The Merit Shop Spokesman Blog

Local Apprentices Win Bronze Medals at National Craft Championships

Manheim, Pennsylvania, March 18—ABC Keystone is pleased to announce two of the Chapter’s top apprentices won bronze medals in the trades of Carpentry and Electrical at the ABC National 2022 National Craft Championships (NCC). Award winners were announced at the Careers in Construction Awards ceremony during ABC Convention 2022 in San Antonio on March 17. The 33rd annual competition held March 16 showcased the skills and expertise of more than 175 of the nation’s top-performing craft professionals.

March 18, 2022

Message from the President-CEO: BACK TO THE FUTURE!

As we watch today’s headlines unfold before our eyes, we begin to wonder, “Haven’t we been here before?” I have said many times that we can’t live in the past, but we need to learn from the past. Based on the current state of affairs all around this country, I’m not sure our politicians have learned anything from the past.

March 17, 2022

Advocacy Update: The Silly Springtime Season is Here

On February 8, Gov. Wolf released his final budget proposal for the 2022-23 fiscal year. The $43 billion budget proposal is about $5 billion over last year. Not surprisingly, the governor is again proposing various policy initiatives, including increasing the minimum wage, setting a minimum teacher salary of $45,000, and legalizing recreational marijuana, to name a few. While there are no broad-based tax increases contained in the proposal, the increase over last year is said to be “paid-for” by using all the federal stimulus dollars.

March 17, 2022

New & Exciting Leadership Education in 2022

The construction industry is constantly evolving. To stay relevant, companies must continually grow their talent. Making employee development a priority within your company culture ensures your team stays well-informed on industry trends, recent developments, and best practices.

Offering professional development boosts employee engagement, lowers turnover and attracts the top talent you want as part of your growing team. ABC Keystone offers continuing learning opportunities to help nurture your staff and provides a path for their development as industry leaders.

March 10, 2022

ABC Keystone Welcomes NEW Committee!

Based on our merit shop philosophy, ABC Keystone strives to make construction a place where everyone can succeed. The new Inclusion, Diversity and Unity (IDU) Committee has been tasked with doing just that. The IDU Committee evaluates the current state of the association as well as developing and supporting initiatives that will grow the Chapter in new ways. This will include outreach, community partnerships, educational initiatives and programming designed to make its members, their teams, and our industry more successful.

March 8, 2022

A Message from the ABC Keystone Chair of the Board

Message from the Chair: The Great Resignation….A Great Opportunity

The pandemic has changed how people view their personal and professional lives. A description used to describe our current time is “The Great Resignation.” People are changing careers, where they live, and some are even deciding to retire early.

March 7, 2022

ABC Keystone to Host Construction Project Management Institute Taught by Nationally Recognized Subject Matter Expert

Manheim, PA, March 2, 2022—Associated Builders and Contractors-Keystone Chapter is pleased to announce the Chapter has been chosen to host ABC National’s prestigious Project Management Institute (PMI) during the weeks of May 16 and July 19, 2022. The intensive, two-week Project Management Institute is developed by experienced contractors and Kirk Alter, professor emeritus at Purdue University and president at Fast Management, Inc., Indiana. Mr. Alter is a nationally recognized subject matter expert with decades of construction project management experience. Today’s contractors face unique challenges, and this education experience is tailored to provide tangible tools to improve profitability, productivity, quality, and customer satisfaction.

March 2, 2022

Advocacy Update: The Political Days Ahead

As we look to the rest of this year, ABC of Pennsylvania will be collaborating with chapters to develop a new and fresh legislative agenda for 2023-24. We are looking for your input on what ABC should advocate for in Harrisburg. Knowing the margins will be tight and we may still have a divided government, we need to be realistic in what we push for, but also be bold in our “wish list.”

February 22, 2022

Top Ten Reasons to Train Your Employees

ABC Keystone provides training for you and your team! Visit our calendar page to discover the latest career development education and safety training programs from the Keystone Chapter and discover the top 10 reasons to train your employees!

February 22, 2022

Ask an Attorney: Rough Waters Ahead for Employers – With or Without the PRO Act

If you are reading this article, which indicates you have some interest in labor law, then you are probably relatively up-to-date on legislative developments in Washington D.C. regarding the bill known as the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act. Since its fate on a straight up and down vote in Congress was uncertain, President Biden and his Democrat allies put many of the PRO Act provisions in the Build Back Better Act. As of this writing, it does not appear that Build Back Better will win Congressional approval in its present form (thanks to Senators Manchin and Sinema!) Unfortunately, this does not mean that merit shop employers don’t have to worry about dramatic changes in labor law that will be designed to make it easier for unions to organize and harder (and potentially far more costly) for employers to oppose any such efforts.

February 16, 2022

Message from the President-CEO: Initiative…Workforce Development!

One of the main focuses of ABC Keystone’s new three-year strategic plan is the continued expansion of our workforce development efforts. But first, we need to understand what ‘Workforce Development’ means. When I ask members for a definition, most say “getting people interested in our industry and then getting them employed.” Correct! However, that is just the first half of the concept. The second half is taking those that are already in the industry and continuing to develop them and grow their careers so we can retain them.

February 15, 2022

Celebrating Career and Technical Education (CTE) Month

Career and Technical Education Month®, or CTE Month®, is “a public awareness campaign that takes place each February to celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements and accomplishments of CTE programs across the country.”

February 15, 2022

Advocacy Update: The Times Will Be A-Changin’

The new year began with the continued debate and drama of re-districting plans. The legislature has been moving legislation establishing new boundaries of the 17 congressional districts. Not surprisingly, the governor and Democrats have opposed the plan. On the other hand, state House and Senate district boundaries are decided by a five-member Legislative Reapportionment Commission, which is controlled by Democrats. The maps released by the commission, particularly the House map, are opposed by Republicans. There is still a long way to go, and legal challenges will likely be filed by both sides, which will cause delays. Adding to the confusion, according to the current timeline, candidates seeking office are to circulate petitions starting on February 15 and ending on March 8, unless the legislature moves the primary timeline – which would be a political challenge in and of itself.

February 8, 2022

New Members & Member Anniversaries

Welcome to our Newest Members and Congratulations to our members celebrating milestone anniversaries!

February 7, 2022

Young Professionals Spotlight

Meet Katy Landis, Saxton & Stump Lawyers and Consultants! Tell us about the role you play in your organization: I am an associate attorney at Saxton & Stump Lawyers and Consultants, where my practice is (almost) exclusively dedicated to the construction industry. I routinely advise contractors and subcontractors on risk mitigation and general matters related to their operations, including reviewing and revising construction contracts. On occasion, risk mitigation turns into litigation, which I also handle for our clients. Although I started my legal career as an Assistant Public Defender in York County, and I’m no stranger to the courtroom, I strive to reach practical, real-world solutions—even in litigation. At the end of the day, the project must go on!

February 4, 2022

The Latest Chapter News from ABC Keystone