September 13, 2016 - Minutes of Public Meetings - Apprenticeship and Training Council

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Mr. William C. Taylor called the Council meeting to order at 9:02 a.m. at the Baltimore Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee for the Electrical Industry, 2699 West Patapsco Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21230 and welcomed all Council members, staff and guests in attendance. He thanked Mr. Neil Wilford and the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local No. 24 and the Maryland Chapter of the National Electrical Contractors Association for hosting the Council meeting. Mr. Wilford welcomed Council members, staff and guests to their training facility.

PRESENT:

COUNCIL MEMBERS:
William C. Taylor - Chairperson, Public Representative
Jennifer D. Runkles - Public Representative
Allen B. Clinedinst III – Employee Representative
Norbert R. Klusmann, Sr. - Employee Representative
Alexander E. Poling - Employee Representative
Leon W. Bromley - Employer Representative
Michelle L. Butt - Employer Representative
Edwin Cluster - Employer Representative
Grant B. Shmelzer - Employer Representative
David Smarte - Employer Representative

Charles J. Most, Jr. – Consultant to the Council

OTHERS:
Thomas J. Meighen - Commissioner of Labor and Industry, DLLR
Steven Lakin - Deputy Commissioner of Labor and Industry, DLLR
Kathleen S. Sibbald - MATP
Kelton Addison - MATP
John P. Taylor - MATP
John Vontran - MATP
Michael L. Alexander - Baltimore City Joint Apprenticeship Committee
Maria Anderson - Anderson Fire Protection, Inc.
Steve Baldwin - Tranzed Apprenticeship Services
Jessica Carter - DLLR/OAG
Larry Ennels - Baltimore City Office of Civil Rights and Wage Enforcement
Roland C. “RC” Fisher - Maryland Army National Guard
Kathy Gress - Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Cumberland Valley Chapter
Brent Hancock - Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, Inc. JATC
Jimmy Herbert - Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, Inc. JATC
Christopher D. MacLarion – DLLR/DWDAL
Laura Merrill - TranZed Apprenticeship Services
Timothy F. Miller - Mid-Atlantic Carpenters’ Training Centers
Kimberly Neal - Tranzed Apprenticeship Services
Diane Peters - DLLR/Office of the Secretary
Jason C. Roberts - Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Metropolitan Washington Chapter
Nancy Tretick - Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Chesapeake Shores Chapter
Charles Wallace - MSDE
Jody Wathen - Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, Inc. JATC
Sean A. Weaver - DLLR
Neil E. Wilford, Jr. - Baltimore JATC for the Electrical Industry

The Chair recognized Mr. Roland “RC” Fisher from the Maryland Army National Guard. Mr. Fisher reminded the Council that National Guard citizen soldiers have a plethora of skills that they bring to the community. He added that many of these soldiers want to become involved in programs like apprenticeship and that they possess the discipline that employers look for.

I. The first order of business was the approval of the minutes of the July 12, 2016 Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council meeting.

Mr. Clinedinst inquired as to who the two Council members were that had abstained from voting on the request from G.A. Smith Electric, Inc. for the reactivation of their Standards of Apprenticeship. Mr. John Taylor responded that those names are not recorded in the minutes. He went to explain the difference between a Council member abstaining from voting on a particular item of business and a member recusing him/herself from participating in the Council’s consideration of an item of business on the agenda due to having an interest in that item.

The minutes of the July 12, 2016 Council meeting were approved as submitted.

II. DIRECTOR’S REPORT:

A. Ms. Sibbald informed Council members that the transition of the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council from the Division of Labor and Industry to the Division of Workforce Development and Adult Learning would become official on October 1, 2016. She stated that it had been a great experience for her working with apprenticeship.

B. Council members were informed that the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Fund had collected just over $38,000 since the start of the fiscal year in July 1, 2016.

C. Ms. Sibbald introduced Mr. Larry Ennels, the Program Compliance Officer, from the City of Baltimore Office of Civil Rights and Wage Enforcement. Mr. William Taylor asked Mr. Ennels about his role with that office. Mr. Ennels responded that he worked in the area of Baltimore City contracts that come under the city’s Prevailing Wage law.

III. NEW BUSINESS:

A. PROGRAM REVSIONS:

1. Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SMECO) JATC (John F. Vontran) – Request for registration of revised and updated Standards of Apprenticeship.

Mr. Vontran informed Council members that there was a letter from SMECO as part of their materials that listed the changes that had been made to revise and update their Standards. He also introduced Jody Wathan, Brent Hancock and Jimmy Herbert who were in attendance representing SMECO.

Commissioner Meighen observed that on page 7 of the Standards it stated that the apprenticeship was 8,000 hours while on the Standards Report Form it was shown as 10,000 hours. Ms. Wathan responded that the term of apprenticeship had been five years but it is now a four-year apprenticeship program. Mr. Vontran stated that he would take care of making the correction on the Standards Report Form.

A motion to approve the revised and updated Standards of Apprenticeship for the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative, Inc. (SMECO) JATC was made by Mr. Smarte, seconded by Ms. Butt and unanimously approved.

2. Mid-Atlantic Carpenters’ Training Centers – Baltimore (John F. Vontran) – Revision to add the occupation of Trade Show Carpenter. Related instruction to be provided by the Mid- Atlantic Carpenters’ Training Centers.

Mr. Vontran presented this revision to the Council and informed Council members that the District of Columbia Apprenticeship Council had approved the occupation of Trade Show Carpenter on August 23, 2016. He also introduced Timothy Miller who was in attendance representing the sponsor.

Mr. Cluster inquired about the source of the related instruction for this occupation. Mr. Miller responded how it had been developed by them and that it would be taught in their training facility.

Mr. Shmelzer inquired about the term of apprenticeship for this occupation being 3900 hours over a three-year period. Mr. Vontran responded that the term of apprenticeship ranged from 3900 hours to 5000 hours or 1300 to 1665 hours per year.

A motion to approve this revision was made by Mr. Clinedinst, seconded by Mr. Klusmann and unanimously approved.

3. Mid-Atlantic Carpenters’ Training Centers – Washington, D.C. (John P. Taylor) – Revision to add the occupation of Trade Show Carpenter. Related instruction to be provided by the Mid- Atlantic Carpenters’ Training Centers.

Mr. John Taylor presented this revision to the Council. He noted that it was identical to the revision that the Council had approved for the Mid-Atlantic Carpenters’ Training Center in the Baltimore Area.

A motion to approve this revision was made by Mr. Shmelzer, seconded by Mr. Smarte and unanimously approved.

B. VOLUNTARY REQUESTS FOR CANCELLATION OF STANDARDS OF APPRENTICESHIP:

1. Graham Packaging Plastics Products, Inc. effective April 30, 2016 and Sims Recycling Solutions (formerly E-Structors, Inc.) effective March 22, 2016.

C. OTHER BUSINESS:

1. Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Metropolitan Washington Chapter (John P. Taylor) – Request for after-the-fact registration and completion of an apprentice Sprinkler Fitter.

Mr. John Taylor presented this request to the Council. He introduced Jason Roberts from Associated Builders and Contractors Inc. and Maria Anderson from Anderson Fire Protection, Inc. who were in attendance representing the request. He stated that Anderson Fire Protection, Inc. had signed an Employer Acceptance Agreement with Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. to be a participating employer under their Standards of Apprenticeship. Anderson Fire Protection, Inc. then prepared Apprenticeship Agreements for four individuals but had retained them in their files rather than submit them to Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. to submit to the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council for them to be registered. This oversight came to light when the State Prevailing Wage Unit performed a review of certified payrolls for a covered project on which Anderson Fire Protection, Inc. had listed the four individuals as apprentices. By that time, one of those individuals had already met all of the requirements for completion of his apprenticeship and two others had already completed over fifty percent (50%) of their requirements. Ms. Anderson stated that once they were advised of the situation, they made restitution to those four individuals.

A motion to approve this request was made by Mr. Smarte, seconded by Ms. Butt and unanimously approved.

2. Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc., Metropolitan Washington Chapter (John P. Taylor) – Request to register two (2) apprentice Sprinkler Fitters with credit for on-the-job training and related instruction beyond the fifty percent (50%) level due to delayed registration.

Mr. John Taylor presented this request to the Council and noted that the circumstances pertaining to this request were the same as those pertaining to the previous one. There was considerable Council discussion as to what could be done to prevent situations such as these from continuing to occur. Ms. Anderson thanked Council members for their consideration of these requests and stated that Anderson Fire Protection, Inc. had hired a new employee who among other duties, would have responsibility for compliance with prevailing wage requirements.

A motion to approve this request was made by Mr. Smarte, seconded by Mr. Bromley and unanimously approved.

3. Informational Items:

a. Proposed schedule of Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council meetings for calendar year 2017..This was an information item only. Approval of the Council meeting schedule for calendar year 2017 will be done at the November 15, 2016 Council meeting.

There being no further business to come before the Council, the meeting of the Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council was adjourned at 9:50 a.m.

Respectfully submitted,
Kathleen S. Sibbald
Secretary
Maryland Apprenticeship and Training Council