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Saturday, July 12, 2014
Congress Moves Job Training Reform and Higher Education Bills
Friday, June 27, 2014
Supreme Court strikes down NLRB appointments
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The Supreme
Court handed the Obama administration a major defeat on Thursday, striking down
three of the president's recess appointments to the National Labor Relations
Board.
In a unanimous 9-0 ruling, the Supreme Court justices found the president had overstepped his
powers by making recess appointments while the Senate was not in recess,
rather than waiting until they adjourned to a true congressional recess.
This is a huge win for all those that understood that the Presidents action were a clear Executive over reach and worked diligently to bring this issue to the Supreme Court. We especially want to thank our member Association The Independent Electrical Contractors Association (IEC) for their diligent work on this very important case Read More Here
Monday, May 26, 2014
Memorial Day 2014
A Soldier Is Someone Who, At One Point Wrote A Blank Check Made Payable To The United States of America
A True Soldier Fights Not Because They Hate What Is In
Front Of Them, But Because They Love What Is Behind Them
View NJECPAC's "Our Heros" Youtube Video Playlist Here
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Where Liberty Dwells
Our
Lives, Our Fortunes, and Our Sacred Honor
Two hundred thirty seven years ago,
our forefathers sat in a hot room with closed windows arguing over the future of
the thirteen colonies they represented. For a while they had thought of
reconciliation with their motherland. But over time it became clear that neither
King nor Parliament were interested in anything other than submission.
These fifty-six men did what had not
been done before them.
They outlined their grievances on
paper, declared their independence, and signed their names so both King and
Parliament would know who the traitors were. The act was treason punishable by
death. Some of them did die. Some were bankrupted. Many lost their homes and
property. Some saw their wives and children taken and abused. But none recanted.
All held firm.
237 years later we view the unanimous
Declaration of the thirteen united States of America in the abstract. The
grievances are distant if not surreal. But it was very real to them.
The United States of America today
stands 69 years removed from D-Day.
D-Day was 79 years from the end of
the Civil War, and 81 years removed from Gettysburg, which we are now 150 years
separated from in time and history.
The beginning of the Civil War was 85
years from 1776 and only 72 years from the constitution being enacted.
The Revolution was only 88 years from
the Glorious Revolution — a revolution from which we are separated by a chasm of
325 years.
It was the Glorious Revolution that
so influenced our founders. It was not abstract to them. It was not far removed.
It was an event in the lifetimes of some of their grand parents. Parliament’s
supremacy was asserted. The British subjects became citizens and acquired
certain rights under the Bill of Rights of 1689 while others from the Magna
Carta were reinforced. Among the rights derived from the Glorious Revolution
were prohibitions on taxation without representation in Parliament, prohibitions
on a standing army, the right to petition the King without prosecution, the
prohibition on dispensing with Acts of Parliament, and the prohibition of fines
and forfeitures before convictions of crimes.
Have a wonderful Independence Day. Click Here For The Rest Of The Post
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Unions To Accompany OSHA Inspectors On Non Union Job Sites
IEC Strongly Opposes Rule Sanctioning Union Participation on OSHA Inspections
On February 21, 2013, the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) issued a letter of interpretation addressed to Mr. Steve
Sallman of the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy,
Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW) explicitly
endorsing union representatives and other non-employee third parties to
accompany OSHA inspectors on walk-around inspections at non-union
workplaces.
The Coalition for Workplace Safety believes the
interpretation is inconsistent with the statute and regulations. This letter of
interpretation is bad policy implemented through a non-transparent closed
process. IEC joined 56 organizations to send
a letter to OSHA communicating our displeasure that such a policy did not go
through the normal rule-making process and was issued as a letter of
interpretation. IEC will continue to monitor this situation closely.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
A Bill to stop a hike in unemployment insurance taxes is headed to Gov. Chris Christie's desk.
The legislation S2404 / A3675, which would stop a 10% unemployment insurance surcharge that would otherwise take effect on July 1st was passed unanimously by the Assembly and Senate.
The increase is intended to replenish the States Unemployment Trust Fund, Business Organizations such as NFIB and New Jersey IEC say but now is not the time to increases taxes on businesses still struggling to pull their business out of the effects of the great recession.
"The addition of the pending Unemployment Insurance Surcharge would prevent businesses including IEC member Electrical Contractors and our Partners throughout the State from adding the employees and equipment they need to grow their businesses in this still fragile economic climate," said Independent Electrical Contractors National Vice President Joseph Hovanec Jr.
"The fund is headed toward solvency, so this will maybe slow it down a little bit, but it's not going to stop it from getting to that point," said Laurie Ehlbeck, New Jersey Director of the NFIB and a member of the state's UI task force.
Ehlbeck said businesses already have been hit with other fees and cost increases, including health insurance rates, "The more money that is in employers' pockets, the more money they can use to either retain the employees they have or to possibly hire new ones," she said.
Alison Littell McHose (R-Sparta), one of the sponsors of the bill in the Assembly, noted that unemployment has been falling in recent months. "This bill recognizes the need to work with the business community that creates the jobs in New Jersey," she said, in a statement. Read More
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Republicans Introduce NLRA Reforms to Protect Secret Ballot
Republicans yesterday
introduced two legislative proposals that would protect workers’ right to secret
ballot union elections and roll back the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB)
micro-union
Secret
Ballot Protection Act (H.R. 2346) Introduced by Health,
Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Phil Roe
(R-TN)
“As members of Congress, it is our job to prevent any
assault on workers’ rights,” said Rep. Roe. "I believe it’s
time we permanently strengthen workers’ freedoms, and that is why I introduced
the Secret Ballot Protection Act. This legislation sides with every
American worker because it protects his or her right to a secret ballot during
union elections. This has nothing to do with whether you are pro- or anti-union;
this is simply about giving workers the protection and freedom they deserve to
make the best decision for themselves and their families without fear of
retribution.”
Representation
Fairness Restoration Act (H.R. 2347) Introduced by Rep.
Tom Price (R-GA)
“In efforts to placate the Obama
administration’s allies in organized labor, the NLRB has forfeited economic
growth and forsaken the American worker,” said Rep. Price.
“The Representation Fairness Restoration Act would reverse this harmful
practice and restore the rights of America’s job creators and their employees. This sweeping federal regulation seeks only to satiate the interests of organized labor without regard for the
welfare of the worker or the rights of the business
owner.”
“The last thing workers need is special interests and government bureaucrats
advancing policies that create division in workplaces and undermine their
fundamental freedoms,” said Chairman John Kline (R-MN). “The
legislation will protect workers’ right to a secret ballot election and end
job-destroying micro-unions. Republicans will continue to advance solutions that
promote the best interests of America’s workers and job creators.” Read
More.
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Thursday, May 16, 2013
The Presidents NLRB Recess Appointments Struck Down Again
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| NJECPAC Chairman Joe Coviello |
A Second Court Finds Presidents “Recess” Appointments Illegal
NJECPAC applauds the Third Circuit US Court of Appeals' decision that declares the Presidents National Labor
Relations Board (NLRB) recess appointments illegal. The Third Circuit is the second court to do so.
The
decision in New Vista Nursing and Rehabilitation v NLRB is the second such to
deal a blow to the Obama administration. The other, Noel Canning v. NLRB was
supported by business organizations, including CDW of which NJECPAC Sustaining Member New Jersey-IEC is a Member.
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Coalition for a Democratic Workplace chairman Geoffrey Burr said, “This is yet more evidence the President went
outside his constitutional authority and wrongly circumvented the role of the
Senate as the administration attempted to stack the deck in favor of organized
labor. Simply calling a long weekend a ‘recess’ in order to pack the NLRB was
wrong, and so is the President’s effort to renominate those individuals who
illegally held posts within the Board.”
Now that two courts have ruled against the Presidents illegal NLRB appointments, New Jersey IEC will also urged the President to withdraw his current nominations and provide new more qualified nominees for consideration by the US Senate.
The
decision in this case can be viewed here:
Monday, April 29, 2013
Feds Accept Governors Sandy Disaster Recovery Action Plan
Stronger New Jersey Business Grants Available Soon!
Today, Governor Chris Christie and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan announced HUD's approval of New Jersey's Disaster Recovery Action Plan. The Action Plan outlines how the State will utilize $1.8 billion in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to help homeowners, renters, businesses and communities impacted by Superstorm Sandy.
For
more information regarding this grant program, please visit
Help spreading the word about these programs will
be instrumental to business recovery in New Jersey, Please share
this information with your membership and encourage them to register for program
updates so they can be the first to know as these programs launch. More Info Here The
EDA Office of Recovery can be reached at 1-855-SANDY-BZ (1-855-726-3929).
Monday, April 22, 2013
Contracting and Tax Accountability Act Heads To Senate
113TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 882
"To prohibit the awarding of a contract or grant in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold unless the prospective contractor or grantee certifies in writing to the agency awarding the contract or grant that the contractor or grantee has no seriously delinquent tax debts, and for other purposes".
The U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed House Resolution 882, Titled the Contracting and Tax Accountability Act of 2013.” The bill would ban the government from awarding contracts and grants unless the bidder certifies in writing that the individual or company does not have “seriously delinquent tax debts.” Rather than focusing on any tax debt of the company, the certification also focuses on the tax debt(s) of the individuals running the company.
The Legislation would ban the award of a contract to a “person with a seriously delinquent tax debt.” A corporation violates this standard if an officer or shareholder with a controlling interest in the company has an outstanding tax debt for which a notice of lien has been filed. A tax debt will not be considered “seriously delinquent” if it is being paid in through a payment agreement with the IRS or if there is a hearing request pending.
The full text of the Legislation can be found here.
113TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 882
"To prohibit the awarding of a contract or grant in excess of the simplified acquisition threshold unless the prospective contractor or grantee certifies in writing to the agency awarding the contract or grant that the contractor or grantee has no seriously delinquent tax debts, and for other purposes".
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