Page 24 - MetalForming March 2016

Manufacturing Matters
interact and get to know each other. Dayton Rogers has had several employ- ees participate in the MDA sessions and I am sure all would agree, whether you are advancing in management or want to hone some skills, MDA is a great place to start.”
Following on the success of the MDA program, PMA launched the Executive Development Academy (EDA) in 2015 to support metalforming
executives as they look to stay on top of the latest industry trends, hone their management skills and strengthen their businesses. Lowry also has sent attendees to this program. Sessions were held in January 2015 in Tampa, FL, and again in November in Chicago, and more than 60 executives partici- pated. Among the topics covered: understanding generational differ- ences; international business; social
media and content marketing; suc- cession planning; terms and condi- tions; leadership excellence; and strategic planning.
Foundation Funds Onboarding and Mentorship Programs
During his numerous years of main- taining a close connection to PMA, highlighted, he says, by being able to network with other industry leaders,
Brush Up on the Key Issues Impacting U.S. Manufacturing
PMA 2016 Chairman Ron Lowry
pledges to increase awareness of issues
that promise to significantly impact U.S.
manufacturing. With that in mind, here
we present several issues that are top of
mind for PMA’s Washington, D.C.-based
lobbying firm The Franklin Partnership,
and describe how PMA’s One Voice
advocacy program (administered in partnership with the National Tooling and Machining Association) is fighting on behalf of U.S. manufacturers.
Greenhouse Gases
One Voice allies filed a lawsuit late in 2015 opposing an EPA regulation aiming to reduce carbon dioxide and other emissions from existing power plants. EPA wants to reduce emissions by as much as 32 percent by 2030 compared to 2005 levels, start- ing in 2022. By the EPA’s own admission, the change would increase the cost of electricity by 6 to 12 percent annually, which would result in an average annual increase of $30,000 for metalworking manufacturers.
Ground Level Ozone Emissions
Also late in 2015, the Obama Administration released the long-awaited Ground Level Ozone rule, said by experts to be the costliest regulation in U.S history. Now, the EPA proposes to fur- ther regulate ground level ozone, the main component of smog. One Voice strongly opposes this new initiative, predicted to cost the U.S. economy $1.7 trillion by 2040 while increasing compli- ance costs by $1.1 trillion. If the rule is not blocked, states will have to present plans to the EPA describing how they will reduce emissions, largely through restricting economic activity and growth.
Lockout/Tagout Standard
In September 2016, OSHA plans to issue a request for infor- mation (RFI) regarding the use of computer-based hazardous energy controls into lockout/tagout systems, to understand the strengths and limitations of these new technologies.
Labor Department Overtime-Eligibility Expansion
One Voice has filed official comments opposing the Department of Labor’s proposed rule to expand the number of workers eligible for overtime by roughly 5 million mostly “white collar” workers. The proposal raises the overtime exemption wage to $50,440/yr., or $970/week for executive, administrative, professional and clerical employees. It also indexes the overtime
exemption at a rate with roughly 10-per- cent annual increases, in addition to rais- ing the exemption threshold for highly compensated workers from $100,000 to $122,148.
OSHA Electronic Recordkeeping
One Voice opposes an OSHA propos- al to post on the internet incident/injury reports similar to Form
300A. The administration is requiring businesses with 20 or more employees to file incident/accident reports electronically on an annual basis (those with more than 250 employees file quarterly), which they will make public. The proposed rule does not improve workplace safety and will only create a mispercep- tion of manufacturing as a dangerous occupation. The rule likely will take effect early in 2016.
NLRB Joint Employer for Temps Decision
The NLRB issued a decision redefining what constitutes an “employer,” affecting thousands of U.S. manufacturers who employ temporary workers and subcontractors to perform regular inhouse functions. Specifically, the NLRB ruled that Browning-Ferris Industries, a Houston-based waste-disposal company, is a joint employer of workers provided to the firm by a staffing agency and therefore is responsible for any onsite labor violations. It requires the company to bargain collectively with those workers in union efforts. One Voice has joined a coalition to take legal action against the NLRB regarding this decision.
Slips, Trips and Fall Prevention
OSHA is reviving a rule, delayed in 2003 and 2011, to update a 1990 rule addressing slip, trip and fall hazards. The rule also establishes requirements for personal fall-protection systems in keeping with current technology and procedures. This could lead to significant changes to existing procedures in place at thousands of manufacturing facilities across the country. A final rule is projected for April 2016.
Injury and Illness Prevention Program
In 2014, OSHA quietly announced the delay of a proposed rule requiring employers to implement an injury and illness pre- vention program. This proposed rule will include new standards of what constitutes an effective workplace-safety program. The International Organization for Standardization is working on global guidelines (ISO 45001: 2016) that it may finalize in October 2016.
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MetalForming/March 2016
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