CARSTAR Collision Repair Centres across the country raised $201,196 for cystic fibrosis research by supporting the FrightLites® campaign and other fundraising initiatives. Now completing its sixth year, the FrightLites® campaign is a partnership between the CCFF and more than 100 CARSTAR locations across the country.

Each location sold FrightLites®, non-toxic glow sticks that children wear on Halloween night. The campaign, which ran throughout October, aims to help promote safety among little trick-or-treaters and to raise much-needed funds for cystic fibrosis (CF) research and treatment.

Cystic Fibrosis (CF), which affects the lungs and the digestive system, is the most common fatal, inherited disease affecting young Canadians.

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Airbag thefts raise safety flag for repairs
Gangs plundering cars for expensive crash bag systems

Removal damage may render them useless, police say

Dec. 17, 2005
IAN HARVEY, SPECIAL TO THE STAR

Organized gangs are prowling dealerships and parking lots in a dangerous but lucrative scam to steal airbags and resell them to unscrupulous body shops while putting drivers at risk, police say.

In fact, they have replaced stereo units as the No. 1 automotive theft target.

Aside from the damage to cars and the cost of replacing air bags - together up to $4,000 each theft - there are serious risks involved for those who buy black-market units to replace those deployed in collisions because the delicate units may no longer function.

On one November night alone, a gang pillaged a Scarborough car dealership, wreaking $180,000 damage and stealing air bags from 45 cars.

With new air bags costing between $750 and $1,500, stolen air bags are selling like hot cakes on the street.

"You can get 20 or 30 in a night and at $100 to $150 each, that's $2,000 to $4,500," said Detective Sam Cosentino of the Toronto Organized Crime Enforcement Unit.

Body shops typically mark up the bags and resell them, he said, and the sheer volume of thefts is costing U.S. consumers about $40 (U.S.) a year on their insurance policies, according to State Farm.

"We find them stacked up when we're investigating chop shops and those using stolen parts," he said.

In many cases the bags may not be functional, say police, with at least two deaths recorded in Canada because replacement air bags did not deploy in a collision. Also, they warn, many consumers are being charged full value for bags that were stolen in the first place.

Theft of the expensive safety systems has become a global phenomenon, but in both Canada and the United States, manufacturers and the insurance industry have not been able to come up with a winning counter-strategy.

They've instituted a database with serial numbers of authorized replacement bags sold but there's just no stopping the wave of thefts, which have now outpaced stereos as the most common item stolen.

No Canadian figures are available, but in the U.S. about 75,000 bags are stolen annually, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau. Despite the similar and apparent widespread problem in Canada, however, no one seems to be tracking specific numbers.

Cosentino said the incidents are listed as thefts from autos and there are no specific statistics readily available.

Damaged bags, or in some cases, missing bags replaced by "fake" ones, create
a huge problem for drivers. In 2000, a 53-year-old Vancouver woman was killed after the air bag in her car didn't deploy.

"It's not just the theft of air bag, it's the damage to the car," Cosentino said. "There're only four bolts to the driver's side, but for the passenger side or the side airbags, they'll rip through the dash or the seats."

A mid-November Toronto Police Services stakeout nailed three men in their 20s as they returned to a stash of stolen airbags taken a few nights earlier from Roadsport Honda in the Kennedy-Ellesmere Rds. area.

"They had hit 28 news cars and 17 used cars with about $4,000 damage to each car including the cost of replacement air bags," said Detective Rich Ryan of 41 Division Major Crime Unit. "We found they'd left a stash nearby and we staked it and nabbed them when they came back to get them."

The 401 corridor has become a rich vein for airbag thieves to mine, said Bill Cameron, national director for auto theft at the Insurance Bureau of Canada.

"They are going after the storage facilities used by auto manufacturers, in some cases getting hundreds of bags," he said.

Insurance companies should work more closely with manufacturers to reduce the cost of airbags and make them less attractive to thieves, said George Iny of the Canadian Automobile Protection Association.

"There are maybe three or four manufacturers of components and there is no universal solution so there's no aftermarket for airbags," he said. "And those making the parts have no incentive to bring the price down."

Consumers end up carrying all the risk and footing the bill, said Bill Davis, executive director of the Toronto Area Dealers Association.

He said there are no laws requiring airbags to be checked during a safety inspection and it's possible that stolen bags could be non-functioning.

"There's no requirement to tell any buyer of the car that the air bag was stolen or replaced."

He said removing the airbags is dangerous in itself since they have small explosive charges in them to trigger deployment.

While some cars have lights showing if the air bag is active, many installers simply short-circuit it so there's no way of knowing.

"It's a huge and ongoing problem," he said.

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In a bid to cut dropout rates in half within five years, high school students will soon get more hands-on learning through new co-op programs and diplomas that let them specialize, Premier Dalton McGuinty says.

The changes are part of a carrot-and-stick plan. The stick comes next Tuesday with long-promised legislation requiring students to stay in school until age 18, up from 16 now.

McGuinty said the idea is to make high school "more relevant, more engaging" so that teens can take courses and join co-op programs of greater interest to them, so Ontario won't continue to see 45,000 students drop out of school annually.

Specialized diploma programs could cover subjects from computers to the hospitality industry, technology, business, construction, music and other arts while still requiring students to take core subjects like math.

"We're really allowing students to customize their high school diploma," said Education Minister Gerard Kennedy, calling the plan a "fairly dramatic change" to the way schools operate.

He made the announcement at Harbord Collegiate, where some students are already in co-op programs, such as the one that placed Grade 12 student Matthew Boldrini in the bakery at Summerhill Market.

Since starting there in mid-October, he's moved from making cookies to cakes and mousses.

"They already offered me a part-time job," said a proud Boldrini, who wants to be a pastry chef.

In addition, course links will be sought with universities so students can earn credits toward their high school diploma and university degrees at the same time.

The first new courses and programs will be operated on a pilot basis early in the new year with more coming next fall.

But critics said the plan is meaningless without funding for schools to add more practical, hands-on, career-oriented courses in addition to typical subjects like math, English, history and science.

Smaller schools and schools in rural areas and small towns will be particularly challenged to follow through with the government's vision, saidAnnie Kidder of People for Education, a lobby group.

"It doesn't guarantee the actual courses will be there," she said. "Where's the money?"

McGuinty said the government's goal is to see 85 per cent of high school students graduating by 2010 - three years after the next provincial election - compared with 68 per cent in 2003 and 71 per cent last spring.

The plan should help reduce youth violence that has rocked Toronto and other communities in recent months, McGuinty added.

"By engaging young people, holding them in school, demonstrating that we value not only them but their future and their potential, we're going to be doing a lot to make sure our streets are safer."

He wouldn't comment on how far the legislation to be introduced next week would go in terms of penalties for teens who drop out of school before turning 18.

"There will be something that will demonstrate we are serious," McGuinty said, although Kennedy acknowledged later that it's impossible to actually force kids to stay in school.

The Liberals blamed the previous Conservative government's move to a four-year high school system in 1999 for the dropout rate, one of the highest in Canada, and said the consequences for society are costly.

Almost 34 per cent of people without a high school diploma require income assistance compared with just under 7 per cent of high school graduates.

Final numbers from NACE 2005 show total attendance was 26,311. Attendees were a geographically diverse group, representing 70 countries. The trade show featured 479 exhibiting companies, and the conference program was NACE's largest ever with 75 sessions. The International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) now coincides each year with Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW) in Las Vegas.

The Automotive Service Association (ASA), which sponsors NACE, was pleased with the 2005 results. "Those in attendance were solid, qualified attendees -- expanding their knowledge and shopping the exposition for ways to increase their bottom lines," said Ron Pyle, ASA president and chief staff executive.

"In addition to our base attendee market, more associations and industry organizations are seeing the benefit of aligning with NACE by holding their meetings during Industry Week," commented Dana Teague, NACE Sr. Show Director. "The value of the three show alliance (NACE, SEMA and AAPEX) cannot be overstated."

NACE 2006 will be held Nov. 1-4, at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas. The event will again be held during Automotive Aftermarket Industry Week (AAIW), taking place that same week in Las Vegas. For more information, visit www.NACEexpo.com.

OTTAWA * It costs Canadian Businesses $33 billion a year to comply with government rules, says a report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business.

The estimate includes the time and money spent on everything from figuring out how high a business can hang its sign, to complying with legislation such as the federal privacy laws and filling out tax forms, the small-business group said.

"With $33 billion, you could eliminate the GST," Garth Whyte, CFIB's executive vice-president, said in a release. "$33 billion represents 2.6 per cent of our nationals GDP."

The report, Rate R: Prosperity Restricted by Red Tape, concludes that while some regulation is necessary, too much of it limits consumer choices, raises prices, frustrates entrepreneurship and reduces productivity and innovation.

Whyte said small businesses are hit especially hard, since they don't have resources to deal with the truckloads of rules. Most Canadian businesses have fewer than five employees and pay more than $5,300 per employee every year to follow government rules.

Meanwhile, firms with 100 employees or more pay $1,100 per employee. The report points to one central solution - increased accountability.

"This is a non-partisan issue that should be a priority," Whyte said.

Courtesy of The Canadian Press as printed in the Hamilton Spectator Tuesday, December 13, 2005.

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Invites you to join us in a reception honouring a special family as they receive the 1st annual 2005 Benevolence Car this holiday season.

City/HMP Autobody is one of many Acoat selected repair centers across the country that, through volunteer staff hours, will be presenting a reconditioned vehicle to a very deserving family. One, who's lives will be significantly improved by the gift of a car this holiday season.

We look forward to you joining us for this moment in a celebration of community businesses working together to change lives, one family at a time.

Date Friday, December 16, 2005
Time: 2pm
Location: City/HMP Autobody Inc
155 Cannon Street East, Hamilton
905 527-7003 x 250

Please RSVP to Stacy Clark

(see headlines)

Ontario's drivers' licensing system is rife with crime as rogue employees steal plates and permits and issue phony licences, the provincial auditor general has found.

In his annual report to the Legislature, Auditor General Jim McCarter slammed the Liberals because some transportation ministry staff and private contractors allowed 56,000 documents and licence plates to be stolen and lost.

"We noted instances where staff had criminal records yet no action was taken, and in 25 per cent of the new-hire files we reviewed, the required criminal check had not been done," McCarter said in his 406-page report released yesterday.

McCarter and his auditors also exposed problems at the Ontario Provincial Police, including officers crashing cruisers at an alarming rate, and outlined concerns about an air and land ambulance system that is costing more and delivering less.

Blaming government sloppiness for the problems, McCarter emphasized the offences were grave this year, the first full year of the Liberals' mandate that his office has probed.

The most sensational revelations dealt with a drivers' licensing system plagued with what appears to be organized criminal activity despite supposed heightened security in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States.

The auditors uncovered serious deficiencies at some of the 280 privately run ministry of transportation licensing offices, such as a failure to safeguard licence plates, plate stickers, temporary drivers' licences, vehicle permits, trip permits and temporary disabled parking permits.

"We noted that, over the past four years, over 49,000 high-risk stock items had been reported missing, and over 7,000 have been reported stolen," McCarter said.

Lost or stolen stock could be used for fraudulent or illegal purposes. He noted that 75 per cent of the missing stock came from six offices, and 75 per cent of the stolen stock came from another three offices.

The ministry, he said, had neither investigated the stock discrepancies nor made attempts to recover losses.

McCarter said he didn't know if organized crime syndicates such as biker gangs or the Mafia were involved, "but it's certainly all the more reason the ministry has to get out there."

NDP Leader Howard Hampton, a former attorney general, warned that organized crime might have infiltrated the transportation ministry.

"This is the kind of situation that would attract organized crime because a photo ID driver's licence can get you on an airplane that you otherwise wouldn't be able to get on," he said. "It can get you documents that you wouldn't otherwise be able to get."

Transportation Minister Harinder Takhar insisted he has now adopted a "zero tolerance policy" regarding the privately run licensing offices.

"We will not tolerate any discrepancies in these," he said, adding that two operators have had their contracts revoked and one is being investigated.

He also insisted that no one with a criminal record should be working in those offices.

In one case, an employee was caught last year changing photos, birthdates, names and addresses on current drivers' licences.

"A ministry analysis of the event concluded that it is easy for staff to manipulate the current system to produce such false documents," the auditor's report stated.

There were other troubling infractions related to drivers' licences from within his ministry.

"Procedures for identifying potentially fraudulent drivers' licences need to be improved," said McCarter, whose cursory look found 14 motorists with two licences. It is also far too easy to get a legitimate driver's licence using something as easily obtained as a Costco membership card.

"Such items as membership cards for wholesale warehouse clubs and employee or student cards without photos were accepted as one of the two required identification documents," the report stated.

Takhar said that starting this month, the ministry will be clamping down on the types of identification that are accepted.

Scofflaws also remain on the road - one driver had his licence suspended 18 times - and delays in interviews with motorists who have accumulated demerit points are frequently cancelled, then fall by the wayside.

"Driving-related criminal records for young offenders were maintained manually and were error-prone," McCarter said, noting that of 40 young offenders who should have been given lifetime suspensions, only seven had them imposed.

Nor is there any way to authenticate drivers' licences from places such as China, India, Iran and Sri Lanka, meaning there are thousands of motorists who may be on Ontario roads without adequate training.

Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory, who blasted Premier Dalton McGuinty for ducking question period to avoid the political fallout, said the scope of the problem was "a damning indictment" of the government

In other findings, the auditor said the province's Alcohol and Gaming Commission has no idea whether money raised by locally licensed bingos and other games are actually going to charities. According to 2003 statistics, about $1.6 billion was wagered province-wide by the public on charitable gaming.

"Without appropriate oversight ... it has no assurance that charitable organizations are getting the proceeds from gaming that they are entitled to and that those proceeds are being used for charitable purposes," the report stated.

Turning to the OPP, the auditors found understaffing in some areas, poor use of manpower in others, and improper oversight for seized items.

Despite many officer accidents, no remedial driving courses were provided. In one case, an officer was involved in eight collisions in six months.

On ambulance services, the report said that since municipalities took over responsibility, the price tag has almost doubled to $683 million in 2003-04 from $352 million.

From the Toronto Star

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New page dedicated to NATA

Various mechanical and collision repair trade associations from across the country met in Regina earlier this month to rejuvenate the National Automotive Trades Association of Canada (NATA).

John Scissons, is executive vice-president of NATA, and executive director of Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers, (SAAR). He explains that NATA is "the collective voice of independent sector associations on automotive repair issues which are national in scope. NATA does not aspire to speak for other sectors of the automotive service and repair industry."

The National Automotive Trades Association of Canada currently represents: Automotive Retailers Association of British Columbia (ARA); Automotive Service and Repair Association of Alberta (ASRA); Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers (SAAR); Automotive Trades Association of Manitoba (ATA); Hamilton District Autobody Repair Association (HARA); Automotive Aftermarket Retailers of Ontario (AARO); Collision Repair Association of Nova Scotia (CRANS).

NATA president is British Columbia's Rob Lang is president of NATA, and Bill Burkimsher of Ontario is secretary/treasurer. The organization does not solicit membership from individual shop owners; it is funded by regional and provincial associations.

NATA is actually a 58-year old organization, with current representation on the Board of the Canadian Automotive Repair and Service Council (CARS), along with the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association (CVMA), the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada (AIAMC), the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) and the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA).

CARS president Dan Bell commented, "The National Automotive Trades Association was one of the founding board members of the CARS Council, and has been a very important voice for the independent repair sector over the years. As the repair and service industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace, it is important for networks, such as NATA, to exist to coordinate the efforts of its members."

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The Web sites will provide students, their parents, school counselors and the public at large with facts about the industry. The sites will explain the many rewarding careers available to people who choose to work in the industry.

While administered by the I-CAR Education Foundation, the Web sites are designed to be a truly industry-wide effort that will provide all of the different segments and businesses in the collision industry with the ability to market themselves to young people in search of a challenging and rewarding career.

"The sites will demonstrate the depth and breadth of career opportunities across all industry segments," said Ron Ray, executive director of the Foundation. "From repairers to insurers, suppliers and related service businesses, the collision industry offers a wide variety of challenging and rewarding career opportunities that await young people."

The high school level site, www.collisioncareers.org, combines detailed information about both the collision repair process, training programs and facts and figures on employment with educational and entertaining content including games, downloadable wallpapers for computers and other content.

Ray explained, "Today's young people use the Internet as both entertainment and a source of information. Providing this resource for students looking into their future career opportunities both explains the details of careers, and demonstrates the industry's support for entry-level recruitment programs."

The second site, www.collisionkids.org, includes entertainment and education content about the industry geared towards elementary and middle school age students.

"Collisionkids.org will not only entertains and educates young people, but inform parents and educators of elementary and middle school-age student about our industry," said Ray.

Both sites were developed through the continued industry support and donations to the I-CAR Education Foundation. Content on both sites will be updated monthly. People and businesses can sponsor content on the sites to benefit both the industry and their individual recruitment efforts.

(courtesy of CollisionWeek)

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"As the repair and service industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace, it is important for networks such as NATA to exist to coordinate the efforts of its members."

On October 15, 2005, an historic meeting took place between mechanical and collision repair trade associations from across the country. Executive Vice-President of NATA, John Scissons, of the Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers (SAAR), welcomed guests to Regina, where NATA delegates met for the first time in 10 years. The goal-to rejuvenate the National Automotive Trades Association of Canada (NATA). "We can now emphasize the needs and concerns of repair associations and their members from coast to coast," said Scissons.

NATA is a federally chartered 58-year old organization with current representation on the Board of the Canadian Automotive Repair and Service Council (CARS), along with the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers' Association (CVMA), the Association of International Automobile Manufacturers of Canada (AIAMC), the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association (CADA) and the Automotive Industries Association of Canada (AIA).

NATA is the collective voice of independent sector associations on automotive repair issues that are national in scope. Independent shop owners are the grassroots of the automotive service and repair industry. The pulse of the independent shop owner is the independent sector association that works to protect and advance their interests at the regional and provincial level.

NATA does not aspire to speak for other sectors of the automotive service and repair industry. Parts suppliers, vehicle manufacturers, car dealerships, etc., already have national associations to represent their specific needs. Given that NATA is dedicated to the independent sector, the position it takes on industry issues will therefore never be compromised by the interests of others.

In 1989, representatives from the many sectors of the automotive industry created the Canadian Automotive Repair and Service Council (CARS). One reason for its formation was the perceived need for "a national office to further the wider-interests of the industry, and to address cross-sector issues and problems." NATA embraced those ideals, helped to found CARS, and remains fully committed to the organization.

As the representative of regional and provincial independent sector associations, NATA will continue to work cooperatively through CARS to advance its affiliates' objectives. NATA also views CARS as a potential ombudsman, of sorts (i.e. to mitigate the inevitable differences of opinion that periodically arise between independents and other industry sectors and/or the associations that represent them).

The harmonious relationship shared by CARS and NATA serves the industry well. Affiliates' close ties to shop owners and their employees uniquely qualifies NATA to function as a virtual "one stop" for CARS' human resource needs. When manpower is required for focus groups or project committees, NATA is able to provide CARS with grassroots support clear across Canada.

CARS President Dan Bell welcomes the revitalization of NATA: "The National Automotive Trades Association was one of the founding board members of the CARS Council, and has been a very important voice for the independent repair sector over the years. As the repair and service industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace, it is important for networks such as NATA to exist to coordinate the efforts of its members. CARS would like to congratulate NATA on its growing membership and wishes the organization much continued success in the years ahead."

NATA does not solicit membership from individual shop owners. It is funded directly by properly chartered, not-for-profit regional and provincial independent sector associations that represent mechanical and collision repair shop operators. However, the strength of NATA is not limited to its direct funding. Quite the contrary. Its overall might can be measured by the collective resources of the many affiliate organizations comprising its membership. "Strength in Numbers!"

In the vast and wonderful country that is Canada, good communication is essential to the well being of a national organization. NATA will utilize an interactive website, VoIP, web cam, and other state-of-the-art communications technology to ensure independents from the Atlantic to the Pacific are kept in close touch.

The National Automotive Trades Association of Canada currently represents:

" Automotive Retailers Association of British Columbia (ARA)
" Automotive Service and Repair Association of Alberta (ASRA)
" Saskatchewan Association of Automotive Repairers (SAAR)
" Automotive Trades Association of Manitoba (ATA)
" Hamilton district Autobody Repair Association (HARA)
" Automotive Aftermarket Retailers of Ontario (AARO)
" Collision Repair Association of Nova Scotia (CRANS)

The President of NATA is British Columbia's Rob Lang, the Executive Vice-President is John Scissons from Saskatchewan, and the Secretary/Treasurer is Bill Burkimsher of Ontario.
For more information, contact John Scissons, Executive Director, SAAR, and Executive VP, NATA. Phone: 306.220.6774, or e-mail: dir@s-a-a-r.com

Kara Cunningham, Automotive Retailers Association of British Columbia
Collision Quarterly

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October 7, 2005

The Collision Industry Information Assistance web site (www.ciia.com) announced today a new benefit program to kick-off the start of regional workshops across Ontario that help local association members and shops.  The 12 workshops will highlight issues such as environmental help, compliance assistance, CISCO updates (Collision Industry Standards Council of Ontario) and help shops meet or exceed standards.  They are being held in response to shop requests.  "ciia.com receives over 100 shop inquiries a week on our 1-866 information line and web sites and we are pleased to be going across the province with our assistance packages and speakers.  Our non-profit group wants to help association clients and their members be more profitable and encourage higher compliance to standards" says President Tony Nigro, a shop owner from Hamilton.

Workshops in Oshweken, Six Nations have been already completed. Future workshops include:

London on October 18 in conjunction with the Organization of Auto Body Rebuilders
Thunder Bay on October 25 with the Northwestern Ontario Collision Repair Professionals
and 10 other locations in Windsor, Sarnia, Oakville, St. Catharines, Guelph, Sudbury, Ottawa, Oshawa and Belleville..

Special products and services also featured at the workshops are discount programs for:

- Shop garage insurance policy offered through Canada Brokerlink
- Training discounts with suppliers
- Uniform discounts from Cintas
- Gasoline discounts offered by Shell Canada
- Phone line cost discounts through Primus
- Vehicle history searches
- Up to 70% off on office products from Grand & Toy
- Great deals on solvent purchasing from Cansol Services
- Collision repair equipment
- Special promotions items for your shop from Jutland
- Hardware and software discounts from Carrus and ADP
- Engineering help to get those permits
- Special forms and invoice discounts from NEBS
- Discounted legal help for storage and liens, pre-paid services or MTO problems
- Free health and safety audits and assistance and discounted isocyanate inspections
- Credit programs for cash-pay customers that return 102% of the invoice value

www.ciia.com also now offers front office and shop production expert firms who get paid only through your increased profits.

For more information, contact ciia.com at 1-866-309-4272 or info@ciia.com.

Tri-Lateral Consultants	Wellington Medical Centre	Legal Solutions & Associates

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By John Norris, Executive Director, HARA

The Collision Industry Information and Assistance (www.ciia.com) web site, operated by the Hamilton District Autobody Repair Association, handles over 10,000 hits a day. The phone lines often field 30 calls a day and at least 60 emails. Over 400 shops call regularly for environmental help with training, certification assistance, wage incentive information, hiring questions and inquiries from insurance contact lists to manuals on how to market to brokers all the way to requests for guest speakers at their local schools to getting a fax number to send copies of abusive towing invoices.

This is how a professional collision repair trade association works.

Individual association mandates may be different but their passion and vision should be clear and consistent: Help shops, serve the interests of repairers, represent them and provide opportunities to move member interests forward.

Let's face it -- it's a tough marketplace our there and many shops are struggling to stay profitable. They need more help right now and should recognize that although their voice may not be strong individually, their association's voice can be loud, active and successful.

Why then are there so few shop members in their trade associations? One reason is lack of communications. And it goes both ways. Some repairers only hear from their trade association when once a year an invoice shows up on the fax machine. Good professional associations communicate by holding regular neighborhood style meetings or surveys to gain better incite into shop needs -- yet often shops don't show up at meetings or respond to the very associations trying to help them.

Perhaps, shops haven't yet realized the practical benefits of membership in an active association. Can shop concerns be addressed? What's in it for a shop to be a member?

GAUGE YOUR REPRESENTATION

You should always ask yourself the two basic association membership questions:

What can you do for me now and what can you do for the industry in the future?

Most professional associations can provide you their answers quickly and the better associations have so many answers that it often has grown to a list of advantages for the shop.

For instance right now, do they provide services such as benefit programs, garage insurance, uniform and product discounts, office and stationary products discounts, forms, brochures, posters, manuals, training courses, available tax credits or grants that you can use right now to cut your immediate costs and put more money in your till?

What about down the road? Can they prove to you that they are handling the meetings and writing the letters and building the necessary support with media, insurers, suppliers or government? Does the association have the respect and trust it requires to solve your issues? For instance, can they show you or post on their web site or newsletters the meeting presentations or script or news releases showing their successes in addressing your concerns.

TOUGH SCHEDULE

Many professional associations struggle with the daily frustration that they are taking time away from working on needed industry projects that can help shops and instead, are out trying to raise funds to continue on with their good work- from the very shops they are trying to help. If shops better supported their professional trade associations with their membership dues, because of their recognized value for the industry, associations could solve your industry issues quicker.

If your professional trade association is working that hard for you, you should be working hard for them. Their membership dues are fair and you should not only pay their invoice when it arrives, but be calling them to ask to become a more active member. Volunteer to be school speaker, a letter writer or employer/mentor for young students interested in working in our trade on the association's behalf. Only through your help in adding to the
common strength can your professional association make your voice, join with other voices, and become stronger, more effective and listened to where it counts.

John Norris is Executive Director of HARA, the largest local collision repair and auto refinish industry trade association in North America, operating from Hamilton, Ontario. The association also co-chairs the Environmental Compliance Assistance program with government to reduce costs, improve compliance and provide easier help tools for shops at
www.autobodyhelp.ca and 1-866-309-4272.

HARA's mandate and industry objectives and their successes in meeting those objectives are featured at: http://www.ciia.com/provinces/ontario/hara.html

(courtesy of BODYSHOP magazine)

(see headlines)

How did ciia.com help its members and the industry in 2004?

1) New regulations to control deceptive, unfair practices particularly in towing

2) Aided in six charges being laid against local “chasers”

3) New financial monthly newsletter from SB Partners free to members

4) Instituted regional member newsletters to provide more member assistance

5) Made two $75 manuals available free to members

6) New financing of repairs package free to members

7) Updated supplier discount program for members from NEBS

8) New rules on rebuilt airbags and painting air bag covers

9) Expanded CofA and audit assistance made available to shops

10) New rules on additional pricing for salvage vehicle inspections

11) Introduced brand appeal process for total loss vehicles

12) Web site enhancements on www.ciia.com with 2.8 million hits in 12 months

13) Offering free employment online ads for shops and members

14) Sponsored six Basic Estimating classes with discount pricing for members

15) Set up donations program to link schools with suppliers

16) Provide government with new definitions of service provider

17) Working with Halton police on new towing by-law

18) Started new www.autobodyhelp.ca online free assistance

19) Started local area meetings to assist shops

20) Start of apprentice renewal initiative

21) Working on new isocyanate control review program to better protect shops

22) New sprayc.a.r.e accreditation program proposed

23) Draft price list supplied to shops for review

24) 35th annual golf tournament with donation to local charity

25) Special insurers’ panel at October 7 special event

26) Successful introduction of online environmental training

27) Updated WHMIS training offered

28) Ongoing meetings with cabinet ministers on CISCO and Bill 186

29) Presentations to relevant groups – IBC, PAVE, OABR, CISCO, CAMPE

30) New court ordered tow storage rates set for Toronto

31) Requested to Mitchell for re-keying shop help

32) New equivalency package for trades certification updated

33) Request of ADP for rebate of funds due to October disc error

34) New 25% tax credit for hiring apprentices

35) All members receive free online news events information

36) New MOYAP style auto body course being discussed for secondary school

37) New improved benefit program announced

38) Four day meeting with MTO to update salvage brand and inspection program

39) New help package for salvage inspection for shops

40) Over 1000 students completing new training course

41) Simplified self-survey for environmental profitability now available

(see headlines)

NEW HARA CONTACT INFORMATION

The HARA office has new phone numbers. We apologize for any recent inconvenience. We are eager to hear from you and help you with any problems or needs.

Our new contact information is below:

Hamilton District Autobody Repair Association (HARA)
mailing: P.O. Box 47594, Centre Mall,
Hamilton, Ontario
L8H 7S7

Office: 350 Dosco Drive, 2nd Floor
Stoney Creek, Ontario
L8E 2N5

Phone (905) 664-7888
Fax (905) 664-3340
Toll free 1-866-309-4272 (HARA)

E-mail hara@ciia.com

Best wishes,

John Norris

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