From the Editor

Something to be Thankful For

Jennie Farnsworth, Editor
jen@lionhrtpub.com

Masonry has been quite the topic in the legislative and federal arenas here lately. MCAA and our allies have made great strides in improving training capabilities and working conditions for mason contractors across the United States.

One such positive step is Senator Wayne Allard's (R-CO) introduction of the Apprenticeship, Training, and Employment Act of 2003 (S. 1625). Marian Marshall, MCAA's Director of Government Affairs, put forth a great effort to assist Allard in preparing and completing the information for this bill, which — at the time of this writing — was referred to the Committee on Finance.

If passed, this bill would allow small business employers a training tax credit for two years, of a maximum of $10,000 for each apprentice, and up to three apprentices per year.

During his statement of introduction, Allard stated the following:

Mr. President, it gives me great pleasure to introduce today a bill to provide a tax credit for apprenticeship training programs for various construction trades recognized by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), including masonry, electrical contract work, plumbing and heating and a host of other important vocations.

There are several reasons why I believe this legislation is necessary for apprenticeship training in these trades. First and foremost, these are highly skilled trades requiring many years of training. Second, there is a significant shortage of workers in these trades; in fact, it is my understanding that many contractors often have to look outside the country to find a craftsman trained in one of these particular fields. Third, the average age of some of the workers in these crafts is over 50, and we must make every effort to ensure that we retain and recruit the most capable people in these jobs. And finally, many of these industries are very capital intensive and it makes sense to me to offer small businesses a short-term tax credit to encourage productivity and stimulate economic growth and job creation.

During the last Congress a similar bill was introduced in the House of Representatives by Congressman Foley of Florida. Regrettably the bill was not met with a great deal of enthusiasm, primarily due to the price tag attached to it. The legislation I am introducing, the Apprenticeship Training and Education Act of 2003, has been modified to address budgetary concerns as well as the concerns of those in some of the building trades that the apprenticeship training programs were indeed legitimate ones that would ultimately produce certified craftsmen. I greatly appreciate the assistance of the Mason Contractors Association of America and the Independent Electrical Contractors in crafting a bill that is fiscally responsible and credible.

Not to cloud this positive outlook, on the flip side of the coin are the possible cuts to federal funding for vocational training. Steve Miller, a consultant for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, joins Masonry for a special column on this pertinent issue (see page 40-41).

When the month of November roles around, everyone seems to reflect a little more deeply on those things that we are thankful for. One of those things should include the fact that we have several people looking out for the well-being of mason contractors and their employees — people such as Steve Miller, Wayne Allard, Marian Marshall and the MCAA organization.

May everyone have safe travels and a pleasant Thanksgiving!