CAWA is pleased to announce the recipients of its 2021 automotive high school teachers' scholarship awards. Named the Motorcar Parts of America - Selwyn Joffe Awards, CAWA provided three scholarships this year to high school teachers to support their automotive programs. "CAWA is proud to assist these automotive high school teachers, in part, to assure their programs remain viable and well-resourced for the benefit of their students and our industry", said Rodney Pierini, President and CEO, in announcing the awards. See the complete press release here for details.

The automotive aftermarket proved its resiliency once again with a stronger than expected performance in 2020, despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, and is anticipated to recover robustly in 2021. Total United States light-duty automotive aftermarket sales are forecasted to increase 11.2% in 2021, totaling $325 billion, according to the “2021 Joint Channel Forecast Model” produced jointly by the Automotive Aftermarket Suppliers Association (AASA) and the Auto Care Association. See details (here). Source: aftermarketNews

Although OEM dealerships, retail stores and warehouse distributors put tens of thousands of car parts within reach of independent repair shops, it sometimes can be difficult to get a specific part delivered in time to complete a repair by end of day. Most parts stores make daily deliveries, but not every auto shop is easily reachable, and parts stores might impose early cut-off times when they have more orders than usual. Repair shops then must decide whether to send a skilled tradesperson to pick up a part, costing them time that could be spent fixing other vehicles. When a part can’t arrive quickly enough, the vehicle has to stay overnight and the shop can’t free up that bay for a new job. Plus, the car’s owner has to make do without their primary source of transportation into the next day, leaving them increasingly stressed and frustrated the longer the repair process takes – something that’s never good for business. Traditional shipping options for auto parts are inefficient, and they’re not cost-effective. See more (here). Source: aftermarketNews

The CAWA Career Center is more than just a place to post job opportunities. In fact, it offers something of far greater value than other recruitment sites. CAWA’s Career Center is an engagement platform that brings you even closer to the type of talent that you are looking for. The Association’s job board is built around an established community of state and national trade association members, students and industry professionals; creating an opportunity to network with others in the field and build an employer brand that extends beyond the job board. 

Visit www.cawa.org to begin your search for talent for your company. Another member benefit.

Cal/OSHA is reminding all employers to protect outdoor workers from heat illness as excessive heat watches have been issued throughout California. Employers in California must take steps to protect outdoor workers from heat illness by providing water, rest, shade and training. Cal/OSHA’s heat illness prevention standard applies to all outdoor worksites. To prevent heat illness, the law requires employers to provide outdoor workers fresh water, access to shade at 80 degrees and whenever requested by a worker, cool-down rest breaks in addition to regular breaks and maintain a written prevention plan with training on the signs of heat illness and what to do in case of an emergency. See Cal/OSHS’s notice to employers here.

Pima Community College unveiled its new automotive tech center in downtown Tucson with a goal to help meet high demand for skilled technicians in the industry, including Arizona’s growing electric and autonomous vehicle manufacturing sector. The opening of the Automotive Technology and Innovation Center is just the start of a major effort by the district to expand technical training to produce tech workers in other fields and stimulate the local economy. Read more here. Source: Arizona Chamber Business

The coalition sent a letter to the Chair of the California Assembly Insurance Committee regarding the opposition. “The undersigned organizations are opposed to SB 335, which fundamentally alters longstanding rules and timeframes for determining eligibility for workers’ compensation claims and moves California outside of the mainstream when compared to other states. SB 335 substantially cuts the amount of time available to California employers to review whether claimed workplace injuries are, in fact, related to work. This is fundamentally unfair to employers, who deserve a fair opportunity to complete an investigation and make a thoughtful determination about the validity of a claimed injury. We are unaware of any data or studies showing that the existing rules and timeframes are unfair or have created any systemic problems for injured workers. In contrast, these new deadlines will ultimately lead to additional denials because investigations cannot be completed and questions as to compensability are likely to remain at the expiration of the statutory timeframe”. See the complete letter here and contact CAWA’s Legislative Advocate, Gary Conover with questions. He can be reached at 916.233.9655 or gary@garyconover.com.

This question comes up frequently, however, recent changes to the laws have made this question more problematic. The answer is — it depends. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has in recent years issued guidelines stating that an extension of FMLA is one of the “reasonable accommodations” contemplated under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The next question asked is “how much time?” This is not an easy one to answer because the ADA does not define precisely what is a reasonable accommodation. 

See more explanation here. Source: Our Friends at the California Chamber of Commerce

Automakers have filed suit to overturn the new law would require manufacturers to provide vehicle owners both access and control of the diagnostic and repair data generated by their vehicles. All eyes in the auto care industry will once again turn to Massachusetts as the trial begins in Federal Court to hear the challenge brought by the vehicle manufactures against the voters of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts on the data access law. Approved by voters on Nov. 3, 2020, by an overwhelming 75-25 percent margin, the new law would require manufacturers to provide vehicle owners both access and control of the diagnostic and repair data generated by their vehicles. The lawsuit, filed by the Alliance for Automotive Innovation, the car companies’ trade group, asks the court to overturn the data access ballot question based on a host of allegations including cyber security concerns, insufficient time to comply with the new data access requirements and their contention that the ballot initiative is preempted by federal law. The trial is expected to last about a week. More later on this lawsuit. Source: aftermarketNews

Here's what companies need to know. OSHA has released its long-awaited guidance for employers on issues related to COVID-19, but experts say the guidance leaves several questions unanswered for businesses. For months, experts have said that employers were anxious to receive guidance from OSHA — particularly in the wake of recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The strictest portion of OSHA’s new guidance focuses on health care workers, but the administration also unveiled recommendations that apply to all other employers. The guidance comes as many employers are preparing return-to-work strategies and hybrid workplace models following the COVID-19 pandemic. See more details here. Source: Sacramento Business Journal

To stay apprised of issues impacting the automotive aftermarket, learn of local trainings and events coming to your area, in addition to the many benefits CAWA offers its members, see how you can get connected via website, newsletter, social media. See here for more details.