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by Karen Maine, President, MEA Board of Directors

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful Holiday season with family and friends.

As we head into 2019, I wanted to take this time to remind you the importance of the information that we provide in this publication. I know you are bombarded daily with so much electronic mail and media, the MEA News is meant to get above the noise and be your one stop for top information about the Electrical Association and the industry. The Association staff sifts through emails, articles and documents released by partners in the industry, so you don’t have to.

Insurance – Federated Insurance has been partnering with us for over 60 years! They bring you everything from information on FMLA, Cybersecurity, Disaster Recovery ...everything we need to ensure ourselves and our businesses are covered from all the "what ifs".

Attorney – Legal fees are expensive! Kate Bischoff and Tom Revnew are here to help. Drug Testing Policies, Discrimination, I-9s, Performance Reviews, Handbook, Mechanics’ Liens and Firing an Employee to name a few. This is FREE advice! Save these articles for when you need them in the future. 

Politics – Each time we survey membership to determine their top reason for belonging, government action ranks #1. Decisions that get made during legislative committee hearings can greatly affect the way that we all do business. Bill Strusinski (MEA’s lobbyist) navigates through all of the bills that get introduced and Michelle Dreier (MEA) informs us as needed.

Accountant – Many of us have our own accountants, but it is always good to get more information to ensure we are setting ourselves up for success. Tim Pass from Smith Schafer gives us the latest info in the tax world and might bring to your attention something you had not explored yet. You Need to Know – Quick blurbs of important information with links to further details.

Education Calendar – Post this in your shop! All of your electricians should see it!

Education Safety – Toolbox Talks are published to fulfill our OSHA requirements. MEA has a training alliance with MNOSHA, which includes an article written by Dave Ferkul on topics such as most frequently cited standards, elevating work platforms and the new silica standard.

New Products – Take a look at what is new in the industry and what you might want to use on your next project! MEA Information – Conference details, Action Items from Committee Meetings, Workforce Initiatives, New Products or Offerings, Deals on Products...your one place to find anything related to MEA.

Audience – A hardcopy limited version of the MEA News goes out to ALL contractors in the state of MN. MEA members receive the full printed version with all of the mentioned topics above. An electronic version of the newsletter goes out as well. We can be send this to anyone in your shop as long as your roster in the MEA database is accurate. If you need help with this piece – call MEA (612-827-6117).

The MEA News comes to you every other month–sit down and take the time to work on your business for a bit. The amount of ideas and questions that evolve from this time always surprises me. As always, if there is a topic you would like MEA to include, please let the Association know. The main goal of the newsletter is to help YOU. Join MEA to ensure you are getting all of the information relevant to running your business.