W hen you think of what your membership provides you prob- ably think first in terms of cost savings or perhaps networking events or even training opportunities. But behind the scenes, the MCAS works to lobby on behalf of the mechanical contracting industry in Saskatchewan. Members and non-members alike benefit from the lobbying efforts of the Association. The term “lobbyist” has been traced to the mid-seventeenth century, when citizens would gather in a large lobby near the English House of Commons to express their views to members of Parliament. Lobbying can be defined as any attempt by individ- uals or private interest groups to influence the decisions of government. Throughout the 100-year history of the As- sociation the MCAS has dedicated time and energy to lobby all levels of government. Lobbying takes time and, more importantly, it takes patience. The wheels of government move slowly, and it takes time to develop and nurture relationships. But as is illustrat- ed here, those efforts can pay off and have a positive impact on the industry. LOBBYING INITIATIVES BEHIND THE SCENES AT MCAS MCAS Lobby Day 2017 L-R Front Row: Scott Kerr, Carolyn Bagnell, Mike Berkes, Luc Kadziolka Back Row: Glenn Harbaruk, Ken Swann, Kim Skjonsby, Dean Olsen, Justin Yawney PROMPT PAYMENT In April 2015, the first National Trade Contractors Coalition of Can- ada’s Prompt Payment Summit was held in Ottawa. The Mechanical Contractors Association of Saskatchewan sent our past President, Ryan Tynning, to attend the summit. We had been in a “wait and see” pattern for quite some time. Within a week of the summit a Board of Directors meeting was called. The Board was provided with an update from the summit, and details of what was transpir- ing in the other provinces and the direction that NTCCC was taking at the time were given. At that meeting, it became evident that the time had come for the MCAS to become involved in the push for Prompt Payment. Delayed payments, late payments, delinquent payments – whatever the descriptor, it all comes down to the same thing: not being paid on time. Late payment in the construction industry is a rampant problem. Trade Contractors are commonly made to wait periods of four months or longer to get paid for work that has been certified as being complete. The average payment for construction work in Canada is 71.5 days late but it can, and does, stretch to 120, 150 or more days late. Having received updates from other provinces, we could see that although progress was being made elsewhere, it was slow going. We knew that in order to be successful it would require a joint effort involving as many organizations that are working in the construction industry in this province as possible. The logical step for us was to approach the Advisory Council of the Saskatchewan Construction Association. The Council strives to achieve consensus on issues relevant to the construction industry. The framework and diversity of the Advisory Council allowed an open discussion to take place, which lent itself to the creation of the Prompt Payment Working Group. Several meetings were held as the Advisory Council sorted out how best to approach the formation of the working group. What we learned from other provinces first and foremost was that in order to be successful, we would have to ensure that the group be as inclusive as possible. Again, the Advisory Council provided the perfect setting. Tackling prompt payment would require resources – financial resources to fund the work that needed to be 16 MCAS www.mca-sask.com