Annual Meeting
Reservations are being accepted for the TRMA Annual Meeting which will be held April 20, 2011, at the Holiday Inn in Joliet, IL. The Honorable Adam Kinzinger, Representative for the 11th Congressional District; and Gary Anderson, Area Office Director of OSHA Region V, have been invited to speak. A short report of the 2010 TRMA accomplishments and 2011 plans will be given as well as the presentation of the 2010 Safety Awards for excellence in safety performance. Click here reservations.
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Workercomp & Teacher Reforms Top Legislative Issues, TRMA Told
 Illinois State Senator A.J. Wilhelmi (D-43rd-Joliet) predicts that workers' compensation and teacher reforms will top the legislative agenda this spring, coupled with two issues that are intertwined: the budget and gaming expansion.
Speaking to TRMA members on February 7 at Three Rivers Safety Center, Wilhelmi said that any attempt to change teacher tenure or to set performance standards for teachers "will be very controversial, but the discussion needs to happen."
Click here to view full story.
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Supervisor Training Series
You won't want to miss this training series scheduled March 15 through April 5, 2011 The training is designed to provide critical management skills to perform duties and responsibilities required of a management member. This series will help participants develop a clear understanding of the job responsibilities of the supervisor, gain insight into their leadership style, and understand the basic skills needed to be an effective supervisor. The following topics will be discussed: Interpersonal Communications, Interpersonal Skills, Leadership Communication, Motivating Others, Coaching, Problem Solving, Performance Management, Team Management, Developing Others, Conflict Management, Diversity Awareness, and Harassment Prevention Management.
Click here for details.
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More Jobs but Tight Labor Market Predicted
 Pat Fera, manager of the Workforce Investment Board of Will County, predicts a tight labor market for the next 10 to 15 years because of massive retirements and the lack of enough young workers to replace them. On the other hand, she forecasts a nine percent increase in new jobs by 2015 and that figure does not include workers that need to be hired because of attrition.
There are 80 million Baby Boomers and 10,000 of them are retiring every day, said Fera, speaking to TRMA's Human Resources Division. Unfortunately, she said, there are only 40 million Gen X workers to replace them and it will take awhile before the 79 million subsequent Gen Yers enter the market in force.
Click here to view full story.
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Safety Awards
Award applications are now being accepted by TRMA. Contractors and manufacturing plants that achieved excellence in safety performance in 2010 may qualify for a safety award. The deadline for applications to be submitted is March 4, 2011.
To view the application and award criteria click here.
New this year, TRMA plans to recognize all Contractors, regardless of how many hours they worked at TRMA member facilities. If you worked at any of the TRMA owner plants in 2010 without an OSHA recordable injury, submit your name by contacting Kathleen Ament and let us know which plants you worked at.
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Noise Proposal Withdrawn by OSHA
Manufacturers breathed a sigh of relief in January as OSHA withdrew a proposed change to its occupational noise control standard that industry members said had costly implications.
"OSHA's withdrawal of this unnecessary proposal is a clear sign that the agency heeded the calls of manufacturers regarding the economic impact of these expensive and burdensome noise control requirements," said Joe Trauger, National Association of Manufacturers vice president for human resources policy. "Manufacturers are committed to protecting their employees, but there is no evidence that this proposal would have enhanced workplace safety."
The proposal would have clarified the term "feasible administrative or engineering controls," according to OSHA, which first published the interpretation in the Federal Register in October 2010 and then extended the official comment period for an additional 90 days. "Feasible," said the agency, would be construed as "capable of being done."
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