Pass The Labor Rate Bill

SAMPLE LETTER

To be used beginning on Monday, March 29, 2010 through Friday, April 9, 2010.

The Auto Body Labor Rate Bill (S-122) has been voted favorably by the Joint Committee on Financial Services and is now being considered by the Senate Ways & Means Committee. This letter is intended to begin moving the bill further in the Senate and, ultimately, to a vote on the floor of the Massachusetts Senate.

Do not include information appearing above this line in your message.

Information appearing in brackets ( [ LIKE THESE ] ), must be filled in with your own information before sending.

We suggest you put the text of this letter on your business letterhead, if you have one.

[DATE]

Dear Senator ________________________________ ,

My name is _____________________________________________ and I am [a, an, the] [owner, manager, technician, administrator, etc.] of ________[BUSINESS NAME__________] located at _____________[ADDRESS]_______________ in ___________[TOWN]_______________ . I am sending you this message to ask for your support of the Auto Body Labor Rate Bill, S-122, which is sponsored by Senator Stephen Buoniconti, Chairman of the Joint Committee on Financial Services. This bill was voted favorably out of the committee and is currently being considered by the Senate Committee on Ways and Means.

I am asking you to please contact Senate President Therese Murray and Chairman Steven Panagiotakios and ask them to move the bill forward towards an ultimate vote on the floor of the Senate. Passage of the Auto Body Labor Rate Bill this year is critical to the survival of our business as well as for the livelihoods of our employees and their families, many of whom reside in your district.

S-122 concerns the payment of fair labor rates to registered auto collision shops by insurance companies. Since the Auto Insurance Reform Act of 1988, shops have been paid an unfairly low rate, resulting in the current situation in which Massachusetts auto collision shops are paid the lowest rate in the entire US - an astonishingly low average of $35.75 per hour, and despite operating in one of the most expensive areas to do business. Our current rate is nearly ten dollars lower than the national average and nearly five dollars lower than the next lowest-paid state, Tennessee. All our industry asks is for fundamental fairness, and I'm asking you to help.

Please contact the leaders in your chamber and let me know what you feel you can do to help me and other auto body shops in your district. Our website, www.passthelaborrate.org, contains information for legislators. I look forward to your reply. Thank you

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

[YOUR TITLE]

[YOUR BUSINESS NAME]

[YOUR BUSINESS ADDRESS]

Senator Letter