United Contractors Magazine July 2024 by United Contractors

COVER DRAWING BY PEYTON MCDERMOTT, 8 YEARS OLD; DAUGHTER OF UCON MEMBER

Everything You Need. Plus Equipment.

From safety/operator training and equipment management technologies, to custom solutions engineered to meet specialized job requirements, United Rentals offers much more than just the

It takes a lot to get the job done right. We’re here to help.

BAKERSFIELD

3340 Allen Rd.

3340 Allen Rd. Bakersfield, CA 93314 (661)631-5777

Bakersfield, CA 93314 (661)631-5777

CONCORD

5151 Port Chicago Highway Concord, CA 94520 (925)822-0366

FRESNO

5704 S. Toyota Place Fresno, CA 93275 (559)442-8989

HAYWARD

HAYWARD 4125 Breakwater Avenue Hayward, CA 94545 (510)786-9506

4125 Breakwater Avenue Hayward, CA 94545 (510)786-9506

RENO

RENO 12905 Old Virginia Road Reno, NV 89521 (775)348-0140

12905 Old Virginia Road Reno, NV 89521 (775)348-0140

SACRAMENTO

8565 Elder Creek Road Sacramento, CA 95828 (916)383-7475

SALT LAKE CITY

1135 S. Pioneer Road Salt Lake City, UT 84104 (801)886-0586

SAN JOSE

SAN JOSE 2969 Daylight Way San Jose, CA 95111 (408)224-1052

2969 Daylight Way San Jose, CA 95111 (408)224-1052

SAN LUIS OBISPO

635 Tank Farm Road San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 (805)543-0113

TURLOCK

2800 N. Golden State Blvd. Turlock, CA 95382 (209)632-5084

ﬂeet.

From safety/operator training and equipment management technologies, to custom solutions engineered to meet specialized job requirements, United Rentals offers much more than just the world’s largest rental ﬂeet. It takes a lot to get the job done right. We’re here to help.

SANTA ROSA

3963 Santa Rosa Ave. Santa Rosa, CA 95407 (707)523-2350

SAN FRANCISCO

251 Shaw Road

South San Francisco, CA 94080 (415)642-2350

251 Shaw Road South San Francisco, CA 94080 (415)642-2350

Competent Person and Confined Space Training Offered at All

INFRASTRUCTURE WE BUILD

2024 UNITED CONTRACTORS BOARD OFFICERS

President...................................Kevin Hester, McGuire and Hester

VP/President-Elect.........Kurt Eddy, Pavement Recycling Systems, Inc.

Secretary/Treasurer.......Juan C. Arrequin, Bay Line Cutting & Coring, Inc.

Sec/Treas-Elect.........................Greg Goebel Jr., Goebel Construction, Inc.

UNITED CONTRACTORS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

KELLY ATTEBERY, F & M BANK; TOM BARR, GHILOTTI BROS., INC.; DALE R. BREEN, MIDSTATE BARRIER, INC.; BRYN BURKE, DEES BURKE ENGINEERING; SEAN CASTILLO, TORO ENTERPRISES, INC.; RITA VIGIL FERGUSON, G & F CONCRETE CUTTING, INC.; GARRETT FRANCIS, GUARDIAN TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS; MICHAEL GATES, DESILVA GATES CONSTRUCTION, LLC; ALAN GUY, ANVIL BUILDERS; MATT LOVINGIER, JMH ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION, INC.; MICHAEL PRLICH, MIKE PRLICH & SONS, INC.; KEVIN REIMERS, WOODRUFF-SAWYER & CO.

UCON LEADERS | UNITED CONTRACTORS COMMITTEE CHAIRS ASSOCIATES: KELLY ATTEBERY (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR), F & M BANK. | KEVIN REIMERS (ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR-ELECT), WOODRUFF-SAWYER & CO. CALTRANS: MICHAEL GHILOTTI (CHAIR), GHILOTTI BROS., INC. | LEGISLATIVE: ROB LAYNE, (CHAIR), O.C. JONES & SONS, INC. | POLITICAL ACTION (PAC): GEORGE FURNANZ (CHAIR), STACY WITBECK; STEVE CONCANNON (VICE-CHAIR) PAVEMENT RECYCLING SYSTEMS, INC. | SAFETY & INSURANCE: KEITH OXFORD, (CHAIR), MONTEREY MECHANICAL COMPANY | SF CITY CONTRACTOR LIAISON: MIKE GHILOTTI (CHAIR), GHILOTTI BROS., INC., MIGUEL GALARZA (CHAIR), YERBA BUENA ENGINEERING & CONSTRUCTION, INC. | SCHOLARSHIP: TRONY FULLER, (CHAIR), WEST COAST SAND & GRAVEL | REGIONAL EXECUTIVE COUNCIL: MICHAEL PRLICH (CHAIR), MIKE PRLICH & SONS, INC.; GARRETT FRANCIS (CHAIR), GUARDIAN TRAFFIC SOLUTIONS

UNITED CONTRACTORS STAFF

MARK BRESLIN, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER; EMILY COHEN, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT; TEJEL PATEL, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO CEO; VICTOR SELLA, VICE PRESIDENT OF LABOR RELATIONS; MELISSA GUTWALD, VICE PRESIDENT OF FINANCE & OPERATIONS; CLAY O’NEAL, REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, SOUTHERN CA; RAY BACA, REGIONAL DIRECTOR, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA; ANGELICA GOUIG, DIRECTOR OF EVENTS & EDUCATION; RUBY VARNADORE, SENIOR LABOR CONTRACTS MANAGER; DILPREET MAYALL, LABOR CONTRACTS MANAGER; LUCIA MIXON, CONTRACTOR MEMBER SERVICES, SOUTHERN CA; SANDRA KAYA, ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST TO LABOR & MEMBER SERVICES; DENISE RAMIREZ, ONLINE SERVICES MANAGER; EMMY MCCONNELL, SENIOR ACCOUNTANT; MICHELLE HANNIGAN, BOOKKEEPER; GABRIELLE GONZALEZ, OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA; CHRISTINE TRAINA, EVENT MANAGER; RACHEL ORAA, EVENT ASSISTANT; AVANTI MEHTA, EDUCATION ASSISTANT; MICHELLE VEJBY, MARCOM MANAGER; EDDIE BERNACCHI, UCON CHIEF LOBBYIST; MIKE DONLON, CHIEF SAFETY CONSULTANT; DREW DELANEY, MIKE BUCKANTZ, REGULATORY CONSULTANTS; DAMIAN BREEN, REGULATORY CONSULTANT

United

IN THIS ISSUE

UP FRONT

Safety is Everyone’s Job by Kevin Hester | McGuire and Hester | UCON 2024 President

LABOR

Are You Paying Too Much for Workers’ Compensation? by Victor Sella | UCON Vice President of Labor Relations

Contract Corner: 2024 Union Rate Allocations

Improve Your Company’s Meal & Rest Break Compliance

SAFETY FEATURE

Congratulations to UCON’s R.E.A.L. Safety Award Winners!

Safety: Indoor Heat Regulation

By Kevin Hester McGuire and Hester UCON 2024 President

SAFETY IS EVERYONE’S JOB

“Put pride in your work, and make safety first— because your family is waiting for you to get home.” 8-year old Peyton McDermott, our cover artist this month, captures the true importance of construction safety! Our focus on safety is commitment to everyone on the team, making sure that the work day ends with everyone safe, resulting in a job well done.

Cultivating a world class safety program requires strong commitment from company leaders and an even stronger commitment from everyone employed by a firm. Everyone must acknowledge that it is part of their job to ensure every co-worker, subcontractor and the general public are safe entering and leaving our project worksites. When I was reviewing information for this article, I came across a statistic from OSHA that in 2022 there were 5,486 fatal work injuries—that is over 21 people per workday…..over 105 per week. While these numbers do include individuals in industries outside of construction, they are nevertheless disturbing, and all of us can acknowledge that the construction industry has many more inherent risks than other industries.

Commitment

This is where we come in! We need our leaders to make a firm commitment to creating and enforcing a company safety culture. This culture needs to continuously address project risks and provide proper training to our employees so they can protect their coworkers, our subcontractors, our equipment and the public.

A company’s safety culture needs to empower employees to identify and mitigate the existing and future pitfalls coming our way.

The days of taking chances of someone getting hurt for the quick/cheap way out are over. The construction industry is short of qualified people to build our

projects. As such, we need to empower and protect our most precious resources—our builders—and, at the same time, use this as a recruiting tool to bring the next generation of builders into our firms.

Culture

Investing in creating this culture takes time but, more importantly, requires action and consistency from our C-suite leaders to our craft leadership, to the recent new hire. We need folks on jobsites to be vigilant about maintaining a safe worksite every day of the week— not just when the safety team is doing an inspection, or when the “Big Bosses” make a visit, or when OSHA comes to town. If any of us knew ahead of time there was going to be an accident on our projects 15 minutes beforehand, we could use this skill and save the world from large natural disasters (and most likely make a lot of money). The reality is, none of us know when the “Safety Gods” are going to call our number. What we need to do is make sure that our people and equipment are not increasing our odds of a serious accident by haphazardly deciding when to use proper PPE and following company rules only when they are convenient.

Communicate and Empower

We need to construct and COMMUNICATE expectations and protocols and, most importantly, create an atmosphere that empowers everyone in our organization to stop work and speak up if they see a problem or an impending risk. I would say one of our industry’s biggest weaknesses is that many of our employees are uncomfortable, and even scared, to question their supervisors if they see or feel that something is not right (unsafe). We need to get rid of this old school attitude and acknowledge that this mindset contributes to the reasons why we have over 105 workplace deaths each week.

Included in this edition of the UCON magazine, we highlight companies for their safety programs and

spotlight individuals that champion safety culture within our industry through the UCON R.E.A.L. Safety Awards Program. We feature the 2023 Award Winners. I challenge each of you to take something from each winner’s safety philosophy, as well as each safety article included to help improve your company’s safety culture.

We cannot be complacent and think that safety is someone else’s job. We need to remember it takes all of us to make our industry a safe and enjoyable place to build a lasting career no matter what your title is.

Sincerely

McGuire and Hester | UCON 2024 President

By Victor Sella, UCON Vice President of Labor Relations

ARE YOU PAYING TOO MUCH FOR WORKERS’ COMPENSATION?

California requires every employer to provide workers’ compensation coverage to protect their employees if they are injured at work. This sounds simple, but in reality, it is a very complicated system and a major expense in operating your business. In addition, if an employer’s experience modification number is above a certain threshold, it may prevent an employer from bidding on specific projects.

What’s new in Workers’ Compensation that can provide relief from this complicated system? Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) programs are closing claims faster and lowering contractors’ experience modifications. Injured workers are receiving timely treatment and returning to work quickly. The utilization of ADR by the business community continues to increase since it can drastically reduce the time, money, and resources typically needed to resolve claims.

California workers’ compensation law provides a special system for employers who have signed certain collective bargaining agreements with their employees’ unions. This ADR system allows eligible employers to receive comprehensive workers’ compensation coverage at qualifying savings while potentially avoiding disputes that lead to costly litigation.

The primary objective of the program is to allow employers and employees to handle and resolve workers’ compensation disputes with the professional assistance of an expert called an Ombudsperson. The Ombudsperson’s sole function is to aid and counsel union employees regarding workers’ compensation claims, complaints, and inquiries. The Ombudsperson explains the law’s effects so that disputes are resolved at the earliest possible time— before they have to be litigated.

Advantages for Employers:

• Lower Premiums – According to the WCIRB, premiums in California have decreased 32.8% over the last six years. Your overall workers’ compensation program

could benefit greatly by better controlling loss reserves and reduced claim expenses.

• Expedited Resolution of Claims – The average claim closes in 220 days—in contrast to the 2- to 5-year average in the state workers’ compensation system.

• Control and Reduction of Insurance Costs – The shortened time frame to close claims helps lower experience modification rates, meaning you’re more competitive and spending less.

• Prevention or Mitigation of Expensive Litigation –Access to the Ombudsman provides employees with a neutral party to listen to concerns and advise them on a course of action, as well as liaison between them and the insurance carrier. This lessens the likelihood that an employee who has issues with their claim will feel the need to seek and retain legal counsel.

• Exclusive Medical Provider List – This reduces “doctor shopping” and other issues in the workers’ compensation system.

Advantages for Employees:

Access to Quality Medical Care – Injured workers have access to quality medical care through an exclusive network of medical providers and prompt compensation.

Photo: Preston Pipelines

• Assistance in Navigating the Claims Process - Free and neutral advice and assistance is available from a workers’ compensation expert they can trust (the Ombudsman), without having to hire an expensive attorney.

How Do I Sign Up or Get More Information?

In Northern California, the Basic Crafts Alliance Workers’ Compensation ADR Program covers contractors signed to the Laborers, OE3, and/or Carpenters. For more information or to get started, contact Mason Gunn at mgunn@ncbcg.org, (916) 224-1538.

In Southern California, the Laborers, OE12, and Carpenters each have their own distinct workers’ compensation ADR Programs:

• Laborers – Kyle Matyas, kyle@oxford-insurance.com, (626) 446-6200 or Blake Longo, blake@ajlongo.com, (626) 657-2274

• OE12 – Barbara Shogren Lies shogrenservices.com, (800) 905-7595

• Carpenters – Mitch Weiss, mitch@fortunealsweet.com, (818) 404-1506, or Norma Lopez

What Does it Cost?

The chart below shows the cost per man-hour for the contractor, which is zero in some cases.

Member Benefit: On-Demand

UCON has an on-demand class in our Education Library to help you outline best practices—Mastering the Workers’ Comp Maze: Expert Strategies for Success. Log-in to take advantage of this resource (scan the QR Code for direct link), www. unitedcontractors.org..

workers’ compensation or disability and only have to compensate them at wages plus H&W (no other fringes), so long as they are not performing covered work. This voluntary system can be a great tool to retain key talent, help speed up recovery, avoid lost work days, and keep employees busy and engaged until they are ready to return to full duty. The worker also gets paid more than they would under workers’ compensation, so it can be a real win-win. For more information, contact Vice President of Labor Relations Victor Sella at vsella@unitedcontractors.org or (510) 362-6959.

Laborers (N. CA)

Carpenters (N. CA)

OE3 $0.07 / hr

Carpenters (S. CA) $0.03 / hr

Laborers (S. CA)

OE12

$0.01 / hr

Other Helpful Resources

You may be familiar with modified duty provisions that UCON recently negotiated into many of our Master Agreements. These provisions give employers the option to retain certain employees who would otherwise be on

CONTRACT CORNER

2024 Union Rate Allocations

United Contractors has received wage and fringe benefit allocations from the unions for all of the 2024 Master Agreement increases. Notifications have been sent out to our contractor members in bulletins, and members can easily find all the new rate sheets on our Union Agreements and Rates page, as well as download them from our Contractor Resources Library.

Updates to the DIR’s prevailing wage determinations will not be reflected until September 1, unless they are already under the predetermined increases. Future negotiated increases beyond 2024 (for bidding purposes) are also available in the Contractor Resources Library. Contact the UCON Labor & Member Services team at (925) 855-7900 or LaborTeam@unitedcontractors.org if you have any questions.

Photo: Pavement Coatings Co.

IMPROVE YOUR COMPANY’S MEAL AND REST BREAK COMPLIANCE BY UTILIZING EMPLOYEE

ATTESTATION

As California labor laws continue to become more stringent, the need for credible proof of compliance and accuracy in timekeeping has become a fundamental requirement for every business. Adding to the risks, employees are often independently tracking their work hours and meal/rest breaks through their smart devices, unbeknownst to their employers. Failure to adhere to meal and rest break regulations and proactively address liabilities can lead to severe repercussions, such as facing class action lawsuits, substantial fines, and wage claims. These outcomes can be extremely costly and tarnish your business’s reputation.

In light of these significant consequences, how can you enhance efficiency and ease of compliance with California labor laws to reduce the risk of noncompliance?

Employee Attestation is a powerful compliance tool that can prevent compliance issues, enhance regulatory adherence, and foster a more transparent and accountable workplace environment. This process captures precise employee acknowledgment responses in real-time during punch-in and punch-out. Employees must attest that their daily hours worked are accurate and that they were provided uninterrupted meal and rest breaks. The attestation process typically occurs using timesheets, an in-house time clock system, or an automated remote timekeeping system (i.e., smartphone, tablet, iPad). An employee attestation system safeguards employers if employees complain about their time or pay accuracy. Furthermore, it empowers managers to monitor punch-ins and punchouts, generate reports, and quickly follow up with employees if they forget to punch in or punch out or attest to missing a meal or rest break.

What Is Employee Timesheet Attestation and Why Is It Important?

Employee timesheet attestation refers to an employee confirming the accuracy and completeness of the hours they have worked for a particular day or pay period. Simply put, it’s a double-check or reconfirming of timecard accuracy.

The process involves the manager, supervisor, HR, or a designated authority reviewing timesheets, verifying clock-in and clock-out times, break durations, work hours, projects and task allocations, or assignments, then confirming that the information is accurate.

Timesheet attestation involves employers asking questions on timesheets such as:

• Did you accurately record your clock-in and clockout times for every day worked?

• Did you take the required rest breaks as per the company policy?

• Did you take the required meal break as per the company policy?

Photo: CA Engineering Contractors

The questions may vary, but the main goal of the attestation practices is to allow employers to ask questions that will solicit the answers they need for several reasons, the most significant being compliance.

Timesheet attestation confirms the accuracy of employee work hours, tasks, and projects, which must align with the actual activities performed by the employee. By attesting to the accuracy of the timesheet, the employee confirms that they agree with the recorded work hours, which aids in accurate invoicing and project processing.

Timesheet attestation not only helps prevent errors and discrepancies in payroll computation, but also offers organizations the means to possess accurate documentation to prove their compliance with labor laws, collective bargaining agreements, and organization-specific policies.

What Is the Meal and Rest Break Attestation?

California meal and rest period attestation provides a formal acknowledgment by an employee that they have

taken their required meal and rest breaks during their work period as stipulated by California law.

This attestation proves that the employee adhered to state labor regulations by taking a meal break of at least 30 minutes that must start before the end of the fifth hour of their shift. Employers must provide a second meal break of no fewer than 30 minutes for all workdays on which an employee works more than 10 hours. The second meal break must be provided no later than the end of an employee’s 10th hour of work. NOTE: Individual union Master Agreements may have slightly different provisions, and those should be followed for union employees.

The employers use this attestation to maintain accurate records of employee meal/rest breaks and demonstrate compliance with state labor laws. To the employees, the attestation signifies their agreement that they were granted the required break(s) as mandated by California law.

Continued on next page

IMPROVE YOUR COMPANY’S MEAL AND REST BREAK COMPLIANCE BY UTILIZING EMPLOYEE ATTESTATION (CONT’D)

Do Employees Have To Approve Their Timesheets in California?

Under California laws, employers are responsible for recording and maintaining accurate records of non-exempt employees. This can be done through an electronic timekeeping system to record all the required information or by having the employee record their time manually or in a spreadsheet. Timesheets are a must for non-exempt employees. They provide accurate time records for the number of hours employees work for every pay period. However, all records must be thoroughly audited to ensure they are accurate.

So, to maintain accuracy and compliance, employees may be asked to sign their timecards to confirm in writing that their time entries are accurate. It’s also a way to verify that they have been relieved of all duty and provided with all their meal and rest breaks during a particular work day or pay period.

Do Salaried Exempt Employees Need To Fill Out a Timesheet in California?

For salaried exempt employees, you’re not legally required to have them fill out a timesheet with hours worked. But this does not mean you cannot require your salaried employees to fill out a timesheet.

There are some situations where you may require salaried employees to fill out timesheets, including:

• If salaried employees are entitled to sick leave and vacation time, you may need to track when they take their leave (sick or vacation) and how they’re accruing their leave. You can have them fill out a timesheet to help you track, monitor, and manage their leave efficiently.

• If your employees are working on numerous projects or you bill clients by the hour, you need to know

which employees are working on what project and how many hours are going towards each project. Having employees fill out a timesheet can help track the total working hours that go into the project to determine the progress and whether you need to make any changes.

Best Practices For Meal and Rest Break Attestation

In 2021, the California Supreme Court issued significant rulings on Donohue v. AMN Services, LLC, which defined important issues related to meal periods and rest breaks compliance and attestations in California.

In the Donohue case, the employer rounded time punches to the nearest predefined increments and also used a timekeeping system that prompted employees to state the reason for non-compliant breaks.

The Supreme Court ruled that records that show meal breaks inconsistent with wage and hour regulations (for instance, too late, too short, or missed breaks) create a rebuttable presumption of legal break violations by the employer.

As per the precedent set by Brinker Restaurant Corporation v. Superior Court that the employer must provide rather than ensure employees take meal breaks, Donohue has

Photo: Midstate Barrier, Inc.

the potential to shift the burden of proof, with severe implications for class litigation.

Therefore, employers planning to mitigate the risk of holding the burden of proof should consider several Best Practices for Meal and Rest Break Attestations:

• Avoid rounding: Retain only actual instead of rounded time entries.

• Incorporate drop-down menus: Use a timekeeping system that prompts employees who clock in or out to indicate reasons for non-compliant meal breaks. The system should automatically trigger premium pay for any short, missed, or delayed periods due to the employer’s noncompliance.

• Require written attestations on employee timecards for accuracy and compliance: You should also consider mandatory employee attestations for time entries to ensure accuracy and compliance.

In this case, employee timecards should include a statement with a signature line confirming that they have accurately recorded all work hours and have taken the required breaks.

Employees must review and sign these timecards before submitting them for payroll processing.

UCON Can Help:

UCON Resources:

• UCON’s Meal & Rest Period Guidelines

• UCON Meal & Rest Period Compliance & FAQ Chart

WHAT

Do you need more information, guidance, or a review of your policies and practices? Contact Victor Sella, VP of Labor Relations, vsella@ unitedcontractors.org, (510) 362-6959. You can also reach any member of our team at (925) 855-7900 or LaborTeam@ unitedcontractors.org with questions on meal and rest periods. Don’t forget to check out these key UCON resources:

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DAYLIGHTING POTHOLING POLE REPLACEMENT

United Contractors (UCON) is proud to announce the winners of the 2023 R.E.A.L. Safety Awards. This prestigious program Recognizes Excellence, Awareness, and Leadership in safety within the construction industry.

The REAL Safety Awards highlight the commitment of union-signatory construction companies to maintaining and enhancing safe working environments. The awards underscore the importance of a proactive safety culture across our industry by honoring the safest and most improved companies.

The winning organizations are shown on the following pages, where they share their safety philosophy and vision, and the employees who make it happen. z

UCON’s R.E.A.L. Safety Awards:

Recognizing Excellence, Awareness and Leadership in Safety!

Established by United Contractors, the REAL Safety Awards are an integral part of UCON’s mission to educate, empower, and support California’s union contractors. Through the Safety Awards Program, which is administered by UCON’s Safety & Insurance Committee, we honor our member companies’ achievements in safety and advance our united commitment to continuous safety improvement across the industry.

The awards program is open annually at the beginning of each year for all UCON contractor members to apply. The entries get screened and then forwarded to a panel of judges volunteered

from our UCON Safety and Insurance Committee, who spend hours reviewing these entries anonymously. The entries require substantial documentation and detail. Winners are chosen within several different categories including man-hours worked, most improved safety rating, safety hero, most unique project and team zero achievement. Congratulations to our 2023 winners!.

For more information about United Contractors and the REAL Safety Awards, and the UCON Safety & Insurance Committee, contact:

Ray Baca, UCON Regional Director, Southern CA(657) 439-6161

Michael Donlon, UCON Chief Safety Consultant

Keith Oxford, Monterey Mechanical Co., UCON Safety & Insurance Committee Chairperson

Category: 1,000,000+ Man-Hours:

Michels Pacific Energy, Inc.

“Michels Pacific Energy regards the safety and health of our employees, contractors, the public, and our customers as our highest core value. Our strong safety-first culture has created an industry-leading reputation that is sought after for the largest projects along the West Coast. This dedication and relentless commitment to ensuring the health and safety of our people and the public is not exclusively limited to the work we are performing, but also applies to the potential impact we have on the environment as well as the safe transport of our team members and equipment on road and waterways.

Our projects are supported by a team of more than a dozen full-time health and safety professionals who work with project management teams and crews onsite daily to ensure safety by providing training, conducting audits, and overseeing operations. We are committed to excellence in implementing Health, Safety, and Environmental (HSE) standards that comply with regulatory and legislated requirements and improve our work methods and the best practices of the industries we serve.”

— Nate Healy, Senior Director of HSE, Michels Pacific Energy, Inc.

Category: 1,000,000+ Man-Hours: Stacy Witbeck

“Stacy Witbeck’s leadership team committed to looking at our safety processes and culture differently about five years ago—focusing on craft-driven initiatives, keying in on leading indicators, and pushing our team regardless of their role to contribute to continuous improvement. These adjustments have reshaped our safety culture in big, lasting ways. We have a huge responsibility to work safely for each other, for our clients, and for the public, and our

craft-led initiatives backed by our executive team’s handson involvement give our team the right tools and attitude to work safely every day.

Thank you to UCON and our peer contractors for driving safety innovation and sharing best practices through the awards process.”

— Clayton Gilliland, President, Stacy Witbeck

Category: 1,000,000+ Man-Hours: Sully-Miller Contracting Company

“At Sully-Miller Contracting Co., ensuring the safety of our employees is our top priority and core value. This award not only acknowledges our significant achievement but also highlights our unwavering commitment of supporting the company’s safety initiatives and cultivating a safety-driven culture throughout our organization. We have prioritized the well-being of our employees by continuously refining our safety practices, conducting regular training sessions, managing safety accountabilities, tracking leading indicator trends, and encouraging open communication about hazard awareness and control.

Through our GOAL ZERO approach we strive to achieve a workplace environment with ZERO accidents and injuries. Through vigilant safety measures and a strong commitment from all levels of the company we continue to grow our industry leading safety culture.

The foundation of our entire safety program is based upon the idea that each of our employees is encouraged to speak up if they observe or recognize any unsafe act or condition. Thus, promoting a culture of empowerment and accountability. This commitment to employee safety is reinforced through our comprehensive Speak Up Listen Up training which is received by all employees within the first thirty days of being hired. Additionally, this training equips our employees with the skills and confidence to Speak Up and address potential hazards proactively and to Listen Up when someone cares enough to bring up a potential unsafe act or condition.

Our employees trust and support in the company’s commitment to safety has been the driving force behind our success and the achievement of surpassing one million hours worked in 2023 without a single lost time or serious incident.

This milestone serves as a testament to the hard work and dedication of each and every member of our team. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation to all of our employees for embracing our safety culture and for their active participation in making safety our top priority.”

— Brian G. DeTinne, Director of Safety & Risk Management, Sully-Miller Contracting Company

Category: 250,001-500,000 Man-Hours:

Ghilotti Bros, Inc.

“We are proud and honored to be recognized and selected by the UCON Safety Committee as a winner of the 2023 R.E.A.L. Safety Awards. Safety is one of our core values and we never stop improving on it. We equip and empower everyone on our teams to operate safely and be a part of upholding our safety culture. We vigilantly maintain a safe workplace so that every employee and subcontractor on our projects can return home to their families at the end of the day just as healthy as they started it. Congratulations to all of our employees and crews across the Bay Area for achieving such a high level of recognition in Safety!”

— Michael Ghilotti, President, Ghilotti Bros., Inc.

Category: 250,001-500,000 Man-Hours: St. Francis Electric LLC

“At St. Francis Electric, safety is not just a priority but a philosophy ingrained in every aspect of our daily operations. Our commitment begins with innovative training programs that empower every employee to prioritize safety at all times. This culture of safety is nurtured through continuous education and reinforcement, fostering an environment where each team member takes personal responsibility for ensuring a safe workplace. Our superintendents and foremen exemplify this dedication through their leadership, actively promoting and enforcing safety protocols to uphold our unwavering commitment to the well-being of our workforce.”

— Guy Smith, President, St. Francis Electric LLC

Category: 250,001-500,000 Man-Hours:

O.C. Jones & Sons, Inc.

“O.C. Jones and Sons, Inc. is honored to accept this award. Safety continues to be at the core of our philosophy and operations. At O.C. Jones & Sons, Inc. we believe our success is predicated on our safety standards impacting the well-being of our team, clients, industry partners and the community at large. Our commitment to safety is reflected in every aspect of our work, and this commitment encompasses all phases of work from the planning stages to project completion. We are proud of what we have achieved, and we will continue to strive to maintain and improve upon our pledge to safety. We are privileged to partner with an industry organization who places significant importance on safety and recognition as we are all partners in safety.”

Rob Layne, President O.C. Jones & Sons, Inc.

Andrew Munoz, Safety Engineer O.C. Jones & Sons, Inc.

Category: 100,001-250,000

Man-Hours:

California Engineering Contractors, Inc.

“At California Engineering Contractors, Inc. (CEC), it’s the people who work here that make up the heart and soul of the company. With that in mind, CEC endeavors to provide safe, challenging, and rewarding work for its employees.

‘It’s all about the people’ provides the framework from which CEC approaches safety. This belief is espoused by the owner and is promoted and supported at all levels from senior management to the newest apprentice.

CEC is committed to maintaining safety at work and supporting successful projects by providing necessary planning, supervision, knowledge, training, equipment, tools, and rewarding work experiences. CEC employees share the responsibility for safety for themselves and their fellow workers. Each is tasked with recognizing and reporting hazards, performing their work safely in accordance with company policies, procedures, and expectations, and complying with all applicable laws and regulations.”

— Wahid Tadros, President & Michael McKinney, Safety Director

Category: 100,001-250,000 Man-Hours:

JMH Engineering and Construction, Inc.

“Here at JMH we take pride in our core values; safety, integrity, partnership, personal ownership, adaptability, and loyalty. These core values go hand in hand creating the foundation and structure of our company. We prioritize safety to continue being present for those we are loyal to, friends, family, and loved ones. We commit to integrity, continuing to exercise safe work practices and adaptability that help our partnership grow.

Our partnership exists not just between contractor and client, but also amongst our company; leadership, craftsman, project managers, owners, who all hold each other accountable and reflect selfownership. JMH is extremely honored to be presented with this year’s UCON R.E.A.L. Safety Award and we’re filled with great gratitude for your recognition to achieve such.”

Category: 100,001-250,000 Man-Hours: KDW Construction, LLC

“At KDW, we believe that safety is paramount for each and every one of our employees! Through on-going hands-on training, continuing education and leveraging technology, we integrate safety into our daily operations. Reinforced communication and consistent controls have fostered excellent team support at KDW. We take great pride in achieving an EMR of .68, a testament to our staff and Safety Committee’s unwavering commitment to leading the industry in safety. We couldn’t be prouder!!”

— D.J. Woods, Owner, KDW Construction, LLC

— Matt Lovingier, President, JMH Engineering and Construction, Inc. — Jesse Ruan, Safety Manager, JMH Engineering and Construction, Inc. * “TEAM ZERO” recognizes those having a zero incident rate for the 2023 year.

Category:

Up to 100,000 Man-Hours:

E.E. Gilbert Construction, Inc.

“At E.E. Gilbert Construction, Inc. we work together as a team! Our goal is to provide a safe and accident-free environment for the crew, for every client, on every project. There is nothing more important than our team returning safely to their families every day.”

— Stephen George, General Manager, E.E. Gilbert Construction, Inc.

Category:

Up to 100,000 Man-Hours:

Odigos Construction, Inc.

“It is with great pride and honor we accept the UCON R.E.A.L. safety award. We take great pride in our work and implementation of a strong safety culture. The safety of our employees is instrumental to our success, growth and the drive to continue cultivating that is a top priority. We’re excited about reaching this milestone and look forward in continuing our growth.”

— Shaun Buckman, President, Odigos Construction, Inc.

“TEAM ZERO”

Up to 100,000 Man-Hours:

Walsh Construction Co. II, LLC/ Walsh Group

“The Walsh team has a foundation of working to attain the highest standards for ethics, quality and safety. The actualization of the standard is a safety culture based upon “Actively Caring” that involves all stakeholders accepting responsibility and accountability to ensure the safety of each project team member.

All personnel on Walsh projects are empowered to hold safety as an absolute value and utilize all available resources, (stop work authority, training, job planning, subcontractor management and project design) to ensure everyone goes home safely at the end of the day.”

— Sean Walsh, Owner; James E. Griffith, Sr. HSE Manager, Walsh Group

Safety Hero of the Year:

Ezequiel Lepe, Robert A.

Bothman Construction

“At Robert A. Bothman Construction, safety truly comes first and is supported by all. From leadership to the office and field, safety is preached as a two-way street. Just like production and quality, safety needs buy in from all parties to function at its highest level. Team Bothman has exactly that. With dedicated outreach and training programs, Robert A. Bothman Construction’s safety team works directly with everyone to help protect their safety. By literally being in the trenches, we hear, see, and act on what happens to assure safe practices are created and used with input from the ones performing dangerous tasks day in and day out. This year’s UCON Safety Hero of the Year, Ezequiel Lepe, has played an instrumental role in making this happen in addition to helping Team Bothman proudly maintain our EMR rating of “Superior.” His continuous growth and devotion to Safety is truly a cornerstone of our success.”

— John Fifer, Safety Manager, Robert A. Bothman Construction

Safety Hero of the Year: Mike Blewett

Sierra Mountain Construction, Inc.

“What an honor it is to have won such prestigious awards. A combined effort of hard work performed safely by all here at Sierra Mountain Construction Inc. is the defining factor for our company. We have a great team!!”

— Mike Blewett, Safety Director, Sierra Mountain Construction, Inc.

“The safety philosophy of Sierra Mountain Construction’s President Doug Benton, and its Safety Director Mike Blewett, revolves around three principles: making safety a core value in the organizational culture, prioritizing proactive measures in continuous improvement to mitigate hazards, and promoting employee engagement and accountability for a collaborative and inclusive work environment.”

— Doug Benton, President, Sierra Mountain Construction, Inc.

Most Unique Safety Project: Teichert Construction

This 8-acre redevelopment project is located along the Redwood City Waterfront in San Mateo County, which flows into the San Francisco Bay. The site was bound by Docktown Marina and Redwood Creek to the North, Maple Street to the East, institutional uses to the south, and US Highway 101 to the West and South.

The project scope included complete site redevelopment to accommodate the future construction of 131 individual three-story townhomes and associated open space, parking, infrastructure, soil remediation, and grading improvements. The project also included the complete reconstruction of Maple Street, a Bay Area Trail connection along the waterfront, and the extension of Blomquist Street from Maple Street to Redwood Creek.

Several High-Hazard project characterizations included:

1. The primary hazard on the project was performing structural excavation over a live 48-inch sewer forcemain that collects wastewater for approximately 220,000 people and nearby businesses.

2. The second hazard on the job was the placement of a pre-cast box culvert utilizing a 210-ton crane. The challenge existed due to the sheer size of the precast culvert pieces weighing in at approximately 18,280 pounds (about the weight of a school bus) each. Each section was picked and placed individually and sequentially bolted together to create an immediate critical pathway for storm and tidal water over the newly extended Blomquist Street into the project site.

3. The third high-hazard element of the project involved working around live overhead utility lines until such time that they could be relocated by the utility owner. To maintain the schedule, the crews graded and placed fill underneath the utility lines and developed strategies to work around them for a substantial portion of the project.

“Safety isn’t just a priority for Teichert; it’s a commitment we make to every project we work on. Our dedication to ensuring every person goes home safely every day is exemplified through our comprehensive training programs to address safety challenges on every project. On this project, our team underwent competent person trenching and excavation, and competent person confined space training, equipping the team with the ability to identify and mitigate potential hazards safely. Additionally, our team went through our internal PG13 Dig-In Prevention training program, which highlights our proactive approach to preventing accidents and disruptions caused by underground utility strikes. By instilling a culture of vigilance and accountability, we empower our team to identify and address potential hazards before they escalate, minimizing risks to project personnel and project integrity alike.

The project duration was approximately 12 months, with a final contract value of $2.96 Million. Teichert crews worked 8,292 man-hours without incident or injury on the project, underscoring an unwavering commitment to safety and excellence in project execution.”

Jason Lenaburg, North Region Safety Manager Teichert Construction

UCON recognizes the following contractor members, who achieved “Team Zero”—having a zero incident rate in 2023:

Category: 100,001-250,000 Man-Hours

Category : Up to 100,000 Man-Hours

Most Improved Safety Rating: California Engineering Contractors, Inc.

“At California Engineering Contractors, Inc. (CEC), it’s the people who work here that make up the heart and soul of the company. With that in mind, CEC endeavors to provide safe,challenging, and rewarding work for its employees.”

— Wahid Tadros, President

— Michael McKinney, Safety Director

Most Improved Safety Rating: Sierra Mountain Construction, Inc.

“It SMCI’s belief that all accidents, injuries, and illnesses are preventable through proactive measures. This involves creating a culture of safety where everyone takes responsibility for their own safety as well as that of others. This includes risk assessment, hazard identification, and the implementation of control measures to minimize or eliminate potential hazards. Ultimately it has been the continued goal to achieve a safe and healthy workplace for all: “We all go home safe.”

— Doug Benton, President, Sierra Mountain Construction, Inc.

By Mike Donlon UCON’s Chief Safety Consultant

CAL/OSHA’S NEW INDOOR HEAT REGULATION

The Cal/OSHA Standards Board approved an indoor heat illness regulation. The new regulation will require indoor workplaces to be cooled below 87 degrees Fahrenheit if feasible when employees are present, and below 82 degrees if feasible in places where workers wear protective clothing that restricts heat removal or work in high radiant heat areas. Indoor places of employment are spaces that are under a ceiling or overhead covering that restricts airflow and enclosed along the entire perimeter by walls, doors, windows, dividers, or other physical barriers that restrict airflow, whether open or closed. Generally, any workplace with a roof and enclosed sides is considered an indoor workplace. Many construction projects will start as an outdoor workplace and turn into an indoor workplace. Indoor workplaces include jobsite trailers and even shipping containers if they are occupied for longer periods of time.

The similarities.

• The standard mirrors the existing heat illness standard to the extent possible.

• Requirements, including providing water, emergency response, acclimatization, training, and the written plan, are similar to the outdoor heat requirements.

• You can have two separate Heat Illness Prevention Plans (HIPP) or a combination HIPP.

Cool-down areas.

• Outdoors, you must have shade; indoors, you need a “cool-down area.”

• A cool-down area is an indoor or outdoor area that is blocked from direct sunlight, shielded from high-

radiant heat sources, and either open to the air or provided with ventilation or cooling.

• An indoor cool-down area must be maintained at less than 82oF unless it is infeasible.

• Cool-down areas must be large enough to accommodate the number of workers on rest breaks so they can sit comfortably without touching each other.

Assessing and controlling indoor heat.

• Outdoor requirements are based on the weather forecast; indoors you must measure the temperature and

heat index in the work areas and implement controls to stay under the trigger temperatures.

• Feasible engineering controls to reduce the temperature must be used first, then add administrative controls if those are not enough then add PPE.

» Ventilation, cooling fans or air conditioning are examples of engineering controls.

» Earlier work hours or rotating people out of the heat are administrative controls.

» PPE can include cooling vests, or neck wraps or other cooling garments.

• Heat index is what the temperature feels like when the effect of humidity is combined with the temperature.

UCON Resources.

UCON now has a Heat Illness Prevention Program template for a combined indoor and outdoor HIPP (Members Only). Visit our Contractor Resources Library at www.unitedcontractors.org

For more information, or support related to Safety Regulations and Advocacy, contact UCON’s Chief Safety Consultant, Mike Donlon at mdonlon@ mdsafetyservice.com or (916) 834-1896.

TAKE ADVANTAGE OF UCON’S SAFETY SOLUTIONS

United Contractors is committed to helping our members meet the safety requirements set for the industry. Let UCON help you with construction safety regulations, and even citations, should they occur. We provide a wide range of services that will ensure your company and employees are protected:

• Assistance of Cal/OSHA questions, problems and citations.

• Advocacy on pending OSHA regulations, and informs members of new requirements.

• Numerous safety products and resources designed to prevent jobsite injuries and OSHA compliance (many FREE to members).

• 1:1 Safety with a dedicated Safety Advisor— for safety questions and concerns, contact UCON’s Chief Safety Consultant, Mike Donlon at mdonlon@mdsafetyservice.com or (916) 834-1896.

JOIN UCON’S SAFETY AND INSURANCE COMMITTEE

The Safety and Insurance Committee provides our membership with information on safe operation in the industry, focusing on preventative safety programs, and the reduction of liability expenses. The committee monitors and advocates on Cal/OSHA issues. It is an open committee to those interested in effective, streamlined safety regulations—join the group, and make a difference.

• Currently 30+ UCON members statewide make up the committee (safety directors, vice-presidents of safety, and senior safety personnel), which meets approximately every six weeks (mostly virtual).

• Chairman: Keith Oxford, Monterey Mechanical Company

• UCON Liaisons: Mike Donlon, Chief Safety Consultant; Ray Baca, Regional Director, Southern CA.

• For more information, contact Ray Baca, rbaca@ unitedcontractors.org

UP

By Angelica Gouig, Director of Events and Education

AUGUST COURSES:

AUGUST

Developing a Strategic Plan that Actually Does Something

Tuesday, August 6; 12:00pm-1:00pm

Instructor: Cody Miller, MPWR

Class Style: Virtual | Class Limit: Unlimited Cost – Member: FREE | Non-member: $100

Take advantage of UCON’s 2024 Professional Development classes. You will find 40+ classes on Leadership, Safety, Compliance, HR, Construction Specific and more. Most classes are FREE to UCON members. We have highlighted August and September classes. View our entire 2024 Education Catalog and register for upcoming classes at www.unitedcontractors.org.

See a class that you missed? Login to your member account and view our On-Demand Education Library—you’ll find many of our classes have been recorded! We have highlighted our on-demand Safety Classes on the next page.

AUGUST 13

Certified Payroll – Answering Contractors Most Frequently Asked Questions

Tuesday, August 13; 2:30pm-4:30pm

Instructor: Darbi Griffin and Jesse Jimenez, FFC, and Ruby Varnadore, United Contractors

Class Style: Virtual | Class Limit: Unlimited Cost – Member: FREE | Non-member: $100

AUGUST

Surviving an Active Shooter in the Office and on the Jobsite

Tuesday, August 27; 2:30pm-4:30pm

Instructor: Carol Cambridge, The Stay Safe Project

Class Style: Virtual | Class Limit: Unlimited Cost – Member: FREE | Non-member: $100

AUGUST 20

Sale-Ready Strategies: Prepping Your Construction Firm for Acquisition

Tuesday, August 20; 2:30pm-4:30pm

Instructor: Eric Anderton, Construction Genius

Class Style: Virtual | Class Limit: Unlimited Cost – Member: FREE | Non-member: $100

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2024

SEPTEMBER COURSES:

SEPTEMBER 12

Increasing Your Influence

Thursday, September 12; 2:30pm-4:30pm

Instructor: Bill Treasurer, Giant Leap Consulting

Class Style: Virtual | Class Limit: Unlimited Cost – Member: Free | Nonmember: $100

SEPTEMBER 19

Fearless Field Leader (Cerritos)

Thursday, September 19; 4:30pm-8:00pm

Instructor: Mark Breslin, United Contractors

Class Style: In-person | Class Limit: 100

Cost – Member: Early Bird $210; Standard $225; Onsite $275 | Non-member: $310; Standard $325; Onsite $375

SEPTEMBER 26

Building Relationships with Labor Compliance

101

Thursday, September 26; 2:30pm-4:30pm

Instructor: Paul Stout, Power Summit

Class Style: Virtual | Class Limit: Unlimited Cost – Member: FREE | Non-member: $100

Did you know that you can log-in to your UCON member account and filter for on-demand classes in our UCON Education Library? We have highlighted several of the classes you can find relating to “Safety.” Use UCON’s Professional Development courses for your staff. The classes are specially curated with the union-construction industry in mind. For more questions, contact Avant Mehta, Education Assistant, (925) 725-6365 or amehta@unitedcontractors.org,

UCON’S FEARLESS FIELD LEADER—IN SOCAL POMONA

RATED 4.9/5

UCON had a great crowd for our Fearless Field Leader Seminar, held Wednesday, June 11th at the Sheraton Fairplex in Pomona. Construction ﬁeld leaders were in attendance learning about ways to effectively mentor, manage, and lead their crews. UCON’s CEO, Mark Breslin, delivered a passionate presentation, sharing his industry insight, personal experience and knowledge. He spoke of innovation and change, and his no-BS approach hit home with the attendees.

Don’t miss these upcoming Fearless Field Leader Seminars:

SEPTEMBER 19

SHERATON

CERRITOS HOTEL

CERRITOS, CA

OCTOBER 3 SAN

D M Z

SILVER

By Christine Traina, Event Manager

UCON’s ThrowDown for Education, a 5/5 Success!

UCON’s Throw Down for Education

Cornhole Tournament returned to Wente Vineyards in Livermore on June 20, 2024. Teams had an a-maizing time with over 250 players and spectators joining UCON to go head-to-head in a friendly bean bag toss competition to raise funds for UCON’s Scholarship Program. The program helps deserving students—memberaffiliated and those studying Construction Management and/or Civil Engineering at California colleges.

Our Event Chair, Oleg Pravdin, Head of Product for Lumber, welcomed the teams, and the excitement was corn-tagious. This year came the closest for any competitor to win the Long Toss Competition sponsored by IMA Financial. Chris King of RJS & Associates, Inc. watched as his bag came so close to going in the hole. Ah shucks! He was awarded a $500 prize to the bag nearest the hole, crowning him “Kernal” of the event. Chris King generously donated his winnings back to the scholarship program, which Dave Miller, Senior Vice President of IMA Financial, matched, sparking a burst of other donations.

Corn-grats all our 2024 Throw Down Winners!

4th Place The Corn Ultimatum | Jack Blankenship (KDW Construction, LLC.) & Ryan Copriviza (KDW Construction, LLC.

3rd Place Anvil 3 | Devin Duaime (Anvil Builders) & Mason Morris (Anvil Builders

2nd Place CornStars | Jacob Lomanto (Duran & Venables, Inc.) & Kurt Roessler (Duran & Venables, Inc.)

1st Place Tossbusters | Patrick Anderson (Anrak Corporation) & Bradley Schmidt (Anrak Corporation)

- DONITA GRANADO GRANITEROCK COMPANY

UCON puts on a great event every year!

- CASEY HARRINGTON, ZURICH

ERIK PIERCE CALIFORNIA BANK OF COMMERCE

MELANIE RICKETT WAGOONER CONSTRUCTION

TERESA DIAS PETERSON TRUCKS/PETERSON IDEALEASE CHRISTINE SCHWEININGER VALLEY BUILDERS EXCHANGE

TRONY FULLER ARGENT MATERIALS INC.

MEMBER

ANNIVERSARIES: JULY

United Contractors would like to take this opportunity to recognize and thank the following companies who are celebrating their anniversary of membership with our organization in July:

50 YEARS – 1974

Contractor Member:

Silva’s Pipeline, Inc.

Jim Silva

48 YEARS – 1974

Contractor Member:

Colich & Sons, LP

Donilo Colich

31 YEARS – 1993

Contractor Members:

C.F. Archibald Paving, Inc.

Curtis Archibald

Esquivel Grading & Paving, Inc.

Jamie Phann

Evans Brothers, Inc.

Wil Evans

Gallagher & Burk, Inc.

David DeSilva

Ghilotti Construction Co.

Richard Ghilotti

Associate Member: Lesron Surety Insurance Agency

Less Mantie

Stevens Creek Quarry, Inc.

Mark Mallin

30 YEARS – 1994

Contractor Member: Navajo Pipelines, Inc.

Karen Silva

Associate Member: Woodruff-Sawyer & Co.

Bret Lawrence

29 YEARS – 1995

Associate Member:

Graniterock

Peter Lemon

28 YEARS – 1996

Contractor Members:

Appian Engineering, Inc.

Bob Alvey

24 YEARS – 2000

Contractor Member: Silverado Contractors, Inc.

Joe Capriola

21 YEARS – 2003

Associate Member: Trench & Traffic Supply, Inc.

Michelle Townsend

18 YEARS – 2006

Contractor Member:

National Plant Services, Inc.

Dennis Keene

17 YEARS – 2007

Contractor Member: Florez Paving

Sam Florez

Associate Member: Eighteen Trucking, Inc.

Martha DeLeon

15 YEARS – 2009

Associate Member:

EPIC Insurance Brokers and Consultants

Jeff Parkhurst

14 YEARS – 2010

Contractor Member: MK Pipelines, Inc.

Sean Brennan

13 YEARS – 2011

Contractor Member: Veteran Pipeline Construction

Michael Robirds

Associate Member: Stevenson Supply

Kent Stevenson

12 YEARS – 2012

Contractor Members:

Compass Engineering Contractors, Inc.

Mike Moore

Marques General Engineering, Inc.

Jason Anderson

Associate Members: Cal-Sierra Pipe, LLC

Dan Hobbs

Chubb Surety

Robert Walsh

McSherry & Hudson LLC

Chuck Griswold

Tax & Financial Group

Scott Petersen

11 YEARS – 2013

Contractor Members: Underground Construction Co., Inc.

Thiel Harryman

Valverde Construction, Inc.

Marcus Gomez

10 YEARS – 2014

Contractor Member: C P Construction Co., Inc.

Mike Pfister

Ferma Corporation

Marc Ferrari

Associate Members: RGW Equipment Sales

Dane Lowry

West Coast Sand & Gravel

James Slater

9 YEARS – 2015

Contractor Member: Underwater Resources, Inc.

Tom Belcher

8 YEARS – 2016

Contractor Members: JDB & Sons Construction, Inc.

James Burke

Sinclair General Engineering Construction, Inc.

Sean Sinclair

Associate Members: Security Shoring & Steel Plate

Kimberly Liston-Rivera

7 YEARS – 2017

Contractor Member: Minerva Construction, Inc.

Noel Kearney

Associate Member: Construct Your Image

Cole Adams

5 YEARS – 2019

Contractor Member: G & F Concrete Cutting, Inc.

Rita Vigil Ferguson

3 YEARS – 2021

Contractor Members:

American Landscape, Inc.

Gary Peterson

Diversified Landscape

Paul Moralez

Don H. Mahaffey

Drilling Co.

Ashley Mahaffey Tullius

Kato Landscaping

Randy Kato

Pac Bay Environmental Services, Inc.

Matt Certa

Pacific Restoration Group

John Richards

Pierre Landscape

Monty Khouri

Preferred Landscape

Landon Massey

RCB & Sons, Inc.

Eric Barnett

Sierra Landscape Development, Inc.

Kevin Watchler

Sully-Miller Contracting Company

Bill Boyd

Synergy Traffic Control Inc.

Kenny Jones

The Traffic Guys LLC

Carlos Moreno

Associate Members:

Frank M. Booth, Inc.

Larry Booth

Global Leadership Alliance (GLA) Corp.

Mery Santos

Marcum LLP

Warren Hennagin

Underground Republic Water Works

Kurt Vincelette

2 YEARS – 2022

Contractor Members:

Bay Engineering LLC

Matt Cox

Scapes, Inc.

Lane L. Poms

Associate Members:

BKF Engineers

William Paul

Blue Bridge Financial, Inc.

Nick Dervenis

Coats Surety Insurance Services, Inc.

Matthew Coats

Hill & Smith, Inc.

Jeff Shewmaker

Ledwell

Christina Guzman

1 YEAR – 2023

Contractor Members:

Bragg Companies dba

Bragg Crane and Rigging

Ian M. Johnson

California Concrete Pumping Inc. DBA

Associated Concrete Pumping

Mike Parigini

Frontline General

Engineering Construction Inc

Jesus Pedroza

Graniterock-Myers JV

Rob Snyder

High-Light Electric Inc.

Erwin Mendoza

RJS & Associates, Inc.

Scott Shepherd

Studebaker Electric, Inc

Lauren Bird

Associate Members:

Bar None Auction

Joshua Seidel

FDP Wealth Management

Calvin Chu

In Memory

Gordon Nathan “Nate” Ball

Gordon N. Ball, Inc.

Mark Burns

President, Robert Burns

Construction, Inc. In Memory

We are sad to share the news that Mark Burns of Robert Burns Construction, Inc. (Stockton, CA) unexpectedly passed away. Mark was the son of Robert Burns. He began working for the company when he was 16 years old in April 1981. Mark is survived by wife, Martha Purcell; daughter, Sara Burns; stepchildren: Stacey Purcell, Victoria Bender (John), Gary Purcell (Michelle); 5 grandchildren; sisters Beth Mangili and Alyssa Kalba; numerous Aunts, Uncles, cousins, nephews, nieces and friends. A celebration of life was held in late July in Stockton. Robert Burns Construction, Inc., www.robertburnsconstruction.com, a UCON Member since 2006.

Gordon Nathan “Nate” Ball, 89, a longtime resident of Alamo, California, passed away peacefully June 17, 2024. Nate was born on October 13,1934, in Berkeley, California and grew up in Alamo. Following his high school years, Nate served his country with honor in the United States Marine Corps from 1952 to 1954. He saw action in the Korean War and was awarded the Bronze Star for his bravery and service.

In the 1960s, Nate worked for his father at Gordon H. Ball Construction. Demonstrating an entrepreneurial spirit, he went on to start his own company, Ball, Ball & Brosamer, in 1972. In 1995, Nate started Gordon N. Ball, Inc. and retired in 2000. His leadership and innovation made him a West Coast icon in the heavy construction industry, leaving a significant and lasting impact.

Nate’s life was marked by his commitment to his family, his community, and his country. His legacy of strength, courage, and sense of humor will be remembered by all who knew him. Gordon N. Ball, Inc., www.ballconco. com, a UCON Member since 1999.

Tenna Announces their TennaCANbus Awarded Editor’s Choice

Tenna LLC announces that TennaCANbus has been recognized by Asphalt Contractor as a 2024 Top 30 Editor’s Choice award winner. This award highlights the latest innovations in the asphalt industry, and Tenna is grateful to be named on this nationally recognized list.

“The TennaCANbus tracker is a unique, high-quality product that makes a significant impact for contractors seeking thorough equipment management and insights in the market,” says Tenna CEO and CoFounder, Austin Conti.

Enrique Alfaro, Tenna’s Director of Hardware, adds “The TennaCANbus tracker provides significant value to contractors with its numerous benefits including extensive data coverage, granularity, reliability, external PTO monitoring for a more accurate understanding of utilization, and a unique ability to work alongside AEMP integrations in the Tenna platform.”

Read more about how TennaCANbus is helping contractors optimize their operations by improving visibility into heavy equipment utilization by visiting www.tenna.com, a UCON member since 2020.

In Memory

Gary Anderson Farwest Safety, Inc.

Gary was born in Oakland, California, on November 27, 1938, and passed away on June 20th, 2024. Gary’s goal was to follow in his father’s footsteps and establish a productive company in construction. His father worked in construction, notably on the new road across the Altamont Pass.

Gary served in the US Army from 1955-1959, after which he decided to pursue his dream of owning his own business. He then worked for several construction companies, including his own, A&A Construction in the early 1970s. In 1976 he left California to work for the Alaska Native Health Services in the construction division, where he worked in remote bush locations which demanded travel between projects by aircraft. Gary was responsible for supervising construction operations of the water and sewer projects in the Northwestern Alaska territories. After almost a decade, Gary decided to move back to Livermore, California, and started Farwest Safety, Inc. in 1985.

Since 1985, Farwest has been providing traffic control services throughout the industry, led by Gary’s slogan, “Your Safety is Our Business.” Gary was instrumental in the traffic control industry in becoming unionized, and was one of the first to sign on.

Gary was a true leader who blazed his own trail. He will be missed. Farwest Safety, Inc., www.farwestsafety. com, a UCON Member since 1999.

Taking Time to Talk about Safety

“Fall Protection” is the number one most frequently cited standard (by OSHA) year after year. Fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be a leading cause of death for construction employees, accounting for 395 of the 1069 construction fatalities recorded in 2022 (BLS data). Those deaths were preventable. A Safety Stand-Down, and Safety Tailgates raise fall hazard awareness, as well as other safety issues, in an effort to stop fatalities and injuries. It also gives teams an opportunity to talk about other job hazards they see.

UCON members take part in the National Safety Stand-Down week in May 2024. Members can find many safety tailgate topics and other safety products to talk with their teams about in our Contractor Resources Library—download them free at www.unitedcontractors.org.

KDW CONSTRUCTION, LLC

SUKUT CONSTRUCTION LLC

URBAN HABITAT