Blog

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Court ruled unanimously that President Obama violated the U.S. Constitution when he appointed members to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) during a Senate recess. IEC actively opposed the appointments and applauds the Appeals Court’s decision.
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Electrical contractors, like many industries, were impacted by the economic conditions of the past few years and had to evolve their businesses to remain competitive. As the economy gradually recovers, contractors are preparing for an increase in work after years of operating lean. As the industry continues to rebuild, contractors are finding that not only is there more demand from customers, but there is a wide range of new services that customers are considering. In order to meet this evolving demand, the industry needs to expand their skill sets and begin recruiting and preparing the new workforce with the necessary skills.
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It is almost a new year and a great time to get your head in the safety game. Using the holiday as a trigger to prompt safety meetings and create dialog to understand your successes and failures and ultimately chart your safety course is a good way to start the New Year. Triggers are used for many activities, safety not excluded; for example, we use the changing of the clocks a s a trigger to replace batteries in smoke alarms in residential homes. Take the opportunity of the change into 2013 as a time to run through a six-point check list and have meetings to set the course for your organization for the year ahead.
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Maintaining business growth and consistent profits is an ongoing challenge for any business, but especially so for electrical contractors. However, there are steps contractors can, and should take to increase their profits and grow their businesses, no matter what the prevailing economic conditions may be.
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With the increasing use of fine-stranded, flexible conductors, especially for alternative energy applications, there has arisen some confusion over the proper connectors and lugs to use. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) recently issued a bulletin (No. 105, dated April, 2012) advising the industry that mechanical set-screw connector lugs and terminals are not intended for use with fine-stranded conductors.
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