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SCRS to Hold 30-yr Anniversary Celebration Meeting in Conjunction with CIC April 24–25 in Oklahoma City The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) will hold the group’s 30th Anniversary Celebration Tuesday, April 24th in OklaSoutheast homa City, Oklahoma at the Edition Renaissance Oklahoma City. SCRS will honor individuals who have supported the industry through their Florida dedication and activism with SCRS at thisGeorgia celebration. There is no charge to attend, although pre-regAlabama istration is required and the regisMississippi tration deadline is April 13th. Please RSVP to Linda Atkins by phone at 877-841-0660 or via email at info@scrs.com. The following is the schedule of events, and please note SCRS members and industry guests are welcome to attend and participate at the Board of Directors meeting. SCRS members will have a Northeast vote in the upcoming election Edition held just prior to the evening festivities.
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Tuesday, April 24: 3:00 —5:00 p.m.: Open Board of Directors Meeting 5:15—5:30 p.m.: Board Elections 6:30—7:30 p.m.: 30th Anniversary Reception 7:30—10:00 p.m.: 30th Anniversary Dinner, Induction of SCRS New Board of Directors and Recognition Awards Wednesday, April 25: 8:00—11:30 a.m.: Industry Issues Forum (Agenda to be announced.)
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CIC Held in Conjunction The meeting is held in conjuction with the Collision Industry Conference, also Wednesday, April 25: 1:00—5:00 PM CIC Meeting, 6:30 PM CIC Reception Thursday, April 26: 8:00—12:00 PM CIC Meeting For more information please visit www.scrs.com, or ciclink.com.
VOL. 30 ISSUE 4 APRIL 2012
Nearly 200 Congressmen and Senators Write in Opposition to China’s Auto Parts Practices On March 16, a group of 188 U.S. lawmakers led by U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) urged President Obama to crack down on “predatory” Chinese pricing practices, which they said are threatening the U.S. auto parts industry and could cost the U.S. more than a million jobs. “We cannot wait until further damage is done,” the nearly 200 members of the House and Senate— including all the Democratic members of the House Ways and Means Committee—said in a letter to President Obama. “Seventy-five percent of the jobs in the automotive sector are in auto parts, and these jobs are at risk in every state in the nation.” The Congressional letter encourages Presidential action against Chinese predatory trade practices in this sector to be one of the “first and highest priorities” of his Administration’s recently created Interagency Trade
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Enforcement Center. The lawmakers praised the administration’s creation of the Interagency Trade Enforcement Center to promote a more coordinated effort, which they say will provide the United States additional resources to examine China’s and other nations’ trade violations. This effort, unlike any that have taken place in recent memory, asks the Administration to further investigate the barriers that China has adopted and initiate appropriate action to level the playing field. The complaint is supported by the United Steel Workers. “Most trade cases are filed by the private sector after substantial injury has occurred. China’s practices in this sector have already caused harm, but the goal is also to alter its policies before the complete decimation of our domestic industry. In these critical economic times, we must take every appropriate action to address unfair See Chinese Auto Parts, Page 42
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GIES ECHNOLO T H S I N I REF P A IN T &
State Farm Pays Gunder’s Processes and Materials Previously Denied—Without Litigation Ray Gunder of Gunder’s Auto Center has been pressing insurers to provide full compensation to his customers for “necessary processes and materials needed to properly and thoroughly repair his customer’s vehicles” through filing litigation against the insurer, specifically State Farm, on the customer’s behalf.
The first instance required a lawsuit to be levied against the insurer by Gunder brought the matter of unpaid procedures and paint and material invoicing to court and was settled during a court ordered mediation and actual litigation was avoided. State Farm agreed to pay all See Gunder, Page 40
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