March 2012 Newsletter - ABC

Merit Shop Message
Associated Builders
And Contractors, Inc.
Pelican Chapter
MARCH
2012
From the Chairman……. 3
2nd Annual Crawfish
Boil Save the Date………3
From the President……. 4
GR: 2012 Outlook…...... 6
2012 Fishing Rodeo
Save the Date……………. 7
Membership: Make a
Difference—Join an
ABC Committee…………. 8
New Members…………… 9
2012 Spring Golf
Tournament
Registration…..………….. 10
National News: USDA
Withdraws
Procurement Rule……… 11
Training Center
Update………………………. 12
Southwest Regional
Update………………………. 14
LCEF Update……………… 15
Legal Feature: When
Crime Doesn’t Pay.….... 16
EIC & Officer
Installation Banquet….. 18
ABC Pelican Chapter hosts Annual
Excellence in Construction Awards &
Installation of Officers Banquet
The Pelican Chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors hosted a banquet
Thursday, January 19, 2012 at The Baton Rouge Hilton Capitol Center to recognize and
congratulate all winners of the Excellence in Construction competition and Installation
of the Officers.
Twenty one entries were received for the EIC competition in various industrial and
commercial construction categories; fourteen received Awards of Excellence and six
Awards of Merit. All winners were eligible to compete in the National ABC
competition. Winners at the National level were recognized at an awards banquet in
Phoenix on February 21, 2012.
Pictured Left: Mike Moran,
Cajun Industries, LLC.
happily accepts Past
Chairman Plaque from
incoming chair, Jerome
Mabile with Performance
Contractors, Inc.
Pictured Below Left: Cajun
Deep Foundations accepts
Excellence Award;
Pictured Below Right:
Barriere Construction Co.
accepts Merit Award.
LA ABC State
Convention Save the
Date………………………….. 21
Membership Directory
Advertising Packages... 22
Mark Your Calendars…. 23
Continued on Page 18

MERIT SHOP MESSAGE
President
Alvin M. Bargas
Vice Chair
Member Services
Andy Lopez
Editor
Caitlin Stolzenthaler
Programs & Events
Chair
Josh Coots
MERIT SHOP MESSAGE is
published monthly by
Pelican Chapter, ABC. ABC
is a national nonprofit trade
association of contractors,
subcontractors, suppliers,
and associates who have
joined together to advance
the construction industry by
aggressively supporting the
merit shop philosophy and
the free enterprise system.
Copyright 2011.
Pelican Chapter
Associated Builders &
Contractors
19251 Highland Road
Baton Rouge, La 70809
225-752-1415
Fax 225-751-9470
www.abcpelican.org
Executive Committee
Chair Jerome Mabile, Performance
Contractors; Chair-Elect
Todd Grigsby, Cajun Industries;
Secretary Ronnie Gulino, ISC;
Treasurer Gay Young, Pala
Group; VC Education Chet
Ferachi, Performance Contractors,
Inc.; VC Outlying Area Thad
Thrash, Bryan & Thrash Contractors;
VC Growth Glen Redd,
Triad Electric & Controls, Inc.;
VC Government Relations
Stephen Toups, Turner Industries;
VC Member Services Andrew
Lopez, Bennett Builders, LLC;
Past Chair Mike Moran, Cajun
Deep Foundations
Board of Directors
Brian Bordelon, Triad Electric &
Controls, Inc.; Ben Bourgeois,
Turner Industries Group, LLC;
Hank Coates, Pala Interstate; Trey
Crawford, Grady Crawford
Construction Co., Inc; Ryan
Girouard, Whitney Bank; Greg
Landry, The Lemoine Co. Inc.;
Lee Mayeux, Cajun Industries,
LLC; Fred McManus, The Shaw
Group, Inc.; Thad Rispone, ISC;
Sarah Taylor, Gulf Coast Occupational
Medicine; Thad Thrash,
Bryan & Thrash; Wade Walker,
Jacobs Field Services; Joe Wiley,
EXCEL
Chapter Legal Counsel
Murphy Foster, III, Breazeale,
Sachse & Wilson Law Firm
Auditors
Hannis T. Bourgeois, LLP
FROM THE CHAIRMAN: MARCH MADNESS
JEROME MABILE, PERFORMANCE CONTRACTORS
As basketball season comes to a close, the beginning of my favorite season
typically starts in March, “Crawfish Season!” I would be doing the Pelican
Chapter an injustice if I didn’t give my predictions on the season. Well, all the
conditions needed from Mother Nature for a great wild crawfish crop are
happening. Early water in the basin, a mild winter, and plenty of natural
vegetation create the perfect habitat. Unlike my ability to predict basketball,
let’s hope I’m better at predicting crawfish season.
As the Republican presidential hopefuls continue to duke it out, the picture begins to clear
somewhat. We are faced with the reality of rallying around the GOP nominee with the
ultimate goal of electing a new president. We must unite and support the GOP nominee,
and ensure everyone who benefits from a free enterprise system understands the
importance and significance of this election. The one constant is that the current
administration is continuing on the path of anti-business, anti-free enterprise. From recent
appointments to the National Labor Relations Board to the snuffling of the mega Keystone
XL pipeline project, their idea of mending this economy only continues to worsen it.
Defending our core values and the Merit Shop Philosophy requires constant vigilance of our
government’s activities both locally and nationally. To assist the Indiana Chapter in their
fight to pass Right to Work legislation, our Pelican Chapter’s PAC donated $10,000 to their
cause. It was nice to learn that the PAC board unanimously agreed to support Indiana in
their quest for right to work. The PAC investment turned out to be a wise one. Big labor did
all they could to maintain the status quo of compulsory unionism; but in spite of an
estimated 7,000 union protesters, the Indiana Legislature passed the bill and Governor
Mitch Daniels signed it into law.
It’s mind boggling to know that “Big Labor” represents only about 15% of our nation’s
construction work force yet they are called “Big Labor.” Indianans have sent the message
that the time has finally come when the few are no longer able to influence the policy for
the many.
SAVE THE DATE
Thursday, April 12, 2012
4:00—7:00 p.m.
ABC Office
Baton Rouge, LA
THE MERIT SHOP ADVANTAGE
Merit Shop is a way of doing business in which companies reward employees based on
performance and encourage them to reach their highest level of achievement, and in which
contracts are awarded based on safety, quality, and value, regardless of labor affiliation.

4
FROM THE PRESIDENT: THE TIME HAS ARRIVED
ALVIN M. BARGAS, PELICAN CHAPTER PRESIDENT
That’s what Gordon, my
dad, used to tell me just
before he pulled the piece
of conveyor belt from the
kitchen drawer to give me
some incentive to do what my mom
asked, and asked, and asked, and what
I continued to procrastinate on. It’s
amazing the amount of action those
words and such a small narrow piece
of conveyor leather salvaged from the
scrap pile at Exxon could provide when
forcefully spoken and strategically
placed across one young child’s
buttocks.
2012 is it; it is this year that our “time
has arrived.” And while we cannot use
strategically placed straps to
incentivize our families and friends
and fellow employees it is imperative
that we find a way to focus our
behavior to encourage two things;
recruitment of young and old alike
into the craft construction workforce,
and, recruitment of our fellow
employees and their families and
friends into the voting booth. Our
nation cannot wait.
As you know the Pelican Chapter has
been at the forefront of the ABC
Federation in construction and
industrial maintenance craft education
programs. Our efforts have been
supported and encouraged by the
Greater Baton Rouge Industry Alliance
(GBRIA) here in the Baton Rouge area,
and by the Southwest Louisiana
Construction Users Council (SLCUC) in
the parishes surrounding Lake Charles.
In 2012 our partners from industry are
projecting the beginning of a steadily
rising demand for a skilled
construction craft workforce.
Predictions reveal a need as high as
30,000 new entrants into the
industrial construction and
maintenance industry from now
through 2015. Now is the time to
Merit Shop Message | March 2012
How often have you heard the expression “The Time Has Arrived”
ramp up our efforts to meet this
demand.
With your help we can do this in
2012. Thanks to many of our
members we have made
tremendous strides in bringing
industry awareness and careers in
construction to high school
students across Louisiana. ABC
contractors have partnered with
high schools to provide
instructional guidance, student
awareness and in-kind financial
support. Our staffs in Baton Rouge
and Lake Charles have devoted an
immense amount of time “beating
–the-bushes” in search of recruits
into the industry. And in
conjunction with our partners in
industry we continue to build
coalitions with public training
providers and educators.
But we need to do more. We need
you to talk among your friends and
family about the positive career
opportunities construction offers.
Join with other contractors in
partnering with a high school. This
is not just for the “big-boys” nor is
it just for the “industrial guys” as I
often hear. Working with
Louisiana’s youth is a very
rewarding experience. Give Robert
Clouatre or Kirby Bruchhaus a call
and they will get you engaged.
Your clients need your help. As we
work with industry to bring a
higher level of training to our state
we ask that you support Pelican
Chapter’s Industrial Contractors
Council and the Southwest Steering
Committee by participating and
supporting ABC, GBRIA and SLCUC
initiatives to engage a wide range
of entities that attract, train and
retain the craft workforce required
to successfully construct, maintain,
2012 is it...Our nation
cannot wait.
and operate the industrial
manufacturing facilities so vital to
Louisiana’ economy and the
economy of America.
And in 2012 we must work to
elevate our employees, friends and
families to a higher level of political
awareness and engage them in the
political process. This is not a hard
thing to do and ABC has the
resources to assist you. From our
well respected Vice President of
Governmental Relations, John
Walters, to the team at our
National office in Arlington, VA,
ABC is ready to provide assistance
with voter registration tips as well
as grass roots action on matters of
importance to you and to the
industry.
ABC employees across America are
a very diverse group having a wide
array of thoughts and opinions on
just about everything including
political issues and candidates. This
is how it should be. ABC’s role is to
provide accurate, factual and up-todate
information upon which
stakeholders in the construction
industry can make decisions. It is
my and your job as employers to be
sure our employees are aware of
the resources at hand and that we
encourage our employees to utilize
these resources before making
political decisions that will impact
their future and that of their
children and grandchildren.

Please take a moment to review
www.abc.org and follow all of the tabs
related to the governance of our
country at the national level. Once
you have done so pass this along to
your employees. At the state level
join Donnie David, ISC, and John
Walters by signing up for the
Governmental Affairs Committee so
you can stay abreast of issues close to
home, to be a player in the decision
making process.
The “time has arrived”; I do not need
to tell you how important 2012 is
politically: Here in Louisiana we have
a golden opportunity to reform
education. We cannot, we absolutely
cannot, let this opportunity slip by.
Keep your employees informed and
ask them to get engaged, I guarantee
this is a matter that they will sink their
teeth into. If you need information
on education reform initiatives and
legislation contact John Walters or me.
Politically speaking on the national
level for 2012, I probably don’t need to
say anything. But you know I will…
2012 will be the most watched, highly
financed, polarizing election in the
history of the USA. Just as with the
legislative issues we face I encourage
you to ask your employees, family and
friends to undertake the due diligence
required to make a learned decision
before they select the candidate they
vote for. And I encourage you to
provide them with the path to ABC
resources so they can evaluate each
candidate’s position on the various
issues that is of interest to the
employee.
I have a couple of things in closing. I
want to echo Jerome’s comments on
Indiana’s successful passage of Right-
To-Work legislation. This is a huge,
positive step for America’s
construction workforce. A special
thanks to Lane Grigsby for bringing this
battle to our attention and for his
generous financial support of this
hard fought victory.
I want to bring out contractor
members attention to a newly
released ABC National website found
at www.shameonunionbanners.com
and the ABC National Bannering
Resource Guide, which is comprised
of best practices and other materials
used by chapters/members to
address union bannering. If you have
faced this situation you will
understand the importance of these
tools, if you have not, or if you are
not familiar with bannering, please
take a look. Be sure to watch the
video!
Merit Shop Message | March 2012
5

GOVERNMENT RELATIONS: 2012 OUTLOOK
JOHN WALTERS, LA ABC VICE PRESIDENT OF GOV. RELATIONS
6
With fundraisers in full
swing, the Capitol
bustling with activity,
and the 2012 legislative
session right around
the corner ABC’s
governmental relations
activities are heating up.
One of the most important benefits
of membership in ABC can be found
in the political arena. ABC places
emphasis on governmental
relations activities to promote,
protect and defend free enterprise,
and the merit shop philosophy. To
that end, our goals are to promote
pro-free enterprise legislation,
defend against anti-free enterprise
legislation, maintain strong
relationships with lawmakers, keep
members informed politically, and
be a resource for both ABC
members and elected officials.
We believe that employers have
the right and the responsibility to
manage their firms free from
coercion, restrictive work rules,
jurisdictional disputes, secondary
boycotts, and artificial restraints of
any kind.
ABC believes in the free enterprise
system and works diligently to
protect members’ rights so that
contractors can be selected based
on merit, without regard to labor
relations policies.
ABC Governmental Relations
activities focus on strengthening
our legislative relationships,
fostering new alliances, and serving
as an educational tool on political
matters.
It will be an extremely busy few
months, and we hope to have
another successful session behind
us as we roll into July. Between
Merit Shop Message | March 2012
now and then, please know that ABC
is working for you, and your
businesses, to help you thrive and
prosper with as little governmental
interference as possible.
Louisiana Legislative Session
By the time you read this, we will be
beginning, or about to begin, the
2012 Regular Session of the
Louisiana Legislature. Session
convenes at noon on Monday, March
12th and adjourns no later than 6:00
p.m. on Monday June 4th. This
session is general in nature;
however, no measure levying or
authorizing a new state tax,
increasing an existing state tax, or
legislating with regard to state tax
exemptions, exclusions, deductions,
or credits shall be introduced or
enacted.
Construction Union
Membership near Historic Low
A new report released by the U.S.
Department of Labor's Bureau of
Labor Statistics (BLS) indicates that
from 2010 to 2011, 874,000 workers
in the private construction industry
belonged to a union, the second
lowest number of construction union
members since BLS started tracking
this information in 1973.
According to BLS data, the lowest
recorded number of union members
in the construction industry was in
2010, when only 801,000 private
construction workers belonged to a
union. In 2011, there were 6.244
million workers in the construction
industry and 5.375 million of them
(86 percent) were not union
members. From 2010 to 2011, union
membership grew from 13.1 percent
to 14 percent of the U.S. private
construction workforce, with
construction unions adding 73,000
more members compared to 2010.
“Despite a slight uptick this year,
because of the gradual decline in
o verall co nst r uc tion u nio n
membership, high unemployment in
the construction industry, and election
-year political posturing, there likely
will be added pressure on laborfriendly
politicians and the Obama
administration to try to steer federal
construction contracts to unionized
employers and create jobs primarily
for union members through federal
government-mandated project labor
agreements (PLAs) and other anticompetitive
and costly measures,”
said Ben Brubeck, ABC National’s
Director of Labor and Federal
Procurement.
“In response, ABC will continue to
make every effort to create a level
playing field and maximize
com petition by prohibiting
government-mandated PLAs at the
federal , state, and local level, and
educate elected officials about the
detrimental effects PLA mandates
have on the construction industry and
on taxpayers,” said Brubeck.
ABC Legislative Reception
The 2012 ABC Legislative Reception
begins at 6:00pm on April 11th at The
City Club of Baton Rouge. This is an
ABC Louisiana event and is free to all
ABC members. Shortly, you should be
receiving an invitation either via-email
or regular mail. If you have questions
about registering, please contact
Caitlin Stolzenthaler either at
(225)753.2498 or cstolzenthaler@
abcpelican.com for a registration
form.
The Legislative Reception gives you
the chance to visit with legislators in a
relaxed social environment. You can
discuss issues and bills or simply give
them a thank you for committing the
time and effort it takes to make
Louisiana a better state.

We typically have a large turnout of
both ABC members and Louisiana
Legislators. The reception gives
you the opportunity to “Get into
Politics” so you don’t have to “Get
out of Business.” We hope to see
you there.
Quote of the Month
“Indiana has by every reckoning the
5th or 6th best business climate in
the country, and now it gets a little
better. The phone began literally
ringing yesterday afternoon with
companies wanting to come to our
state.” Indiana Governor Mitch
Daniels the day after signing into
law Right to Work legislation in
Indiana.
March 12th
April 11th
June 4th
November 6th
Regular Legislative Session Convenes
At 12:00 p.m.
ABC Legislative Reception
Begins at 6:00 p.m.
City Club of Baton Rouge
Regular Legislative Session Adjourns
By 6:00 p.m.
Federal Election Day
Merit Shop Message | March 2012
7

MEMBERSHIP: MAKE A DIFFERENCE—JOIN AN ABC COMMITTEE
ANNA ZEBEAU, DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP GROWTH
Have you ever considered joining a committee When you choose to serve on a volunteer committee, you
open up a world of possibilities for networking, professional growth, and career opportunities. Becoming
involved in a committee is one of the best ways to build relationships and derive value from membership.
ABC member firms and volunteers are the backbone and lifeblood of this Association. ABC’s strength comes
from the participation of its members’ representatives. They serve as a forum for exchange of information
and help develop guidelines and standards. Your input works towards positive change and forward
direction.
Committee membership is open to all ABC member firms and their employees. If you would like to take part in
facilitating the many issues and activities of the Pelican Chapter and sign up for a committee(s), please contact me at
(225) 753.2541 or azebeau@abcpelican.com. You are also welcome to contact the Chair of the Committee, as listed
below, that you are interested in to find out more information about the committee's goals. Also for those members
who are located in the Southwest part of the state, have branch locations or territorial coverage in southwest Louisiana,
we have committees at our ABC Southwest Training Center located in Westlake, Louisiana that you can participate on.
Budget & Finance Committee
Responsible for providing an analysis of the
expenditures of the previous fiscal period, preparing a
budget for the succeeding fiscal year and making
recommendations to the Board of Directors in
updating the current budget.
Meets Third Tuesday of each month @ 4:00 PM
ABC Contact: Janie Arceneaux
Committee Chair: Gay Young, Pala Interstate –
gyoung@palagroup.com
Committee Chair Elect: Ryan Girouard, Hancock
Bank - ryan_girouard@Hancockbank.com
Governmental Relations Committee
Responsible for maintaining records of all legislative
and legal matters of concern to the growth and
promotion of merit shop, the dissemination of this
information to the general membership as required
and encouraging action on the part of the general
membership in legislative matters.
Meets Third Monday of each month @ 3:30 PM
ABC Contact: John Walters
Committee Chair: Donnie David, ISC –
ddavid@iscgrp.com
Membership Development Committee
Responsible for recruiting, retaining, welcoming and
involving members of this association by employing
new and innovative ideas and programs.
Meets Second Wednesday Every Month; 8:00 AM
in ABC Board Room
ABC Contact: Anna Zebeau
Committee Chair: Kyle Stolzenthaler, Performance
Contractors – kyles@performance-contractors.com
Committee Chair Elect: Kenny Wolf, Cajun
Industries – kennyw@cajunusa.com
Programs & Events Committee
Responsible for planning the general membership events
hosted by the chapter.
Meets Second Tuesday of Every Month; 7:45 AM in
ABC Board Room
ABC Contact: Caitlin Stolzenthaler
Committee Chair: Josh Coots, Pala Interstate –
joshcoots@palagroup.com
Committee Chair Elect: Austin Gaffney, Wright &
Percy Insurance – austin.gaffney@bxsi.com
Safety Committee
This committee is responsible for continually updating the
membership on any new or revised standards and
regulations, to provide oversight and review on all Pelican
Chapter safety training and to promote the ABC National
S.T.E.P. Awards program.
Meets First Thursday of Every Month; 7:30 AM in ABC
Training Center
ABC Contact: Kacie Blanchard
Committee Chair: Shane Pourciau, Triad Electric &
Controls- shane_pourciau@thenewtrongroup.com
Committee Chair Elect: Troy Naquin, Infinity
Construction Services – tnaquin@infinitycs.us
Education & Manpower – Only available to ICC Members
and GBRIA Members
Meets Second Thursday of Every Month; 1:00 PM in
ABC Training Center
ABC Contact: Robert Clouatre
Committee Chair: Dale LeBlanc, Cajun Industries –
dalel@cajunusa.com
Committee Chair Elect: Wayne Tyson, Turner
Industries - wtyson@turner-industries.com
8
Merit Shop Message | March 2012

ABC WELCOMES OUR NEWEST
MEMBERS TO THE PELICAN CHAPTER
CNA INSURANCE
Grant Lewis
15 Century Boulevard Suite 400
Nashville, TN 37214
615.886.3210
www.cna.com
Insurance
KELLOGG BROWN & ROOT, LLC
Chris Nelson
3002 South Ruby Street
Gonzales, LA 70737
225.647.8200
225.647.8206
www.kbr.com
General Contractor
Sponsor: Mike Moran, Cajun
Deep Foundations
LOUISIANA CUTTING, LLC
Clint Schoracher
4157 S. Jeffrey Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70816
225.296.8620
888.281.4304
www.louisianacutting.com
Metals
PELLA WINDOWS & DOORS
Greg Haynes
15470 Airline Highway
Baton Rouge, LA 70817
225.753.4432
www.pella.com
Windows & Doors
RICHARD CONSTRUCTION, INC.
Kenneth Daigle
110 Neches Street
Beaumont, TX 77701
409.540.2676
409.212.1616
General Contractor – Industrial
WALK-ONS CATERING
Fritz Carville
2012 Forest Drive
Port Allen, LA 70767
225.330.4533
225.330.4487
www.walk-ons.com
Catering
Sponsor: Kyle Stolzenthaler,
Performance Contractors
ABC Southwest Training Center – Committees
SAFETY COMMITTEE – ABC Southwest Training Center
To identify general and specific safety concerns and training
opportunities to support a safe industry workforce. The
Safety Committee promotes communication and respect
between contractors and owners through open exchange of
best practices, learning opportunities, and successes in the
industry.
Meets First Tuesday of Every Month at 11:30 AM
ABC Contact: Mona Jarrell 337.882.0204
Committee Chair: Billy Reeves, Ron Williams
Construction
STEERING COMMITTEE – ABC Southwest Training Center
Responsible for the growth and promotion of the merit
philosophy in the Southwest Louisiana area, including
programs, events, legislative matters and training
opportunities.
Meets Second Tuesday of Every Month at 11:30 AM
ABC Contact: Mona Jarrell 337.882.0204
Committee Chair: Cheryl Luckie, Ron Williams
Construction
Vice Chair: Kirt Chaisson, Turner Industries Group
SLCUC TRAINING COMMITTEE- ABC Southwest Training
Center
This committee is made up of SLCUC members and ABC
Contractors members. They work jointly in making
recommendations and decisions to be presented to the
SLCUC Coordinating Committee for final approval, mainly
funding and training issues.
Meets Second Thursday of Every Month at 11:30 AM
ABC Contact: Kirby Bruchhaus 337.882.0204
Committee Chair: Peter Fritzenschaft, Westlake
Petrochemical
PROGRAMS & EVENTS – ABC Southwest Training Center
Responsible for planning the general membership events
hosted by the Chapter.
Meetings called as needed.
ABC Contact: Mona Jarrell 337.882.0204
Committee Chair: Jan Little, Performance Contractors
Merit Shop Message | March 2012
9

10
Merit Shop Message | March 2012

NATIONAL NEWS: USDA WITHDRAWS PROCUREMENT RULE REMINISCENT OF CLINTON-ERA BLACKLISTING POLICY
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has announced it is withdrawing a Dec. 1 direct final rule that would have altered the
USDA’s procurement policies to require federal contractors to certify that they, as well as their subcontractors and suppliers, were
in compliance with all applicable labor laws. The addition of this clause to the Agriculture Acquisition Regulation also would have
required contractors to agree to report future violations and allegations. A failure to be in compliance with any part of the rule
would have resulted in an undefined “corrective action.”
In response to the initial rule, ABC in January submitted comments telling the USDA that it does not have the authority to impose
the certification requirement. Notwithstanding the agency’s lack of authority, ABC also expressed several concerns over the
change. ABC pointed out that the U.S. Supreme Court has barred the executive branch from imposing penalties on government
contractors beyond those specified in existing labor law, which carry their own specific penalties and due process protections,
including hearings. ABC argued that mere allegations should not constitute grounds for suspension or debarment.
ABC also noted that the clause invited competitors or advocacy groups, such as unions, to make allegations against law-abiding
contractors, knowing the allegations would be counted against the contractors while they were still being investigated by the
appropriate labor agencies.
In addition, ABC highlighted the inherent uncertainty in the rule, and addressed the difficulty of ensuring compliance. “Due to the
complexity of the applicable laws, it is difficult, if not impossible, for any employer to ‘certify’ they are in compliance with any or all
labor laws,” ABC wrote. “It is certainly impossible for any contractor to certify independent subcontractors are in compliance with
such laws.”
The proposal also contained an erroneous analysis of the burdens the rule would have imposed on contractors, ABC pointed out.
Contrary to the USDA’s analysis, the rulemaking would actually require thousands of man hours per contractor to audit workplace
practices. And to audit their subcontractors would increase that cost exponentially without offering any benefit to the
government.
ABC historically has opposed any orders or regulations that would create a situation where federal contractors could be unfairly
barred from federal contracts. In 1999, ABC opposed an amendment to the Federal Acquisition Regulation offered by the Clinton
administration that would have defined what would be considered “an unsatisfactory record of integrity and business ethics” for
federal contractors and would have effectively created a blacklist of contractors. In 2001, the Bush administration reviewed and
eventually suspended a later version of the rule.
ABC will continue to speak out against the any new proposal or contracting provisions that facilitate inequality or favoritism in the
federal contracting process.
Merit Shop Message | March 2012
11

TRAINING CENTER: ST. JAMES CAREER CENTER PROJECT
ROBERT CLOUATRE, DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & TRAINING
The ABC Pelican
Chapter’s high school
p r o g r a m p a r t n e r s
initiative is proud to
highlight one of the many
projects that are made
possible through our
partnerships. With the help of Excel,
with the donation of all of the
building materials, and James
Construction, who donated supplies
and tools, the Carpentry class at the
St. James Career Center was able to
build a portable building again this
year. The building will be auctioned
off and the proceeds will be used to
acquire necessary tools, supplies,
upgrades, and to take field trips.
12
The kids are getting valuable hands
on training and at the same time
getting to see the fruits of their labor
all the way from the planning and
layout stage to the completed job as
seen in the photo below. Thanks to
all of our contractors, not just for this
project, but for all of the things you
make possible for the students in our
sponsored schools.
Congratulations go out to Cody Foret
for successfully passing his Level 1
Certified Welding Test on SMAW
plate. At the age of 15, he is the
youngest student to achieve this
certification at Assumption High
School. He was recognized for this
outstanding achievement at the
Assumption Parish School Board
meeting on February 17 th . His
dedication to AHS and the ABC
Welding Program is greatly
appreciated by all
Merit Shop Message | March 2012
s t a f f a n d
s t u d e n t s .
Everyone at ABC,
Assumption High
School, and at
P e r f o r m a n c e
C o n t r a c t o r s
(Assumption High
sponsor) are
looking forward to
the future successes
of this student.
There is no doubt
that he will earn
m a n y m o r e
certifications before
he leaves high
school. This is just
another example of
why career and
technical education
needs tremendous support in order
to continue to be a viable option for
the students in all of our schools. Its
importance should never be
underestimated or overlooked so
that students like Cody may
continue to develop real skills that
may one day open up real career
opportunities.
After twenty plus years of training
tomorrow’s workforce, the training
center was in need of some minor
updates. It seems that the
thousands of miles walked in our
hallways by all of our current and
former students had finally taken a
toll on the flooring and new ones
were in order. New flooring tile
has been installed in all of our
buildings as well as fresh ceiling
tiles throughout. Also, the initial
stage of the interior painting has
been completed and we hope to
finish this at some point in the near
future. A big thanks goes out to
everyone who helped out with the
renovating. This includes the many
students who helped clean out the
classrooms and labs as well as our
hard working custodial crew who
has done numerous jobs related to

these updates. Please feel free to come by and check
out our progress as we continue to reenergize both
our facilities as well as our students’ minds.
As seen in our dates to remember below, our
training center will be hosting two upcoming FFA
events as well as the high school craft competition
this month. All of these events continue to be an
important way for us to show people how dedicated
we are to the young people of our state and to the
development and implementation of their skills. It is
important to remember that they are the future of
our industry and most notably, they are the future of
our country. It is truly rewarding to be able to help
highlight the skills and commitments of these young
men and women as they compete to see who can be
the best. Best of luck to our participants and thanks
to everyone who helps to make these events a
success.
Training Center Enrollment Report
Electrical
(EP Breaux)
Electrical Core
Electrical
Instrumentation
Heavy Equip /
Mobile Crane
Millwright
Pipefitting
68
57
158
88
104
146
70
Welding
Specialty Classes
Ascension
Pipefitting
Central Welding
Dual Electrical
Dual Welding
TOTAL
216
89
18
15
9
28
945
TRAINING CENTER SAVE THE DATES
March 1 Safety Meeting
7:30 a.m. - TC Boardroom
March 8 Education & Manpower
2:00 p.m. - TC Boardroom
March 8 FFA Competition
March 22 High School Craft Competition
March 29 FFA Regional Competition
April 5 Safety Meeting
7:30 a.m. - TC Boardroom
April 12 Education & Manpower
2:00 p.m.—TC Boardroom
April 23-27 ABC National Education
Conference & Craft
Competition
Merit Shop Message | March 2012
13

REGIONAL UPDATE: SOUTHWEST TRAINING CONTINUES TO GROW
KIRBY BRUCHHAUS, SW DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION & TRAINING
The semester at the Southwest Training
Center is off to a great start with over 350
students enrolled in afternoon and evening
classes.
New students in the millwright and
pipefitting programs are showing great
interest in the crafts, which is great since these are two
crafts that will need new skilled craft people to fill the
existing positions that are going to be vacated by the
baby boomers soon to be retiring from the industry.
We still have tremendous interest in our welding and
electrical classes. For the last two semesters we have
had to split the Electrical 100 class, so that our students
can do bookwork and have time to participate in hands
on classes.
The welding classes are filled and have a large waiting
list of people wanting to get into the course.
This is encouraging; we have a large number of high
school students who attend along with students that
have completed one course and coming back to be
multi-crafted in their fields and make more money.
We encourage all of our members to get involved in our
training center and invite our industrial vendors and
contractors to attend our steering meeting on the
second Tuesday of every month. We also invite our
contractors and owner personnel to get involved with our
Training teams efforts on the second Thursday of every
month. These meeting are very important and I hope that
everyone would get involved with the efforts that we are
trying to accomplish to train and certify craft people to
work in our local facilities. These teams play a vital role in
the ABC Training center. We need our members input to
help make our training center successful.
We just had Florence Tate who is our ABC consultant on
accreditation come and give an update on the progress
and direction we are taking on our journey for getting
Nationally Accredited. The process is advancing and
hopefully we can complete the process and become
accredited by the end of the year.
We just finished taking part in the Career Day Education
Fair the Lake Charles Civic Center. The fair was for 8 th
grade students from Calcasieu, Cameron, Jeff Davis, Allen,
and Beauregard Parishes. There were about 3500
Students that participated. There were 43 different career
paths that were shown and demonstrated to help
enlighten our youth to the different jobs that may be
available for careers. Mr. Bob Smith from La. Pigment and
Mr. Jim Szydlo both representing SLCUC played a big part
in the last two years organizing this adventure for our
youth that will be the craft people of tomorrow.
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Merit Shop Message | March 2012

LCEF UPDATE: LCEF RELEASES GRANT APPLICATION
ASHLEY BRYANT, LCEF
The Louisiana Construction Education Foundation is excited to announce
that we are ready to give back to communities across Louisiana. Now that
we have received our first round of support from local business and industry
leaders, it is time to take the next step in fulfilling our mission by donating
funds to construction training. The following strategies reflect our mission
statement as well as guide the criteria for our program support:
To identify and develop new funding sources for construction education programs in Louisiana.
To increase the number and quality of construction education programs in Louisiana.
To support Louisiana’s construction workforce through partnerships with public and private training and
safety providers across the state.
To determine and efficiently address present and future workforce needs of Louisiana’s construction and
industrial maintenance industry.
To develop a stronger workforce for Louisiana by expanding quality educational and training opportunities
to individuals seeking a rewarding career in construction.
The LCEF looks forward to supporting programs that provide Nation
Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) certified
education. This may include high schools, technical colleges or other
training and education providers. We receive applications on a rolling,
monthly basis.
If you know of a program that could be of interest for the LCEF, please
direct potential applicants to our website. Details regarding the
application procedure and submission can be found at http://lcef.info/
about/apply-for-funding/. For further information, please reach us at
225.753.2497.
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Merit Shop Message | March 2012
15

LEGAL FEATURE: WHEN CRIME DOESN’T PAY—RECENT ACTIVITY FROM THE EEOC
Melissa Shirley, Breazeale, Sachse, & Wilson, LLP
16
According to a 2010
survey conducted by
the Society for
Human Resource
M a n a g e m e n t ,
approximately 73
percent of major
employers report
that they always
check a job
applicant’s criminal records, while
19 percent of those surveyed
reported that they do so only for
select job candidates. Employers
should take note: using arrest
and/or conviction records to deny
employment can be illegal if it is
irrelevant to the particular job,
according to the Equal
E m p l o y ment O p p o r t u n i t y
Commission (“EEOC”), the federal
agency which enforces federal
employment discrimination laws
and investigations of alleged
violations.
On January 11, 2012, the EEOC
publically announced that it had
entered into a conciliation
agreement with Pepsi Beverages
Company for $3.13 million. The
agreement stemmed from
a l l e g a t i o n s t h a t P e p s i
discriminated against African
American job applicants based on
Pepsi’s use of the applicants’
criminal histories in the hiring
process. According to the EEOC’s
press release, its investigation
revealed that Pepsi had a policy of
refusing to hire applicants with
pending criminal charges that had
not resulted in convictions, and
had failed to hire job applicants
with arrests or minor conviction
records. The EEOC’s position is
that people of a certain race or
color are arrested and convicted
more frequently than others
outside of these protected groups
and, therefore, employers using
Merit Shop Message | March 2012
such information in
hiring decisions can
cause a disparate
impact on those
protected classes.
The EEOC’s past
guidance, issued over
two decades ago,
provides that an
employer’s selection
criteria regarding
c r i m i n a l h i s t o r y
information must take into
consideration certain factors to
demonstrate the “business necessity”
of the criteria (i.e. to be sure that the
exclusion of the person due to
criminal history is important for the
particular position), including: (1) the
nature and gravity of the offense or
offenses, (2) the time that has passed
since the conviction and/or
completion of the sentence, and (3)
the nature of the job held or sought
as related to the conviction. EEOC
officials have said, for example, that a
drunk driving conviction from years
past may not be relevant to a clerical
job, but a theft conviction may
disqualify someone from working at a
bank.
The Commission has also advised that
when using arrest records, employers
must consider the likelihood that the
individual engaged in the conduct for
which he/she was arrested, and the
“job-relatedness” of the allegations,
before making a hiring decision.
According to the EEOC, a blanket
exclusion of individuals with arrest
records (without convictions) would
almost never withstand scrutiny.
On July 26, 2011, the EEOC held a
public meeting to revisit the use of
arrest and conviction records in
employment. As a result, and
considering the Pepsi agreement, it is
anticipated that the EEOC will likely
issue new or updated policy guidance
regarding the use of criminal records
in employment in the near future. In
the meantime, employers should be
mindful of the EEOC’s apparent
renewed interest in the topic,
evidenced by it’s commentary
regarding the Pepsi matter,
including this directive from one
Acting Director: "We hope that
employers with unnecessarily broad
criminal background check policies
take note of this agreement and
reassess their policies to ensure
compliance with Title VII." Indeed,
the Pepsi lawsuit demonstrates that
employers must be careful how they
use information obtained when
conducting background checks for
applicants. Using arrest-only records
can be risky, and even where there
is evidence of a conviction, an
employer who disqualifies a large
number of applicants on the basis of
criminal convictions should consider
whether this practice has a
disproportionate effect on
individuals of any particular race,
national origin, gender, or any other
protected class, and whether
exclusion of a particular applicant is
for a legitimate purpose related to
the job position.
Finally, employers obtaining criminal
histories must also be mindful of the
need to comply with the consent
and disclosure requirements of the
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA)
when ordering any kind of consumer
report, including background checks.

Merit Shop Message | March 2012
17

ABC Pelican Chapter hosts Annual
Excellence in Construction Awards &
Installation of Officers Banquet
Excellence Award Winners
◊ EXCEL Contractors - New Dock 14 Demolition & Tie-Ins
Project
◊ Performance Contractors, Inc. - ExxonMobil – MSAT2
Project and Valero – MSCC Revamp Project
◊ Turner Industries Group - ExxonMobil PCLA
Turnaround (pictured middle right)
◊ MMR Constructors - Cleco – Teche 4 Blackstart Unit
(pictured bottom right)
◊ Triad Electric & Controls, Inc. - Shintech CA Unit
Project and Yokogawa Phase III Re-Instrumentation
Project
◊ Cajun Deep Foundations, LLC - Entergy Evergreen
Bridge Replacement Project and Bayou LaButte 500KV
Cut-In Drill Shaft Foundation
◊ Bennett Builders, LLC - Villa Gardens Project
◊ The Lemoine Company - Our Lady of Lourdes Regional
Medical Center – Ambassador Caffery Campus
Relocation
◊ MAPP Construction, LLC - The Entergy Pecue Lane
Complex, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office Crime
Laboratory and Chalmette Cultural Arts Center
(pictured top right)
Merit Award Winners
◊ EXCEL Contractors - SNF Flopam Polyacrylamide
Facility Line 1&2 Project and Nalco, Freeport, TX R1050
Reactor Replacement Project (pictured opposite page,
top right)
◊ Triad Electric and Controls, Inc. - Shell AO/ID DCS
Upgrade Project
◊ Barriere Construction Co., LLC - the Interstate 55 in
Kentwood, LA and 1-10 Highway Crossing at the
Southpoint to CSX Railroad Levee Reach
◊ MAPP Construction, LLC - the Jefferson Parish 911
Emergency Operations & Command Center
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Merit Shop Message | March 2012

Membership Award Winners
◊
Mike McMullen, CLP Resources - Committee
Member of the Year (pictured top right)
This award is given annually to recognize a
person who has spent much of their time during
the year serving on at least one committee.
This award was developed by the chapter
leadership four years ago when they realized
how much time and effort members spent on
committees trying to better the association.
◊
◊
Andy Lopez, Bennett Builders - Beam Club Award
(pictured middle right)
This award is given annually to the member
who demonstrates outstanding achievement in
the area of membership development and
recruiting – the heart of any association. The
individual who receives this award exemplifies
dedication to making ABC more productive,
stronger, more politically effective and the
“Beam” upon which we build our future.
Art Favre, Performance Contractors - Merit Shop
Member of the Year (pictured bottom right)
This award is given to the individual who has
done the most to advance the beliefs and
attributes of the merit shop philosophy. The
winner of this award exemplifies the driving
force that is necessary to advance ABC on the
political front, in membership and in craft
training. This award recipient is selected by his
fellow members. This year’s recipient is Art
Favre with Performance Contractors.
Merit Shop Message | March 2012
19

Installation of the Board
◊ Executive Committee
Chairman, Jerome Mabile with Performance
Contractors, Inc.; Chair – Elect, Todd Grigsby, Cajun
Industries, LLC, Inc., LLC; Secretary, Ronnie Gulino
with ISC; Treasurer, Gay Young with Pala-Interstate;
Vice Chair of Education and Manpower, Chet Ferachi
with Performance Contractors, Inc.; Vice Chair
Member Growth, Glen Redd with Triad Electric and
Controls, Inc.; Vice Chair Member Services, Andy
Lopez with Bennett Builders.; Vice Chair Outlying
area, Thad Thrash.; Vice Chair Governmental
Relations, Stevie Toups with Turner Industries Group,
LLC.; Past Chairman, Mike Moran with Cajun
Industries, LLC
◊ Board of Directors
Ben Bourgeois with Turner Industries Group, LLC;
Hank Coates with Pala-Interstate; Ryan Girouard
with Whitney Bank; Greg Landry with The Lemoine
Company; Lee Mayeaux with Cajun Industries, LLC;
Fred McManus with The Shaw Group, Inc.; Thad
Rispone with ISC; Sarah Taylor with Gulf Coast
Occupational Medicine, Inc; Wade Walker with
Jacobs Field Services and Joe Wiley with EXCEL
◊ Alternative Board Members
Brian Bordelon with Triad Electric & Controls, Inc.
and Trey Crawford with Grady Crawford
Construction
Bayou Chapter Representatives
Dale LeBlanc with Cajun Industries, LLC and Jill
Tucker with Cory, Tucker & Larrowe.
Pictured Top Right: Past Chairman Mike Moran, Cajun Industries,
LLC and Incoming Chair, Jerome Mabile with Performance
Contractors, Inc.
Pictured Bottom Right: President Alvin M. Bargas and Jan Newman
with Med-Pro.
Part of the ABC Legacy
Performance Contractors is helping ABC build
its legacy—pictured to the right are Brent Boé,
Jerome Mabile, Julius Mabile and Art Favre.
They are all representatives of Performance
Contractors and Past Chairman of the ABC
Pelican Chapter.
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Merit Shop Message | March 2012

Merit Shop Message | March 2012
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Merit Shop Message | March 2012

MARK YOUR CALENDARS
March 2012
2 6:00 AM - 9:00 AM ICC Breakfast, Boudreaux’s
6 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Southwest Safety Committee, Lake Charles ABC Office
8 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM SLCUC Training Committee, Lake Charles ABC Office
8 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Education & Manpower Committee Meeting, ABC Training Center
Board Room
12 12:00 PM 2012 Regular Legislative Session Convenes
13 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Southwest Steering Committee, Lake Charles ABC Office
14 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Membership Committee, Admin. Office Board Room
16 Spring Golf Tournament, Copper Hill
20 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Northeast General Membership
20 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Budget & Finance Committee Meeting, Admin. Office Board Room
21 7:45 AM - 8:45 AM Programs & Events Committee Meeting, Admin. Office Board Room
26 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM LCEF Board of Directors Meeting, Admin. Office Board Room
26 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM ICC Steering Committee, Admin. Office Board Room
27 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Executive Committee Meeting, Admin. Office Board Room
27 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM ABC Board of Directors Meeting, Admin. Office Board Room
29 Safety Council Annual Meeting, TBA
29 7:30 AM - 1:00 PM FFA Competition, ABC Training Center
April 2012
3 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Southwest Safety Committee, Lake Charles ABC Office
3 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM State Board of Directors, Admin. Office Board Room
5 Safety Committee Meeting, ABC Training Center
5 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM SLCUC Training Committee, Westlake ABC Office
10 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Southwest Steering Committee, Lake Charles ABC Office
11 8:00 AM - 9:00 AM Membership Committee, Admin. Office Board Room
11 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Legislative Reception, The City Club
12 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM SLCUC Training Committee, Lake Charles ABC Office
12 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM Education and Manpower Committee Meeting, ABC Training Center
12 4:00 PM - 7:00 PM ABC Crawfish Boil
17 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM Northeast General Membership
17 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Budget & Finance Committee Meeting, Admin. Office Board Room
23 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM LCEF Board of Directors Meeting, Admin. Office Board Room
23 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM ICC Steering Committee, Admin. Office Board Room
24-28 ABC National Edcon & Expo & Craft Championships, Henry B.
Gonzalez Convention Center, San Antonio, TX
24 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM Executive Committee Meeting, Admin. Office Board Room
24 3:30 PM - 5:30 PM ABC Board of Directors Meeting, Admin. Office Board Room
Pelican
Chapter
BATON ROUGE STAFF
Office (225) 752-1415
Fax (225) 751-9470
Training Center (225) 752-0088
PRESIDENT
Alvin Bargas 753-2590
DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION
Melanie Searles 615-8741
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE
Janie Arceneaux 615-8742
VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENTAL
RELATIONS
John Walters 752-0092
DIRECTOR OF MEMBER SERVICES
Caitlin Boé Stolzenthaler
753-2498
DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP GROWTH
Anna Zebeau 753-2541
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION &
TRAINING
Robert Clouatre 615-8743
DIRECTOR OF WORKFORCE
DEVELOPMENT
Matthew Campbell 448-3338
DIRECTOR OF TRAINING
ADMINISTRATION
Kelly Carpenter 448-3336
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT
Ashley Bryant 753-2497
TRAINING CENTER ADMINISTRATION
Kacie Blanchard 448-3345
Whitney Wheeler 753-2593
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANTS
Tammy Charbonnet 753-5096
Beth Hill 753-2596
LAKE CHARLES STAFF
Office (337) 882-0204
Fax (337) 882-6757
DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION &
TRAINING
Kirby Bruchhaus
ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF
Mona Jarrell & Doris Stine
FACILITY MAINTENANCE
Ray Harris
Merit Shop Message | March 2012
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