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LECET News

Studies Commissioned by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign recently completed two studies that examined the potential economic impact changing two worker protection laws would have on the State of Illinois.

In the first study, the University of Illinois and the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor analyzed the economic impact Right to Work would have in Illinois. The study provides not only how this would affect Illinois but also how Right to Work affects the nation. The study determined six key findings, which you can review here.

The second study, completed by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Michigan State University, measured the effect on the State of Illinois if the Prevailing Wage Act was repealed. The study measured the economic and social impacts that the Statewide Prevailing Wage Law has on all public construction projects throughout Illinois. This study is the first of its kind to be commissioned. There were five key findings which you can find here.

If you have additional questions, or for a copy of the complete studies, please contact Illinois LECET at 217-789-4306 or info@midwestlecet.org.

Texas Laborers’ Benefit from TransCanada Gulf Coast Project

Nederland, TX – TransCanada announced that the Gulf Coast project would begin delivering crude oil to the Gulf Coast region. This was a $2.3 billion crude oil pipeline built by the Laborers’ in Texas. Construction of the 487-mile crude oil pipeline involved more than 11 million hours of labor completed by 4,844 workers in the United States of America, more than 50 contracts with manufacturers and companies building the pipeline and equipment from across the U.S. It also included the addition of 2.25 million barrels of new oil storage capacity at Cushing, Oklahoma. To access the full article, please click here.

Indiana Laborers Training Fund Announces New ICRA Comprehensive Training Program

Hoosier Job Creation and New Markets are Top Priorities

Indianapolis – The Indiana Laborers District Council announced today a comprehensive new Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) training program.

For years hospitals and healthcare facilities have sought to decrease the risk of airborne pathogens and protect patients from secondary infections associated with occupied facility construction, renovation, and demolition activities. As a result, the Infection Control Risk Assessment (ICRA) was created to develop policies and procedures to prevent secondary infections during facility construction projects.

In partnership with the LiUNA Training and Education Fund, our state-of-the-art training centers in Bedford, and Logansport, Indiana, have been the established leaders in environmental remediation for over 30 years. This wealth of experience combined with our accredited ICRA curriculum will ensure patient, worker and public safety in any occupied facility where construction activities take place.

“We are proud to offer unparalleled training in this crucial field,” said Frank Degraw, Business Manager of the Indiana Laborers District Council. DeGraw added, “We recognize that it is our friends and families who will be the patients at these facilities, and we want to ensure that all of the construction and renovation work done there is performed by the most highly-skilled and best-trained workforce available.”

At the core of LiUNA’s ICRA training program are two accredited courses: ICRA for Occupied Facilities Awareness and ICRA for Occupied Facilities Worker course.

  • ICRA for Occupied Facilities Awareness Course: Provides an awareness of the causes for secondary infection, the importance of infection control, and procedures for properly conducting construction activities within an occupied healthcare facility. This eight-hour awareness course is designed for workers who perform construction tasks in occupied facilities.
  • ICRA for Occupied Facilities Worker Course: This 24-hour course builds upon the eight-hour awareness course by providing additional information on structures and controls needed to prevent the spread of infection. It is designed for individuals working in occupied facilities who perform construction tasks and have responsibility for building, maintenance and deconstruction of structures and controls associated with work area containment.

“The Indiana Laborers Training Fund has provided the finest training in the construction industry for over 45 years.” said the Fund’s Director Sean Coakley. Coakley added, “LiUNA Training has always set the standard for construction and environmental remediation skills training, and through our comprehensive, third-party accredited ICRA program courses we are proud to provide our signatory contractors the safest, most knowledgeable and efficient workforce in the industry.”