Plans for the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorated Products’ (SGCDpro) 50th anniversary celebration were discussed at the society’s recent board meeting in Columbus, Ohio. The society was founded in 1964 as the Society of Glass Decorators and later renamed the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorators. The current name was adopted in 2008 to reflect ongoing changes in the society’s membership, which not only includes manufacturers and decorators, but importers and retailers as well. The celebration will be held April 5-7, 2014, at the Sheraton Station Square in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Site Selected for Deco ’15

The SGCDpro board has selected Columbus, Ohio, as the site of Deco ’15. The meeting will be held April 11-13 at the Hilton Easton. Columbus is an ideal location for members to take advantage of driving to the meeting. Complete details will be released at a later date.

SGCDpro Seeks How-To Videos

SGCDpro is seeking informational how-to videos on topics related to glass and ceramic decorating for inclusion on the society’s website. Companies wishing to provide content should contact the society at (740) 588-9882. All videos are subject to approval by the society’s board of directors.

Regulatory Update

Bipartisan legislation introduced in the Senate on June 25 would increase the number of hours an employee would need to work to be considered “full time” under the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer responsibility provisions. Under the healthcare law’s employer responsibility requirements—commonly known as the “pay-or-play” provisions—an employer with 50 or more full-time or full-time equivalent employees will be required to provide health insurance that meets certain ACA standards to at least 95% of their workforce starting in 2015, or pay a penalty.

In a press release, Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) stated:

The statute and accompanying regulations currently define “full-time” as working 30 or more hours per week, calculated monthly. The Forty Hours is Full Time Act of 2013 (S. 1188) introduced by senators Susan Collins and Joe Donnelly (D-Ind.) would increase this threshold to 40 hours per week. In addition, the bill would increase the number of hours used to calculate a “full-time equivalent” employee to 174 hours per month.

The new health care law creates a perverse incentive for businesses to cut their employees’ hours so they are no longer considered “full time.” If its definition of a full-time worker as someone who works only 30 hours a week is allowed to go into effect, millions of American workers could find their hours, and their earnings, reduced. This simply doesn’t make sense.

This measure has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee.

OSHA Tactics Questioned by NAM

In a recent webinar presented to members, the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) discussed strategies for handling a recent tactic by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) involving bringing non-employee union representatives along on inspections. NAM reminded attendees that OSHA is required to have a warrant to enter company premises and that owners and/or management can insist on a warrant. If none has been issued, the individual in charge of the site can agree to admit the OSHA representative but refuse admission to non-OSHA personnel.

If non-OSHA personnel are admitted, the company has the right to insist that they sign a confidentiality agreement and a waiver in case of injury, as well as complete any safety training and wear safety equipment while on premises. Companies report that OSHA is allowing union representatives with no connection to the company under inspection to tag along on company walkthroughs. Complete information is available at www.sgcd.org.

Myra Warne is executive director of the Society of Glass and Ceramic Decorated Products. For additional details, or for information on joining SGCDpro, call (740) 588-9882 or visit www.sgcd.org.

 Any views or opinions expressed in this column are those of the author and do not represent those of Ceramic Industry, its staff, Editorial Advisory Board or BNP Media.