The Board of Directors for the Collision Industry Action Group (CIAG) has established the following four advocacy objectives for the association and identified the work done to date:

ENCOURAGE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF CISCO, THE SELF-MANAGED SHOP ACCREDITATION PROGRAM

• CIAG is represented on the Board of Directors for CISCO
• We have held over a dozen workshops across Ontario featuring CISCO information.
• CIAG has made presentations to the Premier and cabinet ministers on the program
• We continue to offer administrative services for the CISCO program
• CIAG Board members were heavily involved in the writing of the CISCO proposal

PROMOTE SHOP PROFITABILITY-GETTING PAID FOR THE WORK DONE

• Printing and distributing to shops, list of procedure items in order to receive payment
• Surveying shops annually in Marketwatch for trends and data
• Implementing a "car covering " charge
• Making sure that shops were charging for body and shop supplies
• Introducing new paint re-imbursement programs- documented increase in re-imbursement
• Small parts pricing program ready for announcement with data providers
• Ensuring that shops are paid to handle their environmental wastes

CHALLENGE YOUNG PEOPLE TO CONSIDER COLLISION REPAIR AS A GREAT CAREER WITH A GOOD FUTURE

• Sponsoring apprenticeship classes at colleges in southern Ontario
• Working with the Ministry to provide funding for new classes
• Successfully promoting the need for more apprenticeship funding
• Establishing links with co-op secondary school programs and OYAP
• Offering free employment ads on the industry web site
• Providing assistance for new schools and delivery agents for autobody training
• Speaking at skills days at schools and running "mall talks" and displays
• Helping to produce a new innovative cd-rom to attract and retain employees
• Participating in the new Apprenticeship Retention study
• Winning the Skills Award for the City for two years in a row

ADDRESS UNFAIR MARKETPLACE ISSUES SUCH AS UNLICENSED TECHNICIANS/SHOPS AND "BANDIT" TOWING

• Setting up accreditation systems in Toronto that need licensed technicians to qualify
• Assuring that the CISCO program requires licensed technicians and shop licensing
• Putting in place a salvage inspection program that requires licensed technicians
• Pushing for enforcement of licensing by-laws
• Introducing and promoting a towing by-law in Hamilton and Toronto
• Promoting a level playing field at the Toronto Collision Reporting Centres
• Providing equivalency testing and programs to assist techs to become licensed
• We have won more awards for our work than all other collision repair trade association in Canada combined.

Full membership, associate membership and data partner memberships welcomed. Outside of Canada, please use our international e-mail address of ciag@icom.ca.

Messages can be left on the French portion of the web site as well.

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