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September 26, 2019
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 Inside this issue
  Executive Directors Message  
 

AUTO CARE ASSOCIATION SUMMIT
DOL NEW STANDARDS OVERTIME PAY
VAPING UPDATE
WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE MARKETPLACE?

AUTO CARE SUMMIT
Last week, I was in Washington DC with Eric and our new President Joe Ocello to attend a summit of the Auto Care Association. We have worked closely with the Auto Care Association for the past 10 years on issues that pertain to making sure independent repair shops have access to the technical information needed to fix customers cars. The Auto Care Association is comprised of all the major aftermarket parts manufacturers and distributors. Probably all of the parts stores that you buy from are members. In fact, one of our MBP's Buywise Auto Parts, owned by Ryan Samuels, is a very active member of this Washington-based group. You are all aware of the difficulties in finding qualified technicians and training them with the latest technologies. The entire industry is faced with the technology issue known as telematics. Telematics is gathering millions of pieces of data from your customer's vehicle to use as a marketing tool that will ultimately force all motorists into the car dealers repair shop. Manufacturers are using telematics to skirt the advances we have made that requires them to give you technical information by transmitting it directly to the dealer and locking you out. Look for this to be a huge issue in our industry over the next few years. We spent our time in Washington DC visiting with members of Congress explaining the issue to them and asking for their support to pass laws that will enable you to continue receiving technical information. I'll be reporting more to you in the future on this issue as it will be critical to your shop. 
 
 
 
OVERTIME RULES
The US Department of Labor just came out with revised standards for overtime pay. You may remember that President Obama had increased the standards in the extreme, but they were rolled back when President Trump took office. Now, the Trump administration has raised the thresholds, but not nearly has high as President Obama had done.
 
The US Department of Labor has released its final overtime rule, which will take effect on January 1, 2020. Currently, exempt employees (like managers or administrative workers) do not need to be paid overtime wages unless they earn more than $455 per week ($23,660 per year). That standard is being increased for the first time since 2004. The new rate will be $684 per week ($35,568 per year). If you have a salaried employee making less than this new threshold, you must either increase their salary to this new level or pay them on an hourly basis, including time and a half rates anytime they work over 40 hours in a week. The Obama Administration had wanted to increase the threshold to about $47,000 per year with regular increases going forward, but that rule was suspended by a federal court and ultimately replaced by the Trump Administration with this new rule. In August, Wawa lost a class action suit brought by over 300 of their assistant managers on the basis that some of their job duties included manual labor, customer service, and other non-exempt tasks; meaning they should have been paid overtime rates when working more than 40 hours per week. Each worker will receive about $85 for every week they were employed, costing the company $1.4 million.
 
VAPING
The past several weeks I have written to you about the chaos across the country regarding the issue of vaping and e-cigarettes. I can tell you that the issue has grown in the last week in calls to ban any type of vaping devices are getting louder. I mentioned last week that we have been strategizing with the tobacco companies as a ban on these products will be devastating to your convenience store and wipe out an entire industry. The most recent development is that yesterday, the Governor of Massachusetts announced an immediate four month ban on all vaping and e-cigarette products. That means that every convenience store in Massachusetts with an inventory of e-cigarettes is stuck with them. Last week, representatives from big tobacco met with Senate President Steve Sweeney trying to dissuade him from moving forward with a ban on these products in New Jersey. Senator Sweeney has requested that the industry submit a plan that will protect the youth in New Jersey from dying because they are using vape products. Our argument is that although we acknowledge young people are encountering health problems, it is not because of the products we sell. Our claim is that adulterated products are causing these teenage deaths. I am not certain where this is heading right now, but every effort is being made to stop an overreaction by government. 
 
MARKETPLACE
Last week, I indicated that there would be a short term uptick in the price of both crude oil and gasoline, but that it wouldn't last too long and prices would be back to normal. However, prices getting back to normal happened a lot faster than even I thought they would. I thought it would last several weeks but instead it only lasted several days. It is important to understand how the market has changed in the last several years, and I want to reiterate that the US is better poised to survive any geopolitical interruptions in crude oil. At one point when we were extremely vulnerable; the US imported about 75% of the crude oil we needed to refine into gasoline. Today, the situation is exactly the opposite; the US is producing about 80% of the crude oil that we consume. Within two years, we will be producing more crude oil than we need and will be exporting huge amounts to other countries. So for now, the marketplace seems to have gotten back to stable relatively fast. I highly recommend you read this article if you want to read more about this. 

I'm not sure if you will all receive a Road Warrior next week as I will be attending the NACS conference in Atlanta. Both Debbie and Michelle will be attending with me, so unless there is anything critical or urgent, it is not likely that I will send out a Road Warrior next week. Of course, if any urgent matter arises, we will find a time to get a message to you.
 
That's all for this week -  
Sal Risalvato
Executive Director

 


 
 

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  Training Class Schedule  
 

NJDEP- UST Seminar
Thursday, November 14, 2019 

8:30 - 2:00 PM

For our members with USTs, this FREE seminar will cover the requirements of new Underground Storage Tank and Vapor Recovery rules established January 2018. NJDEP, Weights and Measures, and DCA will present. 
 

Register HERE

All classes held at NJGCA HQ -- 4900 Route 33 West, Wall Township, NJ 07753
 

Two-Day Emissions Inspector Training Class

October 23rd & 24th
December 18th & 19th

Want your technicians to become a NJ Emissions Inspector? We can help! Our new two-day class will provide all the information for becoming a NJ Emissions Inspector. Day one will consist of written test training and the State will administer the written test the very same day at our offices. Day two will be a hands-on training course to prepare you for the hands-on test. Class will run from 7:00am to 4:00pm on day 1. Class will begin at 12:30 PM on day 2. Cost is $479 for members. 

October class registration click here
December class registration click here


Want to become an emission repair technician/facility?

THIS IS THE LAST CLASS FOR THE ENTIRE PROGRAM, REGISTER EARLY!

Entire Emission Technician Education Program (ETEP) Training Classes

 FULL COURSE
1 PM to 9 PM
November 6, 7, 13, 14, 20, 21 
December 4, 5, 11, 12

 

Sections 8, 9, 10 (RECERTIFICATION)
CHOOSE EVENING OR DAY COURSE OPTION:

1 PM to 9 PM
December 4, 5, 11, 12
OR
8 AM to 4 PM
December 3, 9, 10, 17

 

Stop turning away work!

The New Jersey Inspection Program requires vehicles that fail emissions inspection to go to a Licensed Certified Emission Repair Facility and have a Licensed Emission Repair Technician perform the repairs! When the new Emissions Inspection program begins, a list of Certified Emission Repair Facilities will be given to the vehicle owners who fail the New Jersey Emission Inspection. If you want your business name on the list - make sure you have a Certified Licensed Emission Repair Technician and you are licensed as a Emission Repair Facility! Those signing up for the FULL training course will attend sections 1-10. Full ETEP class fees for members are $2,195 and non-members are $2,395. Recertification fees for members are $729 and non-members are $879. This is the last class for the entire program, register early!

Click here for FULL ETEP REGISTRATION FORM
Click here for ETEP RECERTIFICATION FORM
 

FUTURE CLASSES WILL BE ADDED UPON REQUEST AND ACCORDING TO DEMAND. CONTACT DEBBIE at 732-256-9646 or DEBBIE@NJGCA.ORG TO LET HER KNOW YOU ARE INTERESTED IN TAKING A SPECIFIC CLASS. THIS WILL ALLOW US TO GAUGE YOUR NEEDS AND KEEP TRACK OF THOSE WISHING TO PARTICIPATE!

 

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  News Around The State  
 

9/25/19
Juul Shake-Up: C.E.O. Steps Down
The chief executive of Juul Labs, the dominant e-cigarette company that has been the target of public and regulatory outrage over the soaring use of teenage vaping, stepped down on Wednesday. . . Juul also said it would not fight the Trump administration's proposal to ban most flavored e-cigarettes, which would severely hurt its domestic sales. And the company said it would end one of its campaigns, "Make the Switch," which the Food and Drug Administration had criticized as an illegal effort to portray its e-cigarettes as safer than traditional cigarettes.

9/25/19
Don't Ban E-Cigarettes, Hundreds Of Ex-Smokers, Vape Biz Owners Beg Murphy Administration
Electronic cigarettes sold by regulated and responsible businesses did not cause the deaths of nine people and inflict serious lung disease on 500 others, nearly 100 vape business owners and ex-smokers told a state panel that is weighing a proposal that would ban the sale of vape products in New Jersey. The state instead should bar the sale of vaping products outside licensed e-cigarette shops, which are more committed to enforcing the law that limits the sale of nicotine products to adults 21 and older than convenience stores and gas stations, the business owners said.

9/24/19
Sweeney Calls for Crack Down on Vape Retailers and Non-Compliant Vaping Products
Due to the wave of vaping-related illnesses and deaths, Senate President Steve Sweeney today called on law enforcement at the municipal, county and state levels to crack down on unregulated and open e-cigarettes and vaping products. "We don't need a task force to tell us that if we don't know what is in these products, we shouldn't allow them on our shelves," said Senator Sweeney (D-Gloucester/Salem/Cumberland). "Vaping products have been in legal limbo for a decade. They have been unregulated, unapproved and most have not yet submitted an application to the Food and Drug Administration. That means our kids are filling their lungs with unknown substances that we cannot test, verify or authenticate."

9/24/19
Cuomo To Work With Bordering Governors On Vaping, Marijuana Policy
The Democratic governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut will work together to form a regional policy plan for vaping products and marijuana, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a radio interview on Monday. Cuomo, speaking with Long Island News Radio, said he will be meeting this week with Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont to discuss setting up "regional symmetry" on the issues. He also plans to discuss the issues with New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy.

9/23/19
Attacks On Saudi Oil - Why Didn't Prices Go Crazy?
Energy experts and scholars like me have long wondered what the impact would be from a major attack on Saudi Arabia's oil facilities. For decades, the Saudis were the world's top exporter and swing producer, able to change output to meet fluctuations in market demand. Would an assault on their oil bring panic and an extreme rise in prices? Now there is an answer. The recent drone and missile attacks at Abiqaiq, the Saudi's largest oil processing center, caused the worst sudden supply disruption in history, knocking out nearly 6 million barrels per day, half of the country's total production and about 5% of global supply.


9/23/19
Saudi Arabia To Restore Full Oil Output By Next Week:Source
Saudi Arabia has restored more than 75% of crude output lost after attacks on its facilities and will return to full volumes by early next week, a source briefed on the latest developments told Reuters on Monday. Saudi oil production from its Khurais plant is now at more than 1.3 million barrels per day, while current production from its Abqaiq plant is at about 3 million bpd, the source said. 

9/20/19
Bipartisan E-Cig Bill Would Ban Flavors, Add Taxes
Yesterday, Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Pete King (R-NY) introduced a proposal to ban flavored e-cigarettes and tax the products for the first time at the national level, Politico reports. The proposed tax would be the equivalent of $3 per pack of cigarettes, while tripling the federal taxes on traditional cigarettes to reach $3 per pack, as well.

9/19/19
Sweeney Challenges Tobacco Companies To Take Immediate Action To Curb Vaping By Young People
Senate President Steve Sweeney, D-3rd District,  met with officials from the three top tobacco companies, where he challenged them to take immediate action to reduce the use of e-cigarettes and other electronic smoking devices by young people. Senator Sweeney summoned officials from Juul, Altria and Reynolds to a meeting in Trenton, where he urged them to accept their share of responsibility for the burgeoning public health crisis, to fully cooperate with medical investigations, to reexamine their marketing practices and to do "anything and everything" to protect young people from the immediate and long-term dangers of vaping.

9/19/19
New Sanctions Could Affect Oil, Gasoline Prices
President Trump Wednesday announced he would order new sanctions on Iran following the weekend attack on a Saudi oil field, according to CNN. It wasn't immediately clear what new sanctions would be applied, and analysts said the announcement may indicate the White House's desire to avoid military conflict prior to the 2020 elections. The United States ratcheted up sanctions on Iran after withdrawing last year from a multi-nation nuclear deal that constrained Iran's nuclear activity.
 
 
 

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  Energy Information Agency Weekly Retail Gasoline Prices  
 
Each week, the Energy Information Administration publishes a list of average gasoline prices for the previous three weeks. NJGCA will begin including this list with the Weekly Road Warrior. Remember, these prices are reflective of self-serve everywhere except NJ.
 
 

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  Member Benefit Partner Message Board  
 
 
    









 

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  Classifieds: For Sale and Help Wanted Ads  
 



NEW!


FOR SALE:

New! Business For Sale: Business for sale and lease: 6 lifts, 10 spaces, plenty of parking, fleet accounts, loyal customer base. 50 years in business. Turn key operation, busy corner highway. All stock and equipment, tools included. Used car dealer license, transmission shop equipment also included. Email: viener@outlook.com for more details.


Business For Sale: Monmouth County gas station and repair shop in business since 2001 is for sale. Owner is relocating out of state and is interested in selling business and equipment. Owner is open to limited financing. Business has a strong 10 year lease. The building has two repair bays and the gas pumps are leased to a large independent tenant. Repair shop business currently employs a Manager and two full-time Technicians. For inquiries and more info, please call Mark at 908-670-7798.


New! Parts For Sale: Incon TS-1000 tank monitor works well just taken out of service. Printer is aprox 2 months old. Also, Incon 8, tank probes. System replaced because on an Exxon upgrade. Call John Twin Towers Exxon (201) 224-8444



 

 

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