Welcome To WICA!

You are here: Home

WICA News

LAST CHANCE TO REGISTER FOR THE WICA ANNUAL CONVENTION

Time is quickly running out to register for the 2010 WICA Annual Convention. Registration for this convention will expire THIS MONTH, on September 15, 2010. While registration is filling up, we still have plenty of open space for all who would like to attend. Room rates comparable to these are not likely to come around again, and therefore we strongly encourage all WICA members to take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity. The room rates WICA has secured range from $175-$275 per night, but will only be made available to you through the registration deadline of September 15, 2010. Please also note that we recognize that the trip to Hawaii is often a long one, and therefore WICA made sure to secure the ability for members to extend their trip 3 days prior to and post convention. Registration prices for the actual convention remained at the price of $695 for members and $595 for spouses. This convention promises many unique educational and social offerings as well. WICA has scheduled native Hawaiian Annabel Chotzen as the keynote speaker of this conference. Further, WICA has many fun social options which include a spouse photo walking tour, a catamaran cruise, and a golf tournament at the beautiful ocean-side Wailea Golf Course. To register for this event you can download the electronic registration form here, complete the form, and simply press the submit button and follow the prompts given to you to complete your submission. Forms may also be submitted via fax to 801-531-7725 or via email to Sarah@wica1.com or Chelsie@wica1.com. This convention will be one not to miss! Please do not put off registering for this convention any longer! Book your rooms, plane tickets, and get your registration in to WICA so we can see YOU in Hawaii.

WICA CHAPTER NEGOTIATION SETTLEMENTS

Several of the local WICA chapters have been in negotiations this summer and some our seeing progress in their local collective bargaining agreements. Local 135-Las Vegas, Nevada and Local 69 Salt Lake City, Utah agreements expired last night on August 31st and the details of their settlements are not yet known. Local 82 Spokane Washington recently settled a three year agreement calling for a $1.50 increase a year. There was some progress made in terms of contract language and Local 82 will be making a serious investment in their Market Recovery Fund. Local 16 Northern California recently settled their agreement with several contract changes. The new three year agreement calls for wage increase across the three zones as follows; Zone One- $1.25, $1.75, & $2.50, Zone Two- $0.75, $1.25, & $1.90, Zone Three- $0.40, $0.40, & $0.40.

STILL ONE BOAT AVAILABLE: WICA Fishing Derby

At daybreak on April 19th the WICA group will launch their boats on the Willamette River for a great day of fishing. This year, the Columbia and Willamette Rivers have been projected to produce record salmon runs! Although registration closed on Monday, March 29th there is still one boat open. If you are interested in attending and are not already registered, please contact the WICA Office as soon as possible, as spots in the final boat will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Cost for attending this event is $225 per person. If those attending do not already have a Washington or Oregon fishing license, they may purchase one on the boat for $16.50. We look forward to a great day of fishing. For those already registered, please note that once a launch has been determined, we will notify you. We look forward to seeing you there!

National News

FASB UPDATE

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) last week extended until September 20, the public comment period for the first of its revised accounting standards that threaten construction employers that contribute to multiemployer defined benefit plans. The first of these proposed standards, Exposure Draft 450, Disclosure of Certain Loss Contingencies, addresses a variety of loss contingencies that accountants are to inquire into when auditing private and publicly held companies under standard GAAP audit procedures. The range of potential losses includes lawsuits of various types, potential product liability claims, and environmental claims and, at least on the face of the FASB proposal, any remote possibility of employer withdrawal liability relating to multiemployer defined benefit plans. This aspect of the proposal is attracting widespread opposition from the union-signatory sector of the construction industry.
The next step in FASB's initiative will be yet another exposure draft that will require further detailed speculative disclosure of multiemployer defined benefit plan participation, that taken together with the first exposure draft, would raise serious impediments to the union sector's surety and commercial credit capacity just as market growth and other economic imperatives will require yet greater capacity from the industry. MCAA's comments will also assert that the negative adverse consequences of FASB's initiatives run counter to established national pension policy pursued in numerous funding laws enacted since 2004, all aimed at shoring up the nation's multiemployer defined benefit pension system.