ECA News & Events Update

Program Overview:

5:00 pm to 6:00 pm: Legislative Presentation - Chris Nybo

6:00 pm to 8:00 pm: Golf, Food, and Networking

“Lobbying 101: An Overview of the Political Process and How to Effectively Advocate Within It.”

The presentation will discuss what lobbying is, what lobbyists do, and why it is important for organizations to be engaged in the policymaking process.

Informational Webinar January 17, 2024 at 12 pm regarding the upcoming 70B Master Class!

CLICK HERE FOR THE WEBINAR LINK!

Please click the link below for Department of Procurement Services (DPS) upcoming activities.

Upcoming DPS Events

Annual Children's Christmas Party

IBEW 134 Hall

2722 S. Martin Luther King Drive

Chicago, IL 60616

Join your industry colleagues to support this day of joy for Chicago area children in need.

Three ways to show your support:

1. Make a monetary donation

2. Donate toys

3. Volunteer to wrap gifts 4:00 pm- 6:00 pm, December 7 at Steiner Electric

4. Volunteer at the December 9 event

The Chicagoland Electric Association Education Foundation (CEAEF) is sponsoring their 32nd Annual Christmas luncheon for Chicago area children in need.

On Saturday, December 9, 2023 children from seven area shelters will enjoy a full turkey dinner with all the trimmings. As the children walk into the decorated IBEW 134 Hall they are greeted by lively music played by a DJ and a performance from the Jesse White Tumblers! After lunch has been served, Santa arrives with a special gift just for them.

This event could not take place without the company toy drives and volunteers, but we still have direct expenses that require financial contributions to pay for the bus transportation for the children, supplies, entertainment (excluding the DJ) and a large gift for each shelter. Together we do make a difference!

Company Toy Drives:

If you are organizing a company toy drive, please follow these procedures: • All presents must be wrapped and marked with the appropriate ages and gender • Please make the value of the gift a minimum of $25 • Deliver the gifts by Tuesday, November 28, 2023 to Steiner Electric Company in Elk Grove • Non-gender gifts preferred • Please, no used or second hand gifts and in the event your gift requires batteries please make sure to include them in the box. All remaining gifts will be donated to other shelters or organizations in need of gifts for children.

AGE GROUPS Infant - * Infant - 1 year * 2 - 4 years * 5 - 7 years * 8 - 10 years *11 - 13 years *14 years+

Contact Brenda Kwit at bkwit@stnr.com to confirm.

EA and Others Offer Academic Scholarships

CEAEF Scholarship Applications accepted NOW through January 8, 2024. All eligible children and grandchildren of EA members are encouraged to apply! CEAEF Scholarship Application and Criteria.

The Electric Association, Consulting Electrical Engineers (CEE) Division, and the Communication Technologies Forum (CTF) all offer annual academic scholarships. Find more information here by visiting our scholarship page.

CTF Scholarships! The Communication Technologies Forum also has a scholarship program. All children and grandchildren of CTF members are eligible. Click here for criteria and application form. Forms are due no later than January 8, 2024. Please encourage all eligible students to apply.

CISCO is providing several scholarships for high school seniors and Union members/contractor employees. If you are an affiliate of CISCO and have a college-bound child, a child attending community college, or you are pursuing your own continuing education, make sure to apply for a CISCO scholarship for MONEY FOR COLLEGE!

Click Here to Download Scholarship Applications

The holidays ALWAYS eat up our time, so CISCO is extending its Friday, Dec. 1, 2023, deadline to Wednesday, Dec. 6 2023, for you to submit your amazing construction projects and be in the race for Project of the Year status!

Awards will be presented at CISCO’s Annual Meeting on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. Winning entries and their team will be invited for recognition, breakfast, and a celebration at CISCO's NEW VENUE - Harry Caray’s in Lombard at the Westin!

This Award Program gives general contractors, owners, engineers and architects a chance to submit projects in six (6) different categories for recognition as Project of the Year. (See 2022 winners here). Categories include:

– New Construction – Chicago (Above $20M)

– New Construction – Suburbs (Above $20M)

– New Construction – Chicago or Suburbs (Below $20M)

– Rehabilitation

– Residential

– Infrastructure

If you think you’ve got one of the best construction projects in CISCO’s 6-county area, including Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake and McHenry – prove it with a submission to CISCO’s Annual Pride in Construction Award Program. Applications are being accepted through Wednesday Dec. 6, 2023, from projects competed during May 2022 through December 2023.

Eligibility and Criteria

Each candidate’s project needs to demonstrate a dedication to:

– Quality of Construction

– Design

– Impact to Community

– Safety Record

Deadline

Participants must complete the application form and submit it directly to CISCO. CISCO is not responsible for the return of any materials submitted.

Extended deadline for submitting applications is 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. For additional information, contact CISCO’S Director of Communications and Public Affairs Director Jennifer Rice at 630-472-9411. Applications can be sent via email at: jennifer@cisco.org, or via mail to: CISCO, 999 McClintock Dr., STE 100, Burr Ridge IL 60527.

Notification

Submittals will be reviewed in December 2023 during CISCO’s Board Meeting, and winners will be selected at that time. Winners will be notified the week of Dec. 11, 2023. Due to the volume of submissions CISCO receives, only winners will be notified. Winning entries will be posted on CISCO’s website – cisco.org, on Dec. 15, 2023.

Project Submissions for the 2024 CBC Merit Awards

ENTRY DEADLINE: December 31, 2023

The Chicago Building Congress Merit Awards Committee invites CBC members and non-members to submit entries for CBC's 2024 Merit Awards competition. This program recognizes the most outstanding construction projects from the past three years in the Chicagoland area and surrounding counties. Winners will be recognized at the CBC Merit Awards which will be held on May 9, 2024 at Morgan Manufacturing.

ENTRY GUIDELINES:

Projects must be completed by December 31, 2023.
If you have entered a project in the past, you are welcome to enter it again (As long as it is within 3 years of 2023).
Please do not enter the same project in more than one category.

ENTRY FEE: CBC Members - $300 | Non-members - $600

ENTRY DEADLINE: December 31, 2023

CATEGORIES FOR 2024:

The CBC Merit Awards is entering its 68th year! Check out these categories which acknowledge the construction industry's ever-changing landscape.

Education – Pre K through 12
Education – Higher Education
Healthcare
Residential/Hospitality
Commercial Construction UNDER $50 Million
Commercial Construction OVER $50 Million
Renovation & Adaptive Reuse UNDER $20 Million
Renovation & Adaptive Reuse OVER $20 Million
Infrastructure or Industrial Construction
Interior Build-Out

JUDGING CRITERIA:

A panel of dedicated industry professionals volunteer their time in multiple judging sessions to select the top four entries in each category based on the following criteria:

Distinctive, functional or innovative design
Quality of construction
Impact of the project on the community and inclusion initiatives
Safety record

Click Here to Submit Your Project

The Power of Better Episode 7!

In the latest episode of The Power of Better, A state-of-the-art restaurant and brewery is under construction in Chicago’s south suburb of Homewood.

Subscribe to Powering Chicago's YouTube channel to keep up with the upcoming episodes of "The Power of Better!"

Stay up to date on Powering Chicago's initiatives and content by subscribing to the newsletter.

You can find and subscribe to The Power of Better

newsletter through the link below.

Powering Chicago's Newsletter

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

Website Update / Webinars / Member News

As you are aware, all ECA Members may log-in to the interactive work/life web portal for information on a variety of topics. Webinars are available at any time of day and our mobile app allows employees to access services such as counseling and work life resources right from the palm of their hand. EAP solutions are available via on demand telephonic support and through video counseling, mobile app, work/life web portal and chat functionality.

Please review the updated information for access to the EAP.

Please click here for portal update information, as well.

New Member Landing Pages

Your new member support landing page is designed as an all-in-one place for accessing care, learning about your benefits, and logging into your member portal.

Visit www.ers-eap.com for:

Access to support via phone and online forms
Resources like the Insights newsletter and webinars
Instant login to your personalized member portal

Enhanced Member Portal

We've given our member portal a complete makeover to improve the user experience, everything is reorganized and easier to find.

Access benefits at www.ers-eap.com using your email and company code: ecaeap

Explore live chat, phone support, and online requests.
Use the financial wellness center, self-assessments, and courses.
Access 1,000+ articles, podcasts, and well-being resources.
Discover exclusive marketplace discounts.

Updated ERS

Promotional Toolkit: https://allonehealth.com/toolkit-ers/ for easier access to flyers, Insights Newsletters and much more.

With real-time reports, you can track key metrics, monitor program effectiveness, and gain valuable insights at any given moment.

What’s more: The web address stays the same, so you don't have to change any promotional materials you have. The new landing page is live and accessible for your employees!

Please promote these enhancements within your organization. We've created the attached pdf flyer for easy distribution. After members sign in to the member portal with an email address, they will receive a validation email originating from support@mylifeexpert.com. Since some company firewalls may prevent the validation email from arriving in their inbox, we recommend adding *@mylifeexpert.com to the email domain safelist. While we do not control when an email system pushes an email to junk or spam, we are available to partner to help resolve these issues as quickly as possible.

Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention

It is an unfortunate fact that construction has the highest rate of suicide of any industry in America. We lose about 53 out of every 100,000 members of our industry EVERY YEAR to suicide. We are four times the average of other industries. We have a crisis in construction and we need to do something about it. You can visit the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention website and learn more. We urge all to take the pledge to STAND UP for suicide prevention and address it as a health and safety priority.

CLICK HERE FOR A "Stand Up for Suicide Prevention" Information Sheet.

Please click the link below for a listing of the upcoming ECA Membership Meetings for 2024 and NECA events in 2024! Please note that the January Membership Meeting is on a new date!

ECA Membership Meetings for 2024 / NECA Events for 2024