May 2013: Chairman's Message

Words: John Smith Jr.

May 2013

Chairman's Message

Why Not be a Member?

John SmithJohn Smith President Mason Contractors Association of America

As President of the MCAA, I am often asked, “Why should I join the MCAA, and what do I get out of being a member?” Many times, it is difficult to explain all of the benefits, because there are benefits that are hard to take to your bottom line. That can be difficult to understand. Your staff and officers are working on many activities to keep us out in front of the opportunities.

Whether or not you are a member, companies that do not participate hurt the rest of the contractors in the industry indirectly through the lack of support. We need all the contractors to belong to keep from dividing our industry.

The more support that the MCAA has, the more resources we have and the more impact we can have in the industry. The largest example of this is the MCAA annual trip to Washington, D.C., for the Legislative Conference. I am attending, and I hope everyone else has signed up. There is an expanded agenda this year, and it should be very valuable to each of you.

We are going to The Hill to fight for our masonry agenda. We will be expressing our industry needs and state our positions on the issues that impact our bottom line. The final result of this effort can be as successful as we have been in the past. These efforts will benefit all of us. So why not become a member?

A list of positions this year will be:

  • Regulatory Issues with a Focus on Silica
  • Misclassification of Employees
  • Masonry Industry Check-off
  • Estate Tax

Our annual Legislative Conference is just one of the many events in which the MCAA is involved. We have members involved in ASTM and MSJC who monitor technical changes that govern the materials and processes regarding our products and installation. We also answer and watch all the OSHA rules and procedures.

The involvement in these organizations would be more powerful if we represented an even greater number of members. If you are not a member, please consider joining. Contact Jeff Buczkiewicz at the MCAA for details. Please look for a report next month on our Legislative Conference.

Be safe and prosperous.

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