LAS VEGAS—The Tire Industry Association (TIA) passed two resolutions addressing workplace regulations at the association's annual membership meeting Nov. 2 at the Tropicana Las Vegas hotel, where TBC Retail Group's Glen Nicholson took over as TIA's president for 2015-16.
The resolutions address proposed social legislation for working families and proposed federal overtime wage charges.
Outgoing President Freda Pratt-Boyer, senior auditor of Potosi, Mo.-based Purcell Tire & Rubber Co., passed the gavel to Mr. Nicholson, director of retail education and quality assurance for TBC Retail Group, during the meeting.
Regarding the working families social legislation, the TIA membership voted to urge lawmakers to carefully consider the financial impact of social legislation—covering items such as minimum wage, equal pay, workplace flexibility, child care and paid leave—on the well-being of small businesses.
The resolution stated that TIA will oppose legislation that will cause economic hardships on its members.
The membership also passed a resolution opposing proposed rulemaking to raise the salary threshold for overtime pay to $50,440 from $23,660 and that workers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act must be paid at least time-and-a-half (or 1.5 times their regular pay) for each hour of work per week beyond 40 hours.
This proposal is targeted at managers and assistant managers, TIA said, noting that overtime regulations do not provide an exemption for small businesses.
The TIA membership resolved that the association will actively oppose the Department of Labor's proposed rulemaking and will reach out to members of Congress to publicly oppose the proposed rulemaking.
In other announcements the association made during the Global Tire Expo—Powered by TIA in Las Vegas at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, TIA said its membership has topped 8,000, the largest the association or its predecessor organizations have ever been.
“It is great to know we have had a record number of members in TIA,” TIA Executive Vice President Roy Littlefield said. He credited the association's strong government affairs, training and member benefit programs for the surge in membership.
The Hybrid Shop, a Gainesville, Va.-based specialist in hybrid and electric vehicle diagnostics and maintenance, became TIA's 8,000th member in early November, TIA said. The company joined TIA because TIA membership will increase its effort to continually increase the value it offers its dealers and customers, according to Carey Mellor, vice president of sales for the company.
“We are happy to be part of this growing organization and look forward to developing relationships within this diverse network of industry professionals,” Mr. Mellor said.
TIA also said its training program has passed the 100,000 milestone, covering all employees of tire dealerships who were trained under TIA's programs in automotive, commercial, earthmover, farm and industrial tire service.
Franklin Clark, a technician with Black's Tire & Auto Service in Whiteville, N.C., was the 100,000th tire technician to be trained, TIA said, earning his Commercial Tire Service (CTS) 300 Level Certification in mid-October. William Humphrey, Mr. Clark's co-worker at Black's Tire, was his instructor.
The 100,000 figure dates back to 1997; it does not include those trained using TIA's online university.
“We are amazed by the number of companies that have made safety a priority in recent years,” said Kevin Rohlwing, TIA senior vice president of training, regarding the success of TIA's training program. “It is incredibly rewarding to know that our training is saving lives each and every day.”