Clean Show Seminar to Build Grassroots Activity
ALEXANDRIA, VA, May 2, 2011 – As optimism grows about the possibility of pro-business interests increasing their influence in Washington, TRSA is calling on members to help build such momentum. At a seminar titled “Regulatory and Legislative Update” at next month’s Clean Show in Las Vegas, TRSA spokesmen will explain how everyone in the industry can play a role in grassroots political activity. This presentation will cover your role in assisting TRSA in its work with regulators and members of Congress as well as how you might back congressional and presidential candidates who believe in our platform of fair, balanced regulation and entrepreneur-friendly labor, energy and tax policies.
“While solutions to ensuring the economy grows exponentially are not readily apparent to anyone, our industry is well aware of the converse: how regulators can stop business in its tracks with onerous rules that don’t create any real value for the American people,” said Kevin Schwalb, TRSA’s government relations director. “We hope that textile services operators will attend our Clean Show session and become part of TRSA’s immediate and long-term plans to prompt Washington to remove many roadblocks and prevent creation of new ones that stifle expansion of our industry and others.”
This TRSA seminar is set for 9 a.m. Monday, June 6, before the Clean exhibit floor has its grand opening at 10 a.m. No advance registration is necessary to attend this educational session, which is free to all registered attendees of the Clean Show. Joining Schwalb as a presenter will be David Potack, Unitex Textile Rental Services, Mt. Vernon, NY, who chairs TRSA’s Government Affairs Committee.
TRSA continues to build the industry’s reputation in Washington by informing members of Congress about how your business protects the environment, trains workers to avoid injury and illness, provides good jobs and makes America more competitive by helping customers control their costs. TRSA communicates these accomplishments to Capitol Hill and gains the support of elected representatives who speak on our behalf to ensure that federal agencies regulate your company fairly.
The Clean Show seminar will discuss the increased level of professionalism we will apply to these endeavors in the months and years to come. Among them is the development of a Key Contact Network of industry owners and operators who will reach out to lawmakers through personal meetings, phone calls, business tours and other opportunities to establish a positive dialogue.
Potack and Schwalb also will cover the expected growth of the TRSA Political Action Committee to support members of Congress who back our industry. TRSAPAC allows our members to pool their voluntary contributions to more effectively compete with interests counter to our objectives. The PAC system is widely acknowledged as the most effective means for an industry to exercise its constitutional right to participate in political campaigns.
Our seminar will report on the range of regulatory issues facing the industry.
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These include:
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| Shop Towel Exclusion We are maintaining contact with EPA to ensure the terminology in this proposal is adopted as planned. A laundry handling shop towels would be exempted from solid waste regulation (and not be considered a hazardous waste processor) as long as it follows industry best practices for containment and not carrying free liquids. |
| NPE Phaseout TRSA negotiated an agreement with EPA to eliminate the use of nonylphenol ethoxylate in liquid detergents by 2013 and in powders by 2014. We continue to present evidence that the phaseout is on schedule. |
| OSHA Voluntary Programs The Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) and Safety & Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) have traditionally been safe harbors for companies taking corrective action to ensure compliance. OSHA’s recent shift from a collaborative stance to an emphasis on enforcement has discouraged participation in VPP and SHARP. TRSA is working to reverse this trend. |
| Union Organizing Proponents of allowing the establishment of unions in workplaces where employees don’t want them have failed to persuade Congress to adopt legislation to ease such organizing. However, the union-friendly National Labor Relations Board appears poised to legalize such “card check” voting procedures that don’t require secret ballots. TRSA is committed to opposing any future regulatory or legislative activity to this end. |
“We at TRSA can hold meetings with members of Congress and their staffs, but having the support from TRSA members who build relationships with elected officials makes a huge difference in terms of getting our ideas across to Congress in ways that can have a real impact,” Schwalb said. “If you haven’t been active before, this seminar is a great opportunity to see what we’re doing and how you can get involved. If you’re already participating in our outreach program, this seminar will bring you up to date. Either way, your industry needs your participation. Joining us at Clean is a small step that can do a lot to help us move our advocacy agenda forward.”