Engineering & General Contractors Association | San Diego General Contractors

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Working Together to Stengthen Our Industry

Co-Founders of the Construction Industry Coalition

EGCA helped found the San Diego Construction Industry Coalition, whose members include the American Subcontractors Association (ASA), Black Contractors Association (BCA) Latino Builders Industry Association (LBIA), National Electrical Contractors Association (NECA), Women Construction Owners & Executives (WCOE) and the Engineering & General Contractors Association (EGCA).

Reaching into the halls of power

With our Coalition partners we work with public agencies in the Greater San Diego county area-City Councils, the County Board of Supervisors, SANDAG, and various Water Agencies-in implementation of our "Home Town Plan" to make public projects more attractive and profitable to local, small and emerging businesses-indeed, to all businesses.

Market Driven Solutions Instead of Government Programs

Why does EGCA care about diversity?

Who else? Who better? This struggle is all OUR struggle. It is not just the struggle of the Black Contractors Association. It is not just the burden of Latino Builders or Women Construction Owners & Executives. It is not just a focus of the local American Subcontractors and National Electrical Contractors Associations. Out Coalition partners have fought the good fight for many years. We have joined them in this struggle.

But why should WE care? Because we want our American economy, our San Diego economy to grow and prosper. Excluding SOME people hurts ALL people. We can't afford to deprive ourselves of the genius, the unique cultural contributions, the effort of each and everyone of our citizens and businesses. To build a better world, we must pull together. Not just because it is the right thing to do, but because it is the only way our industry can achieve its full potential: long-term prosperity for all.

EGCA Scholarship

In order to:

• Provide a valuable benefit available to all EGCA members and their employees.
• Create qualified local talent and future leaders
• Honor the contributions of significant local Industry leaders (a different leader each year)

1. A $10,000 scholarship paid in $2,500 annual installments over 4 years
   1. Available only to persons pursuing a 4-year degree who declare intent to enter the industry and, are studying in industry-related fields including: construction project manager, civil engineer, mechanical engineer, traffic engineer, structural engineer, industrial engineer, architect
   2. Summer internships may be available during the four years
2. A $2,000 scholarship paid in two $1,000 annual increments
   1. Any discipline, with preference for above-described, industry-related fields
   2. May "upgrade" to eligibility for the $10,000 award with re-application if recipient switches to construction, or works part-time or full-time in the industry
3. A $1,000 scholarship paid in two $500 annual increments
   1. Any discipline (intended for, but not restricted to, community college students;
   2. To be eligible Applicants must be:
   • Immediate family members of EGCA members or their employees
   • A high school junior, senior or graduate

The competition:

March 1 is the submission deadline. Following EGCA Scholarship Selection Panel review of the applications, a one-day event will be held among the semi-finalists who will be required to write a brief essay on an industry topic given that competition day. Students will then orally present their ideas to the EGCA Scholarship Selection Panel in a group discussion intended to identify those persons best capable of clearly and rationally thinking, communicating and working in a group. Fiscal need will be a consideration but not a requirement.

Key annual dates:

December 1 - Applications available from EGCA, in pay envelopes and at www.egca.org

March 1 - Completed student applications must be returned

March 31 - Recommendation by the EGCA Scholarship Selection Panel

April 30 - Selection of the 3 finalists by EGCA Board

Early May - Winners notified

Presentation of the three scholarships at the June EGCA Member meeting

Current Issues

Some Recent Victories and Ongoing Current Issues Include:

Fairer, clearer bidding and qualification procedures

• EGCA successfully lobbied public agencies to include a one-page bidding checklist at the very front of each bid package to eliminate the possibility of a bidder inadvertently omitting a required item buried deep in the specifications.
• EGCA lobbies public agencies to oh1y require CPM Schedules AFTER bid award, not before.
• EGCA works closely with public agencies, including the City of 5ah Diego, who have pre-qualification programs to assure they are open; relatively uncomplicated and fair, especially to small and emerging businesses.

• EGCA successfully negotiated with the San Diego City Engineering & Capital Projects (E&CP) manager$ to increase payments on underground work from 60% to 80% to more adequately cover hard costs,
• EQCA successfully negotiated with San Diego City E&CP to repay prime contractors who release retention early to subs who-on long term projects-have finished their work satisfactorily and shou1dn't have to wait a couple of years for their money.
• EGCA is working these issues with other public agencies, as well.

• EGCA's taskforce works with City estimators to help them better understand and keep abreast of ever-changing costs of construction- like fluctuating insurance and workers comp rates, and ongoing materials price increases.

• EGCA's joint taskforce with the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) develops regional standards for traffic control work-zone sizing which safely encompasses labor, equipment and materials, and provides for the public's safe traverse of the construction work zone.

• Field inspectors are supervised by persons with field experience.
• Rookie inspectors are teamed with experienced inspectors.
• Inspectors do not "churn" between assignments (which can result in a “new face" several times during a single project).

• EGCA has worked to assure that Owner Controlled Insurance Programs (OCIP) are no longer used by local public agencies. The City of 5an Diego has generally discontinued the use of this practice.
• EGCA is working with the San Diego City Council and managers to replace the SCOPE program with a market-incentive program to genuinely increase participation of small and emerging businesses in City project subcontracting.

• EGCA members meet regularly with City Council members, City Engineers and project administration staff in cities around San Diego County to communicate joint concerns and to resolve bidding, inspection and payment issues - we have an "open door" In most agencies.
• EGCA members meet regularly with Caltrans, Division 11, construction administrators and with San Diego County Engineering heads to communicate joint concerns, solve problems and hear about upcoming projects.