Page 48 - MetalForming July 2017

safety standards is a safer industry, so there have been positive impacts of OSHA, but also a lot of costs and regu- latory inefficiencies that we have lob- bied on.”
PMA’s lobbying efforts took on a particular urgency in the early 2000s.
“The 201 steel tariffs were a game changer for our members,” recalls Gaskin. “Steel prices rose overnight and metalformers couldn’t even get materials. PMA was instrumental in forming a coalition that ultimately low- ered a 36-month tariff period to 20 months.”
In 2004, recognizing the need to place an even greater emphasis on lob- bying, PMA hired full-time lobbyists, and in 2008 joined forces with NTMA to lobby as One Voice for the metal- working industry.
Along with Government Relations and other committees, PMA also oper- ates several industry-specific divisions, including Metal Spinning; Washer Man-
ufacturing; Slideforming; Small-Lot Stamping and Fabrication; Custom Rollforming; Tool and Die; MFG NXT; and, of course, Metal Stamping, the largest of PMA’s divisions.
Educate, Educate, Educate
Educating the industry always has been a major focus of PMA, and in the 1980s, the association went further by developing training aids using the pre- vailing media of the day. In 1988, PMA released its first video-based training system to train industry employees set-
PMA, via staff, members, partner organi- zations and its own lobbying firm, main- tains constant contact with regulators and lawmakers to make sure that mem- ber and industry concerns are heard and addressed. Here, PMA members, taking part in a fly-in, make their way to Capitol Hill.
ting up and operating manually fed presses, and in 1989 a program was released for training on coil-fed presses. These have been followed over the years by training systems for setting and operating press brakes and metal- spinning machines, as well as a Spanish
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S14 MetalForming/July 2017
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