The PDCA International Relations Committee

INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE REPORT By Jim Stelzer

UNIEP
BARCELONA, SPAIN
May 2001

Perhaps a computer card entry key to open your hotel door is nothing new.
There is at least one hotel that I now know of that uses that same key as a
master switch to activate all your electrical switches, lights, and outlets
in your room. Yes, without it nothing works! Of course, when you leave
your room, and take the key for your later return, everything shuts off!
I'm describing The Gran Hotel Havana in Barcelona, Spain.

I also found it interesting that when using the elevator, the ground floor
or lobby level was not first floor ... or lobby ... but rather Floor O.

The price of this hotel for a double room three nights was 93,100 pts. Not
points ... but Pesetas.

May 24-26-2001, was an opportunity as invited guest(s) to participate with
UNIEP - Union Internationale Des Entrepreneurs De Peinture - an association
of primarily European countries (18 members) plus Australia. This was not
like a PDCA convention, but similar to a PDCA Board of Directors meeting.
PDCA was represented, and I might add quite well, by Mario Guertin, Jim
Schumacher, Bruce Hall, Tom Lewis and Jim Stelzer.

Tom had represented PDCA in Dublin, Ireland, two years ago where he
presented a paper discussing worker training. Last year, Mario attended the
conference in Paris, France. To his credit, he is well spoken in French.
Clearly, Tom and Mario began relationships with the group and furthered them
in Barcelona. Interestingly enough, the current President of UNIEP, Mr.
Foulon, is a Frenchman, but also the friendship and exchange between he and
Mario were great. Mario presented everyone in attendance an encased
personally hand-painted golf ball commemorating the event. Jim Schumacher
and Leon Olinger of Germany were like brothers united.

The UNIEP group was formed as a reaction to the newly developed European
Commission (EC) headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. The standardization of
current (Euro Dollar) for example is a part of the EC agenda. But it goes
well beyond that to include environmental regulation; i.e. VOC regulations
to fully encompasss all of Europe. Thus, the need to join together to
prepare comment, criticism and understanding. English is becoming a second
language for many ... thankfully for US traveling overseas. Actually, the
representatives from Denmark, Sweden, Ireland, Netherlands, United Kingdom
and Germany did very well with English as you might expect.

During the meeting which covered a day and a half, interpreters were working
in their booths to give us understanding of French, German and Spanish. By
the way, it takes a lot more words in German and Spanish to say the same
thing we can say in English. Thus, we and some other English speakers were
cautioned to slow down for the interpreters.

The host association ANSPI, the PDCA equivalent, was more than hospitable.
The joint effort of President Senior Francesco Lopez and the Barcelona
Chapter treated everyone to the finest. No, it was better than that .... it
was elegant! Quite formal! President Lopez, at first didn't quite know
what to think of us, but the hugs he gave us at the final banquet were
easily interpreted.

The jacket with tie at meetings, the marathon of hors d'oeuvres at the
evening meals, the beautiful ambiance and architecture shows me the high
respect they have for each other.

The business meeting included educational presentations and planning the
administration of UNIEP. Presentation of VOC regulations/recommendations
was very interesting and clearly a concern for Europe. Several countries,
specifically France, still uses a high percentage of solvent based coatings
.. nearly 80%. The PDCA can be very helpful to UNIEP as they are going
through VOC regulations that we have recently completed. A second seminar
was an extensive presentation on the health effects of coatings that use
glycol ether. According to the presenter, glycol ether does not cause
cancer; however, it can cause odor, headaches, etc., associated with most
solvents.

Administratively, the UNIEP agreed to hire a multi-association management
company to help with monitoring regulations and legislation as well as
secretarial and meeting planning work for the group.

Finally, all the countries represented were given time to discuss their
economy and concerns for the painting industry. A common thread was clearly
the need for qualified, trained workers. The Netherlands has a recruitment
video specifically for painters. It has been very successful for them. It
was very good ... that is the video. The audio gave us some trouble. They
said a copy in English was being developed and as soon as it becomes
available, we will receive a copy.

Interesting to some may be the French Estimating Guide and French Resource
Guide which we have copies now. We offered PWC magazines, Briefers,
Resource Guides, etc. Several want to receive PWC regularly and several
want to attend our PDCA conventions.

We now or will have a good qualified list of contacts for all of the
European players. This is important for some of our PDCA members wanting
foreign contacts but also for us to communicate opportunities for
conventions and other exchange.

The largest-in-the-world painting industry trade show is held every three
years. In 2002, it will be in Munich, Germany, April 11-14. It is called
FARBE 2002, and is known to host 60,000 visitors and 500 exhibitors. It
will also be possible with the proper contacts to visit apprenticeship
training schools, museums of the industry, etc. I know I would like to go
and several others won't miss it. Contact me if you would like to join us.
For further information on the FARBE show, click on
http://www.farbe-online.de/in.

For more information about the International Committee

Contact
Jim Stelzer (Committee Chair)
J.R. Stelzer Co.
5850 Russell Lincoln, NE 68507
Phone (402)466-0726
Fax (402)466-7169 Fax
Email jrstelzer@msn.com

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