Masonry Magazine August 2005 Page. 8
President's Message
G. Alan Griffin
President, Mason Contractors Association of America
MCAA
New Members
The Mason Contractors Association of America is proud to welcome the following new members to the Association. MCAA would like to take this opportunity to thank them for joining their fellow mason contractors nationwide in helping to build a stronger masonry industry. MCAAs members look forward to a long association with their firms.
Legislative Conference
Puts Face of Industry in Front of Elected Officials
I participated, along with many of our Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) members and Association staff, in the 2005 MCAA Legislative Conference held in Washington, D.C., from June 26-28.
As I listened to the many fine speakers such as Senator John Cornyn from Texas, Senator Jim Talent from Missouri and Congressman Charlie Norwood (R-GA)-I was struck with how every one of our elected officials wanted to hear from us. Speaker after speaker echoed the same thought: that they seek out the input of small business owners such as us. The representatives truly seemed sincere in their desire to help us and did not wish to harm our ability to make a profit. They realize that small business profit invariably finds its way back to the local community in the form of more jobs, more donations and more local involvement.
Senator Talent spent much of his time with us describing how vitally important small businesses are, to not only our national economy, but also to local communities as well. Small businesses are the greatest economic engine for creating jobs and capital. And small business owners support our communities through their many donations to local sports teams and civic groups. I was struck with the thought that we are indeed the backbone of this country.
However, many of us do not contact our elected representative in Washington, D.C., or in the district offices back home because we are intimidated to make a phone call or attend a town hall meeting to voice our views. I was also apprehensive at first, but once I realized that our elected officials really value our input on how what they do impacts our businesses and our ability to hire people I became more energized in wanting to share my opinions.
Unfortunately, most of us are busy running our businesses, and we often put the act of speaking with our elected officials on the back burner. We justify it by saying that we will do it next week, next month or next year. But we must all make it a priority to let our elected officials know what we think because what they do can directly impact our bottom line faster and stronger than anything else. Regulations that threaten our industry's practices and taxes that are chiseling away at our ability to make a living demand that we get involved and let our elected officials know that we are watching what they are doing. We truly care about how they vote.
The MCAA is ready to help you become involved. Our web site (www.masoncontractors.org) has information on issues of importance to our industry and your future. You can also find your representative and senators' names, addresses and phone numbers on our site as well.
Don't wait to write or call your elected officials. Tell them or their staff how you feel and how you would like them to vote on the issues that you feel strongly about. I know that once you do it the first time, each time will become easier and will help your industry and your business.
Contractor Member
Larson-Danielson
Construction Co., Inc.
302 Tyler St.
La Porte, Indiana
Volume Classification: B
Restoration by Leuzzi, Inc.
3242 S. Smedley St.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Volume Classification: A
Becoming a Member
Join the ONLY national association building a future for mason contractors. Don't leave your business in someone else's hands-be a part of the association that is shaping the industry!
Can you put a value on the benefit of MCAA eliminating an OSHA regulation that requires every mason contractor to remove all materials from scaffolding at the end of every shift and then restock the scaffolding at the beginning of the next shift?
Can you put a value on the benefit of MCAA stemming the tide of an ergonomics standard that would require up to two hours of additional work breaks for employees in an eight hour shift or limits the weight that a mason can install in a day's work to 1,500 pounds?
The results of the efforts of the Mason Contractors Association of America are priceless and key to the survival of our industry and businesses. To continue our fight, the MCAA needs the support of every contractor in our industry. Join the MCAA today!
To become a member of the Mason Contractors Association of America, please contact MCAA Director of Membership, Melissa Polivka, at (800) 536-2225, or complete an application online at www.masoncontractors.org.