It has been said that we can accomplish more as a group than we each can individually and never is it more true than when dealing with Congress, OSHA, ADOSH and the Arizona Legislature.
The Arizona Masonry Contractors Association tracks issues and proposed legislation and regulations that will likely affect mason contracting companies and often is able to prevent those that would adversely affect your business from going into effect. In addition, the AMCA is often able to contact OSHA on a members’ behalf to ask questions without calling attention to the member company or to resolve citations.
Keeping track of proposed legislation and regulations is time-consuming and expensive. By becoming a member of the AMCA, you can be certain that your business interests will be represented.
In addition, the AMCA is currently pursuing an alliance with OSHA Region IX, of which ADOSH is part. While currently the alliance wouldn’t allow for lower fines, it may mean fewer OSHA inspections for association members.
AMCA takes pride in the quality of training provided to its apprentices and it shows. Apprentices in AMCA’s program are among the best in the nation. Each October, the apprentices compete in a regional competition, which covers Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming. The winner from this contest goes on to compete in the international Masonry Skills Challenge. Last year, three AMCA apprentices competed in the international contest and one of them took first place.
In addition, AMCA pays for membership in SkillsUSA-VICA for the second and third year apprentices. SkillsUSA-VICA is a national organization devoted to vocational and technical education. Each spring, those apprentices are invited to compete in the Arizona State Skills Championships. The winner, then, goes on to compete in the national contest in Kansas City, MO in June. For the last several years, AMCA has been undefeated at the state level and a top 10 finisher at the national contest.
