. member. NUCA STAR (Safety, Training, Awareness and Recognition) Program provides a no-cost venue for every company in the utility construction industry to measure the effectiveness of their safety programs and recognize how these important company programs can be improved. Is your company a NUCA STAR member? Find out more about NUCA STAR here.

NUCA is proud to be a partner of Utility Expo and AEM. And by reading NUCA at Work, you now have an invitation to visit the NUCA Lounge at Utility Expo! The NUCA Lounge is located in K Lot, so all members are invited to stop by, relax and network. NUCA will be offering Confined Space Entry training sessions on both days, twice a day at 11am and 3pm. Use promo code "NUCA23" to get 30% off the standard badge fee of $99 -- register here.

All members are welcome to attend our September webinars. Please register for each webinar you would like to attend.

The U.S. Dept. of Labor announced its new Davis-Bacon Act regulations are effective October 23, less than three months away. These regulations will be enforced for projects receiving funding under the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA). NUCA’s leadership invites you to attend our upcoming webinar to get informed about these new regulations and help you understand how these updated regulations will impact your company. Our webinar presenters will be Ben Brubeck, ABC's Vice President of Regulatory, Labor and State Affairs, and Jonathan Landesman, noted labor and employment attorney and partner in the Labor and Employment Practice Group of the national law firm Cohen Seglias in Philadelphia, Penn. Our experts will discuss in-depth the new changes and how their compliance requirements will affect utility construction contractors and their employees. Register here.

 

NUCA Advantage offers free educational seminars for you and your employees. The Sept. 13, 9:00amET webinar will discuss protecting your income during your retirement years. This session will help you appreciate the true value of your income, know your options for income replacement, and understand disability income insurance. Presented by NUCA Advantage's retirement expert Chris Price. Register here.

 

In 2023, NUCA's Construction Law Committee is holding a construction law webinar every other month to discuss with NUCA members current legal topics affecting the utility construction industry and our member's business operations. Our next Construction Law webinar is scheduled for September 19, featuring another fascinating topic to be examined by industry legal experts Tom Olson and Shawn Farrell. Register here.

Our newest business benefit may provide the insurance answer your company is seeking. NUCA Choice delivers to NUCA members commercial insurance options for auto, crime, property, general liability, marine, surety, umbrella, and workers' compensation. NUCA Choice is offered in partnership with FCCI Insurance Group, and offered to all NUCA members where FCCI writes business. Members can consult with FCCI's local risk control team and use the FCCI Risk Solutions Network, a cloud-based platform to help participants stay compliant, manage risks, and educate employees to build a safer workforce. To find out more about NUCA Choice, start at NUCAChoice.com to find a FCCI agent in your area.

With Record breaking heat hitting much of the nation right now, let's take a minute to look at the best ways to handle these high heats while working: This week's TBT: Keeping Your Cool When the Weather is Hot: English | Spanish