SAAGNY News

Attention all Distributors, Suppliers, and Multi-Line representatives -  if you employ independent contractors or operate your business as an independent contractor, this bill has the potential of having serious implications to you and your business.   Please read below and contact your legislators NOW.  Please consider making multiple phone calls and emails so the legislators understand the effects of this bill. New legislation has been proposed in Congress that would effectively ban independent contractor classifications under federal labor law. The Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, H.R. 842, amends the National Labor Relations Act to establish a new definition of employees which expressly eliminates independent contractors in the U.S. The new legislation makes a broad presumption that all workers in the U.S. are employees unless each element of a newly established “ABC” test can be demonstrated. PPAI is opposed to the PRO Act because, if signed into law, it would significantly change how thousands of promotional products companies interact with each other, and it will eliminate jobs in our industry.   Specifically, the PRO Act would eliminate independent contractor agreements, enforce government control over private employment contracts and significantly broaden risk exposure to joint employer liability. The legislation also sets new criteria for determining occupational status as an independent contractor instead of an employee. The proposed new criteria entail a three-pronged test for which each of the requirements must be proven if an independent contractor wants to retain his or her status under federal labor law. The House is expected to consider H.R. 842 during the week of March 8, with a possible vote happening by the end of the week. Please click here to email and call members of Congress to educate them about why independent contractors in the promotional products industry do not want to be forced to reclassify as employees.

The PromoKitchen board established this fund to honor our friend and founding PromoKitchen chef, Tee Hamilton, who lost her battle with cancer in December 2020.

Tee was a tireless advocate for the creative professional in the promotional products industry, and we are intent on continuing her crusade in this area.

The Tee Hamilton Creative Scholarship was created to support promotional product industry professionals in their pursuit of creative or business education by paying up to 80% towards courses and conferences.

We want to reduce the financial barriers associated with participating in continuing education.

Why does this matter? Because Tee believed that industry professionals who bettered themselves through education could create a strong and lasting legacy for themselves and the industry. 

Here’s how it works:

Applications will be accepted between February 22 and March 26, 2021.

Applicants who are chosen will have up to 80% of the cost of the course or conference paid for.

The course or conference must be completed or attended before February 2022.

The recipient of the scholarship will be required to follow up with PromoKitchen after the course is completed or conference is attended, by sharing your experience with the community and how this was able to benefit you in your promotional products career. This could take the form of a podcast or written interview, video, blog, etc

The winner will be announced at our virtual Spring Fling Mixer on April 8, 2021.

To apply, head over to https://www.promokitchen.org/donate

For questions or more information, please email scholarship@promokitchen.org or nhoffman@geiger.com

The American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) officially announced their 2021 recipients of their CAE designations.  Rachel Levin, CAS, SAAGNY President noted, “We are so proud to announce that our very own, brilliant, Executive Director, Donna-Jean Plante, CAE, is one of only 189 nationwide to have recently earned this prestigious designation by passing the December 2020 exam. The CAE is the highest professional credential in the association industry.”  

To be designated as a Certified Association Executive, an applicant must have experience with nonprofit organization management, complete a minimum of 100 hours of specialized professional development, pass a stringent examination in association management, and pledge to uphold a code of ethics.  To maintain the certification, individuals must undertake ongoing professional development and activities in association and nonprofit management.  More than 4,700 association professionals currently hold the CAE credential.  

The full press release from the American Society of Association Executives can be viewed by clicking here.

Ms. Levin further remarked, “Please join us in celebrating DJ and all of her great accomplishments.”

  Click here to get the latest from SAAGNY.     

                                               

Click here for further information.

Make sure you are processing any CARES act payments that you may be entitled to.  The PPP loans are applied for at your bank and the ERC is applied for thorough current or amended 941X’s.

The upcoming deadlines are:

1)Payroll Protection Program – round 2 (PPP2)- application due by 3/31/2021 or when monies run out

2)Payroll Protection Program – round 1 (PPP1)- if not file already due by 3/31/2021 or when monies run out

3)Employer retention credits- now available for wages paid in 2020 not covered by PPP1 or 2 loans.  – 941X forms will need to be filed, filing the sooner the better

4)PPP1 forgiveness applications are due 10 months after the end of the covered period.  (April-June 2021)

The new PPP2 fund rules are:

Eligibility:

• <300 employees (hospitality exception)
• Have used (or will use) the full amount of PPP1 on eligible expenses
• In operations 2/15/2020
• Revenue deduction of 25% in any quarter 2020 compared to same quarter 2019 (or annual 2020 to 2019)
  

Computation

• Payroll costs are computed using either 2019 or 2020 wages, whichever is higher
• Use monthly average payroll costs (gross wages +retirement + health costs)/12 months x 2.5 (3.5 for hospitality)
• Self-employed sole practitioner, 2% shareholder/partner/owner is based on 2019 or 2020 net income
• Exclude excess payroll over $100K

Employer Retention Credit rules are:

Eligibility for 2020 wages:

• Fully or partially suspended or reduced business hours due to government order.  Or that quarters gross receipts 50% below same quarter in 2019(not including PPP)

Computation

• 50% of wages up to $10,000 ($5,000 credit), per employee annually
• Wages after March 13 not covered by PPP loans are eligible

Eligibility for 2021 wages:

• Fully or partially suspended or reduced business hours due to government order.  Or that quarters gross receipts 20% below same quarter in 2019 (not including PPP)

COMPUTATION

• 70% of wages up to $10,000 ($7000 credit) quarterly
• Wages between Jan1 -June 30, 2021 not covered by PPP loans are eligible

The SAAGNY Foundation College Scholarship is available now.  Click here for the application and requirements.

Just login at www.saagny.org and head over to members only section and click on SAAGNY Coupon Program.

Let's work together to help raise funds for The SAAGNY Foundation. The SAAGNY Foundation provides educational scholarships, general assistance, and a means for the promotional products industry to engage the community through charitable endeavors and activities. 

Mark your calendar, and invite a friend or two! You’ll see wonderful products, learn new recipes and gain tips to help get delicious meals quickly on your table. Pampered Chef will donate a portion of all party sales to this great cause.

Orders Can Be Placed Between Now and Sunday, January 31

Click here to start shopping.

As you all know I am second generation in the Promotional Products world, and having lost my father 2 ½ years ago, I never imagined how I would continue in this business.   Somehow you do, and it’s through the support of many friends and colleagues that you do.  This past February, my mother took ill and at the time we didn’t know it, but she was battling COVID-19, which left her in Kidney failure.   It turns out that she was lucky to have gotten COVID-19, prior to us knowing what it was because she was treated with heavy medicines and heavy doses of Oxygen.  Linda goes to Dialysis every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 2 to 5 PM, and since March I have been able to take her and pick up from every session. 

We have had numerous doctor appointments, and every time she gets good news about how she is doing.  They are all so encouraging, that the Doctors believe that one day she will be able to give up dialysis, but only if she is to be a recipient of a new Kidney. 

We have been introduced to Renewal, a non-profit organization that assists with matching prospective donors with people on the Kidney Registry List, which Linda is now on.

On Wednesday January 6^th, at 7:30PM (est.) my family and Renewal will be hosting a zoom call which is informational about how we can all help out with awareness and knowledge to assist no only my mother, but others who may be in a similar situation. 

I am attaching invite file with the information about the zoom call along with the link below for the meeting.  

Please click on the link and join the webinar this Wednesday night.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83285754949?pwd=NDd4VGNXbDdjdzd6b3Q3T2RxMmdhUT09

We are all great at marketing as that is what we do every day with our clients, and so I’m asking for assisting in marketing the Donor awareness program to all your family, friends, and co-workers in the hope that we can accomplish our goal not only for Linda, but for any other person battling in a similar situation. 

If anyone has any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

Eric J. Black, MAS

eric@alltypes.com