Automotive Technicians for fair pay

I am a automotive repair technician. I have worked in the industry for 12 years. I have not gone to technical schools but have received factory training, apprenticed, and self taught through reading and web-based training. I am very good at what I do but am increasingly dissatisfied at the constant drop in flat rate labor times and the decreasingly poor pay employers wish to pay us. More and more I see dealerships and aftermarket shops alike use Mitchell and All-Data to figure out service labor times. I am currently working for a chain repair shop and it is the second of its kind in my last year of working that I have looked to and I have worked at 2 different dealerships in the last year. I have noticed that the times that these companies want to use out of Mitchell and All-Data Do not seem to incorporate many of the variable factors to decide labor times such as hand tools, shop lay-outs, technician knowledge, parts time, test drive, or tool cost. Instead it seems as all they do is find the lowest time and not the average labor time, and use all of the top time-saving tools that cost us as technicians 10's of thousands of dollars. I am looking for support from my co-workers and piers. We need to join together and push towards a fair labor standard and pay system. I feel we should be licensed to work in this field and if we were we could better demand a fair pay for our investment. If you are interested in trying to develop a requirement for licensing to work in this field to achieve a better standard in our field both in quality and in compensation, then we need to act and require licensing to work in any repair facility in the U.S.

As a member of one of the greatest labor unions on the planet, and as a relative of an Auto Techinician who is currently being low balled by greedy shop owners I encourage all Auto Technicins to Unite, Build Power and win Justice for all who apply their craft. As we approach the 75th anniversary of the sit down strike of 1937, now more than ever does the middle class laborwer need protection from Corporate greed. Fair Labor Laws need to vbe in place to protect hard working Auto Techinicians from being gouged by their bosses who then pocket huge profits at the Tech's expense. There are loopholes in the flat rate system that need to be closed by the Dept. of Labor and by all Auto Techs organizing into onr bargaining unit. Unite, Build Power, Win Justice!!

Brad Francis said: As a member of one of the greatest labor unions on the planet, and as a relative of an Auto Techinician who is currently being low balled by greedy shop owners I encourage all Auto Technicins to Unite, Build Power and win Justice for all who apply their craft. As we approach the 75th anniversary of the sit down strike of 1937, now more than ever does the middle class laborwer need protection from Corporate greed. Fair Labor Laws need to vbe in place to protect hard working Auto Techinicians from being gouged by their bosses who then pocket huge profits at the Tech's expense. There are loopholes in the flat rate system that need to be closed by the Dept. of Labor and by all Auto Techs organizing into onr bargaining unit. Unite, Build Power, Win Justice!!

What are the steps to take for those of us that what to help?

Yes automobiles are getting more difficult and the shops and dealerships are charging more per labor hour but the technicians rate of pay is not increasing with the vehicles we are repairing or inflation. Flat rate means the repair technician accepts and carries pretty much all of the liablity and the shops carry very little on none. Plumbers ,roofer , electricans ,hvac ....ect. none of which personaly pay for tools in dollar amounts the we do. Most tool boxes cost as much as a decent used car. Basically just a poor industry to work in. But choose your rate.....choose your fate....