The Association’s annual dinner gala, once again sponsored exclusively by Motorcar Parts of America, will be held at the Venetian Hotel on Sunday night October 30, 2022. The event “kicks-off” Industry Week in Las Vegas. This is the primary event that raises money for CAWA’s scholarship programs and starts the week off with entertainment, an auction and recognition of the Association’s leadership. Click here for registration materials.

Should you and/or your employees be affected by these wildfires, you should know that the Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (www.aacfi.org) has funds to support aftermarket associates in these catastrophic events. Also, the Collision Industry Foundation's Disaster Relief Task Force can give support to industry employees. Application for natural disaster assistance here.

Nathan Fidler of Worldpac, a current CAWA Board of Director’s member, presented a scholarship award on behalf of the Association.

The pay gap – or paying women and other historically marginalized groups less for the same or substantially similar work – has long been in the media spotlight. But as employees, boards, consumers, and the public are increasingly expecting more from organizations surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion, the stakes for employers regarding pay equity continue to rise. Politicians have also taken note.

While there have been pay discrimination laws on the books at the federal level and in most states for decades, over the past several years, state and local governments and Puerto Rico have passed numerous new laws all aimed at closing the pay gap. At the time of publication, 21 states have enacted “second wave” pay equity laws; 29 states and municipalities have enacted salary history inquiry bans; and 21 states have enacted wage transparency provisions. This white paper provides a discussion of the nuts and bolts of the various existing pay equity laws, including:

• The elements a plaintiff must establish to prove a claim
• The defenses available to employers
• The damages available
• The procedural mechanisms that allow for these cases to be brought as class or collective actions – increasing the exposure for employers

We also provide practical recommendations to help employers avoid pay inequities. Finally, we provide tips on how employers can seek to remediate pay inequities identified through a self-audit or otherwise. Learn more. Source: Littler

“CAWA offers a voice across the automotive channels; whether you’re a WD distributor, Retailer, E-Commerce, or Program Group, CAWA provides the training and information we need in this industry, including Legislative and Regulatory Advocacy; the organization offers many benefits and information that affect the entire industry across North America, I’m ecstatic to be a part of this excellent Organization for today, tomorrow and into the future.”

~ Jesse Oregel, Dana Corporation

Following the release of the latest Consumer Price Index report from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Tuesday morning (9.13.22), employers in Arizona will have to pay workers at least $13.90 an hour starting January 1, 2023. Currently the minimum wage is $12.80 an hour. The $1.10 increase in the minimum wage is directly tied in the latest CPI report, which showed an 8.3% increase in inflation from August 2021 to August 2022. In 2016, voters approved Proposition 206, which raised the minimum wage from $8.05 an hour to $10 and then increased it every year to $12 in 2020. Prop. 206 then required the minimum wage to be adjusted annually for inflation based off August CPI numbers. The law requires the increased minimum wage be rounded up to the nearest five cents. Source: Phoenix Business Journal

Ending years of discussion about the scope of state law employment protections for individuals who use marijuana recreationally, the Nevada Supreme Court has upheld a lower court’s decision to dismiss a complaint by an employee who was fired for testing positive for marijuana on a post-accident drug test. In Ceballos v. NP Palace, LLC, the employee asserted that the positive drug result was due to his use of recreational marijuana at home, that he was not intoxicated or impaired at work, and he had complied with state law. After his termination, the employee brought a complaint against his employer for damages under Nevada’s law protecting the off-work use of a lawful product and common-law tortious discharge. Learn more. Source: Littler

It's halfway through 2022 — a great time to review how you're complying with the ever-evolving legal obligations that apply to your company. State and federal laws have continued to keep employers busy, but employers shouldn't forget about their applicable local ordinances. See details here. Source: Our Friends at the California Chamber of Commerce

Most recently, the California Air Resources Board (CARB) staff held a public workshop to discuss draft proposed amendments to the “Small Containers of Automotive Refrigerant Regulation” (or Small Can Regulation). The original regulation had two key requirements to reduce refrigerant emissions: (1) a self-sealing valve to keep unused refrigerant inside the can and (2) the recovery and recycling of the remaining refrigerant left in the can after use. The regulation resulted in larger than projected emission reductions and a smaller amount of refrigerant remaining in the can at the end of life. This means less refrigerant is left to be recovered and recycled than was originally anticipated.

The purpose of this workshop is to provide an update of the proposed amendments to the regulation, and to discuss and solicit public input on the proposed draft regulation text. The proposed changes include:

• Replacing the deposit and recycling program with a requirement for can manufacturers to use reclaimed refrigerant
• Adding new annual reporting requirements
• Expanding new mechanisms or requirements for can manufacturers to expend funds from remaining unclaimed deposits

Rest assured that CAWA’s Legislative Team will be following this issue. Contact our Legislative Advocate, Gary Conover with your comments or questions. Gary can be reached at gary@garyconover.com or 916.233.9655.

If an employee quits without giving any notice, I believe I have a window of time to prepare a final paycheck. Does the employee have to come pick it up or should I mail it to them? 

When an employee quits without any notice at all, you have 72 hours to cut a final paycheck and have it ready for them to pick up. If an employee gives less than 72 hours’ notice you have 72 hours from the time notice is given to have the check ready. The 72 hours runs regardless of business hours. It generally is the responsibility of the employee to return to pick up their check or request that it be mailed. See details here. Source: Our friends at the California Chamber of Commerce

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Good employees are hard to find and even harder to keep. Providing quality health insurance is good for employee retention, morale and it’s the right thing to do. Now you can do that at an even better cost. CAWA’s Association Health Plans are less expensive, offer richer health benefits than a traditional Small Group health plan and are available to any qualifying automotive-related business. If you think your insurance premium costs are high or that you don’t have access to the right doctors, it’s time to explore other options. See more here and call 877.737.0184 for details. Another member benefit.

See the enclosed informational piece (here) from our California based partner, Armstrong & Associates. Contact Glen Dailey at 800.632.2777 or gdailey@armstrongprofessional.com.