NEWS - July & August 2001
Titles:
- President's Corner
- Pierpont's Restaurant - Site of August 24 Luncheon
- League Partners With Time Warner
- Bush Administration Faces Ongoing Global Warming Issues
- Bill in Congress to Reform Pay For Inside Sales Staff
- Betty Feeney
- The People Column
Take any of those clichés regarding the speed of passing time, look at the calendar and there it is - Labor Day and the end of the summer season. Maybe you can squeeze a few more of those special activities into some short weekends, but this holiday always brings some reflections on those past wonderful times, along with anticipation of the new. For our individual families, it may be new teachers, new schools, new dorms, and of course some new friends. (Obviously, this is the spot that I should mention our “New Fall Classes for Electric League Members,” information on this will be forthcoming).
Looking through old files I found a news clipping to share with members from Labor Day 1961, my first year in the industry. John Kennedy was president, “Camelot” was at its height, the economy was good, and a first time ever three-year contract between union electricians and contractors in Kansas City was signed. Terms of the agreement called for the “establishment of a holiday-vacation fund at a cost of $.25 per hour and a $.15 per hour raise,” increasing the journeyman wage package to $4.30 per hour, from $3.90 per hour. Four years later on Labor Day the formation of a “Pension Trust Fund” to provide retirement benefits at a cost of $.15 per hour was in the news. Paid time off for holidays, vacations and a retirement plan were pretty radical concepts for our industry at that time.
Those that were able to attend the June luncheon found a beautifully prepared meal, in a great setting, followed by an interesting program at the “Under the Clock” radio show hosted by former mayor, Emmanuel Cleaver. The show is a regular Friday program on KCUR-FM. Between directors, prompters, and speakers, the program is much more to “see” than the radio audience can imagine.
Members involved or interested in the Voice Data Video segment of the electrical industry will definitely want to mark their calendars for August 24, our next Electric League luncheon. We will be meeting for lunch at the Pierpont's Restaurant at Union Station, followed by an update on the VDV market by Al Feaster, of BiCSi. This will be one luncheon you definitely won't want to miss; bring a guest.
The League's annual fall golf outing will be held this year on Tuesday, September 11 at Loch Lloyd. My information from the golf committee is that this one is filling up fast and promises to be a unique event. Here is a good way to squeeze in an extra day of summer.
Jim Lacy,
President
Electric League members won't want to miss the next luncheon - set for August 24 at Pierpont's Restaurant in Union Station. This month's speaker will be Al Feaster with BiCSi. Feaster will be speaking on the growing Voice, Data, Video market.
Don't miss this opportunity to learn more about one of the fastest growing segments of the electrical industry. The luncheon will begin with networking at 11:30 a.m., followed by lunch at noon.
Make plans today to attend the August luncheon - Aug. 24 at Pierpont's Restaurant in historic Union Station - return the enclosed reservation form today!
League Partners With Time Warner
The Electric League of Missouri & Kansas has entered into a partnership with Time Warner Cable to provide electrical safety information to thousands of Kansas City children and their families. We are partnering with the Time Warner Kids' Club KABOINK! to bring high visibility to the League's electrical safety program.
Kaboink! is a free club for ages 2-11 reinforcing positive messages through:
· Quarterly newsletter (4-color magazine format for kids)
· Interactive web site delivering information content to kids in a fun and exciting way.
· 30-second announcements promoted on kids' networks.
· Contests, free activities, and special "members-only" offers.
The database of Kaboink! membership is maintained to contact ticket winners; to send special “members only” information and the News Flash. Their database is kept in-house and never leaves their office - it will not be sold and every effort is made to ensure complete security and privacy of their members.
The Kaboink! web site is a safe-haven for kids on the web where they find games, homework help, a search engine, greeting cards, hot deals from sponsors, contests, a kid-friendly events calendar and more. The look of the site is changed periodically to keep it fresh and interesting. For the duration of our partnership, the Electric League is the sponsor of the “art gallery.” Our logo appears in that section of their web site and links to the children's safety section of the Electric League web site.
The Electric League has a one-fourth page feature in the back-to-school edition of the Kaboink! Newsletter. This will be a word search puzzle featuring electrical safety terms. The newsletter is mailed to everyone in their membership database (more than 10,000 children in the metropolitan area) and is available on-site at all Time-Warner Cable stores in the KC metropolitan area. We have also been able to place the “Sparky & Electra” coloring books in cable stores. In August, the Electric League will sponsor a coloring contest for members, featuring a page from the“Sparky & Electra” coloring book developed several years ago in a cooperative effort of the League with utility members.
Finally, two public service announcements (PSAs) are being created by Time Warner specifically relating to electrical safety for kids. The first PSA has been completed and will air 100 times per month on cable channels such as Nickelodeon and Lifetime.
The Electric League Board of Directors believes this partnership offers the League an outstanding opportunity to reach a wider audience with electrical safety messages and brings added value to Electric League membership.
The issue of global warming promises to be one of enormous environmental, economic, and political importance facing President George W. Bush in the first year of his presidency. How the administration responds to this critical subject will have profound implications that will be felt by Kansas businesses. In his first major European visit as President, Bush supported greater research and cooperation regarding global warming, but refused to support mandatory emission controls on American industry.
The Bush administration position is in stark contrast to that of his predecessor, President Bill Clinton. In 1997, Clinton administration negotiators supported an environmental package reached at a summit in Kyoto, Japan. In short, the Kyoto Protocol called for developed countries to roll back total carbon dioxide emissions to pre-1990 levels. Meanwhile, the Protocol said developing countries, such as economic competitors China, India, and Brazil, would face no emission restrictions. After the Kyoto negotiators returned home, it was quickly pointed out the devastating impact the accord would have on our economy. Estimates show that the Kyoto agreement would have cost the U.S. economy $200 billion annually, and the industry most affected would be American utilities. Before President Clinton left office, Congress overwhelmingly rejected the Kyoto agreement. In fact, no developed country facing the onerous emission requirements of the accord has ratified it. However, President Bush has been the first world leader to publicly say a bad bargain was struck in Kyoto.
While the Bush administration position on Kyoto has been clear, the political pressure over global warming will continue to grow. A recent National Academy of Sciences report is among many to fire an alert that the earth's temperature is rising and the likely cause is human activity. Since 25 percent of the world's carbon dioxide emission is released in the United States, foreign officials point to the U.S. for answers on global warming.
Responding to the global warming issue also has critical domestic implications, as the most obvious method to reduce carbon dioxide emissions would affect the nation's utilities. With the California energy crisis grabbing headlines, there would be profound economic and political fallout to policies that reduce energy generation or increase costs. As a result, it is believed the Bush administration is exploring how to set long-term targets for reducing our country's green-house gas emissions through various incentives.
In the coming months, how the Bush administration promotes a program to integrate the nation's environmental, energy, and economic needs will be an issue that might define this President both inside and beyond America's borders.Source: Kansas Chamber of Commerce & Industry, June 2001
HR 2070 has been introduced in the House of Representatives in Washington “to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to exempt certain specialized employees from the minimum wage recordkeeping and overtime compensation requirements.”
Known as the Sales Incentive Compensation Act, the bill will enable you to legally pay your inside sales staff in a way that recognizes their unique sales position in your company.
Please contact your U.S. Congressman to express your support of this bill.
The complete text of the bill can be found at http://thomas.loc.gov/ You can search from there with the bill number: HR 2070.
The same web site can provide contact information for your congressional representative, or simply call the League office for a list.
Please send the League office a copy of any correspondence concerning this issue so we can track responses.
This is an issue that has needed attention since the inception of the Fair Labor Standards Act more than 60 years ago. Let's not miss the opportunity to support this very important piece of legislation.
For questions, contact the League office at 816-561-5323 or e-mail Olivia at ogolden@westernassn.com
