March 2021 
President's Report
We're almost through 1Q 2021!
We're off and running with a few changes this year and I hope you find them as exciting as I do. Some change will be a good thing after enduring a pandemic for the last year.
We have our first meeting for 2021 in the books! A big thanks to our first speaker of 2021, George Mavrantzas with ADP, for his "Paving the Way for the Furture of Pay" presentation. Hopefully we'll begin seeing our speakers in-person again soon.
I also want to thank Tina for putting together the slide show for our panel discussion and Fred for participating. Anyone wishing to listen to our Chapter meeting along with the slide shows may check out our video portfolio. The video link is available under our Resources page.
2021 Memberships may still be renewed. It's never to late to renew your membership for 2021. 2020 memberships have access to our website for another day. Renew today and enjoy all the benefits of your local Chapter. Annual dues are $60 per person.
Our chapter will be working with WQED this year as a sponsor for their Future Jobs program. We're excited and looking forward to a better awareness and growth opportunity for our chapter. We'll be sharing more on this in the near future.
We've secured a new meeting location. Our May 12 meeting will be held at Gaetano's Banquet Center & Restaurant, 1617 Banksville Rd, Pittsburgh PA 15216. We're looking forward to holding our second meeting of the year there and hope to see more faces, in-person.
We've changed our address! Our new mailing address is:
PO Box 10314
Pittsburgh, PA 15234
CHAPTER OFFICERS
We've made some changes to our line-up of board members for 2021.
The role of Vice President is now held by Amy Finnegan and Treasurer by Fred Weissert until December 2021. I look forward to working with our Board this year.
Please consider joining the Board by becoming our new Education Director. This individual is responsible for procuring our speakers and upholding the core Chapter mission of supplying RCH education to our members. We have worked very hard to make this a yearly committment of 18 RCHs, this is very valuable for our members and speaks volumes to the quality of our Chapter.
Our Chapter is also seeking a Secretary. This individual would serve as the communication voice of our Chapter. Creation and the distribution of the newsletter and keeping the minutes of Board meeting are the main duties of this important position. Again, please consider becoming part of our Board.
As you may see, many benefit by a few stepping up and dedicating a little. Please consider stepping up and serving your Chapter alongside us today.
THANK YOU
I want to thank Fred for helping us achieve many accomplishments during his tenure. We all contributed our ideas and Fred many times brought them to fruition:
- Expanding our RCH availability to at least 18 RCH annually.
- Keeping our annual membership and meeting costs affordable.
- Establishing a new meeting location after the old location closed. Let me add that after a contract was entered with the new location we experienced the pandemic.
- Creating a more stable financial outlook for our Chapter.
- Creating our remote location model and expanding it when possible.
- Creating a new Chapter website which won the APA Chapter Website of the year.
- Creating a video channel and recording our Chapter meetings which captured the education for all of our members to review at their convenience. This video channel has FIVE years' worth of meetings.
- Utilizing our website to better manage our backoffice operations for membership management, accounting, meeting registrations, and communications for our members & the world.
It has been a good experience to work with Fred under his leadership for the last 8 years. I encourage everyone to consider stepping up to volunteer for our Chapter. The rewards greatly outweigh the time and effort we put in.
SPEAKERS NEEDED
We are still looking for speakers in 2021. Topics such garnishments/child supports, e-Verify, Payroll Accounting, Non-Resident Alien processing and How to Change Payroll Dates are a few examples. Any of these topics or something else where a subject matter expert is willing to present will be welcomed. Please let us know if there's something you would like to learn more about and we'll do our best to make it happen.
If you or one of your vendors have the ability to present to our group please contact me or Tina to schedule your presentation.
The easily accepted topics are listed on this website, http://www.americanpayroll.org/pdfs/chapters/100poptops.pdf. Please review the list and contact me to schedule your speaking opportunity.
Our membership group should be able to supply and support a diverse group of educational opportunities for our Chapter.
Please contact Tina Frysinger, the Chapter's Education Director, for further information.
SATELLITE BROADCASTING
We are looking to re-establish and expand this service in 2021. We are the only local payroll Chapter on the western side of the Appalachian Mountains. That means we are the only resource for over 75% of Pennsylvania and 99% of West Virginia as well as good portions of Kentucky and Virginia. Since our Chapter offers a consistent program of at least 18 RCHs annually, our Chapter is prime to expand our outreach to these underserved areas. Other locations could develop as hosts become available. This process will be managed based on a demographic area/zone to ensure our limited bandwidth and resources are managed wisely. Some desired locations include:
- Somerset (Bedford & Somerset counties)
- Uniontown (Fayette & Greene counties)
- Morgantown, WV (Marion, Monogalia, Preston & Taylor counties)
- Charleston, WV (serving a very large area)
- Huntington, WV (serving a large area)
- Youngstown, OH
- Saint Clairsville, OH
Our goal is to create learning opportunities for more payroll professionals while making it more convenient on everyone's travel concerns. To ensure we stay compliant with any APA concerns, we will treat each satellite location just as the Pittsburgh site. Attendees would need to meet in a central location, sign in and attend the meeting, upon completion of the meeting receive their RCHs for their time and attendance. All of this at a reduced cost versus the rate at the Pittsburgh location since we will not be providing lunch at the satellite locations.
Community Service
Remember our soldiers & the local food banks.
The food banks need filled EVERY week to sustain their outreach programs. Your donations helps in their efforts.
APA Training Opportunities
SAVE THE DATES FOR 2021 EDUCATION EVENTS
The American Payroll Association & local chapters offers many wonderful opportunites to learn, grow and network.
| Mar 10, 2021 | Western PA Chapter - meeting | Coraopolis, PA |
| May 5, 2021 | Western PA Chapter - meeting | Coraopolis, PA |
| July 14, 2021 | Western PA Chapter - meeting | Coraopolis, PA |
| Sept 8, 2021 | Western PA Chapter - meeting | Coraopolis, PA |
| Nov 12, 2021 | Western PA Chapter - 3rd Annual: Pittsburgh Payroll Bash | Coraopolis, PA |
| July 7-Sept 8 (every Wed) | CPP/FPC study group | TBD |
| TBD | Payroll Issues for Multi-State Employers | TBD |
| TBD | Intermediate Payroll Concepts | TBD |
| TBD | Payroll Tax Forum | TBD |
| TBD | Strategic Leadership Certificate | TBD |
| TBD | Garnishment Forum | TBD |
| TBD | Payroll Practice Essentials | TBD |
| TBD | Global Payroll Mgmt Certification | TBD |
| TBD | Local Income Tax Compliance | TBD |
| TBD | Preparing for Year End & 2021 | TBD |
| TBD | PA Statewide Conference | Hosted by Southeastern PA Chapter |
| Mar 15-17, 2021 | Capital Summit | ONLINE only |
| May 18-20, 2021 | APA Congress | Nashville, TN |
| TBD | Payroll Leaders Conference | TBD |
| Oct 24-27, 2021 | Educational Institutions Payroll Conference | Denver, CO |
Some national events have various locations available to attend. Please review the seminar in question on the APA website for location venues available.
Click here for more information: http://www.americanpayroll.org/course-conf/
Classified Ads
2026-03-17:
Our staffing firm is partnering with a long‑standing construction‑industry client in the Pittsburgh area to identify an experienced Payroll Specialist for their company. The Payroll Specialist will oversee end‑to‑end payroll activities in a fast‑paced, compliance‑driven environment. The ideal candidate has prior experience working within construction payroll as well as have union experience.
Responsibilities:
- Process weekly payroll for 100+ employees
- Manage union payroll, including verification of union rates, fringe calculations, and related reporting requirements
- Review and validate timesheets, job codes, labor allocations, and pay‑related changes
- Address payroll inquiries, discrepancies, and adjustments promptly
- Prepare and distribute required union, tax, and compliance‑related payroll reports
- Collaborate with internal departments (HR, accounting, field supervisors) to ensure accuracy and adherence to schedules
Qualifications
- Union payroll experience required
- At least 3 years of experience processing payroll
- Prior construction industry payroll background strongly preferred
- Strong understanding of wage rates, overtime rules, fringe benefits, and collective bargaining agreements
- Proficiency with payroll systems and Microsoft Excel
- Excellent accuracy, organization, and problem‑solving skills
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information
Our staffing firm is supporting a client in need of temporary payroll coverage while a team member is out on leave. This role supports a busy payroll department and may extend depending on upcoming project needs. The Payroll Administrator will assist with weekly and biweekly payroll processing in a multi‑state environment, working closely with another payroll team member and the Payroll Manager. The role involves routine payroll tasks, timesheet review, system updates, and basic reconciliation work. This position will sit onsite at least 3 day a week in Greensburg, PA.
Responsibilities
- Support weekly and biweekly payroll processing
- Review timesheets and timekeeping data for accuracy
- Assist with transferring and validating data between payroll systems
- Help resolve payroll discrepancies and employee pay questions
- Support basic payroll reporting and general ledger-related tasks
- Maintain spreadsheets used for tracking payroll-related information
Requirements
- At least 2 years of previous payroll experience required
- Experience with timekeeping and payroll systems; Workday and/or Kronos preferred but not required
- Comfortable working with Excel (formulas, pivot tables)
- Strong attention to detail and ability to work with confidential information
Ready to make an impact where it counts most—payday? We’re partnering with a growing Pittsburgh‑area organization to bring on a Payroll Specialist who thrives in a fast‑paced environment and enjoys solving payroll challenges. This contract role offers the chance to step into a critical function, with the potential to transition into a long‑term position depending on performance and business demand. This position will offer a hybrid structure with at least 3 days a week onsite.
What You’ll Be Doing:
· Process weekly payroll for 500+ U.S. and international employees with accuracy and efficiency
· Maintain, review, and audit timesheets—handling last‑minute updates when needed
· Calculate and manage payroll deductions, including taxes, benefits, and voluntary contributions
· Provide timely, professional responses to payroll questions from employees and leadership
· Conduct recurring payroll audits to maintain data accuracy and compliance
What You Bring
· 3+ years of full‑cycle, high‑volume payroll experience (500+ employees)
· Strong experience with UKG
· Strong Excel skills, including formulas and formatting
· Excellent organization skills with the ability to meet deadlines in a fast‑moving environment
· A proactive mindset, strong confidentiality, and attention to numerical detail
|
Jessica Robbins |
|
Connect with me on LinkedIn |
2026-03-07:
Our staffing firm is partnering with a long‑standing construction‑industry client in the Pittsburgh area to identify an experienced Payroll Specialist for their company. The Payroll Specialist will oversee end‑to‑end payroll activities in a fast‑paced, compliance‑driven environment. The ideal candidate has prior experience working within construction payroll as well as have union experience.
Responsibilities:
- Process weekly payroll for 100+ employees
- Manage union payroll, including verification of union rates, fringe calculations, and related reporting requirements
- Review and validate timesheets, job codes, labor allocations, and pay‑related changes
- Address payroll inquiries, discrepancies, and adjustments promptly
- Prepare and distribute required union, tax, and compliance‑related payroll reports
- Collaborate with internal departments (HR, accounting, field supervisors) to ensure accuracy and adherence to schedules
Qualifications
- Union payroll experience required
- At least 3 years of experience processing payroll
- Prior construction industry payroll background strongly preferred
- Strong understanding of wage rates, overtime rules, fringe benefits, and collective bargaining agreements
- Proficiency with payroll systems and Microsoft Excel
- Excellent accuracy, organization, and problem‑solving skills
- Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information
Our staffing firm is supporting a client in need of temporary payroll coverage while a team member is out on leave. This role supports a busy payroll department and may extend depending on upcoming project needs. The Payroll Administrator will assist with weekly and biweekly payroll processing in a multi‑state environment, working closely with another payroll team member and the Payroll Manager. The role involves routine payroll tasks, timesheet review, system updates, and basic reconciliation work. This position will sit onsite at least 3 day a week in Greensburg, PA.
Responsibilities
- Support weekly and biweekly payroll processing
- Review timesheets and timekeeping data for accuracy
- Assist with transferring and validating data between payroll systems
- Help resolve payroll discrepancies and employee pay questions
- Support basic payroll reporting and general ledger-related tasks
- Maintain spreadsheets used for tracking payroll-related information
Requirements
- At least 2 years of previous payroll experience required
- Experience with timekeeping and payroll systems; Workday and/or Kronos preferred but not required
- Comfortable working with Excel (formulas, pivot tables)
- Strong attention to detail and ability to work with confidential information
Ready to make an impact where it counts most—payday? We’re partnering with a growing Pittsburgh‑area organization to bring on a Payroll Specialist who thrives in a fast‑paced environment and enjoys solving payroll challenges. This contract role offers the chance to step into a critical function, with the potential to transition into a long‑term position depending on performance and business demand. This position will offer a hybrid structure with at least 3 days a week onsite.
What You’ll Be Doing:
· Process weekly payroll for 500+ U.S. and international employees with accuracy and efficiency
· Maintain, review, and audit timesheets—handling last‑minute updates when needed
· Calculate and manage payroll deductions, including taxes, benefits, and voluntary contributions
· Provide timely, professional responses to payroll questions from employees and leadership
· Conduct recurring payroll audits to maintain data accuracy and compliance
What You Bring
· 3+ years of full‑cycle, high‑volume payroll experience (500+ employees)
· Strong experience with UKG
· Strong Excel skills, including formulas and formatting
· Excellent organization skills with the ability to meet deadlines in a fast‑moving environment
· A proactive mindset, strong confidentiality, and attention to numerical detail
|
Jessica Robbins |
|
Connect with me on LinkedIn |
|
|