The Work Begins Now: Post It. Collect It. Prove It.

by Evangelos “Lucky” Papageorg, MABA Executive Director

There is an old saying that opportunity favors the prepared.

For more than three decades, MABA and countless dedicated collision repair professionals have worked toward one goal: creating a fair, transparent process for evaluating labor reimbursement in Massachusetts.

With the enactment of Section 78 of the FY2027 Budget, that opportunity has finally arrived.

For the first time in Massachusetts history, the law establishes a permanent Auto Body Labor Reimbursement Rate Advisory Board. More importantly, it creates an objective, evidence-based process to evaluate whether a fair and reasonable minimum labor reimbursement rate is warranted in the Commonwealth.

This is a tremendous achievement.

But let’s be perfectly clear…This is not the finish line. It is the starting line.

For years, many of us have said the current reimbursement system does not reflect the true cost of safely repairing today’s vehicles. We have spoken about the increasing complexity of repairs, the investments required in equipment and technology, the need for ongoing technician training and the importance of following manufacturer repair procedures.

Now we have something we have never had before. A statutory process that relies on data. And that changes everything.

The Advisory Board cannot make informed recommendations without accurate information. The Commissioner cannot evaluate the marketplace without meaningful data. Facts – not opinions – will shape the discussion. That means every professional collision repair facility has an important role to play.

Post It. Collect It. Prove It.

Those words should become part of every repairer’s daily thinking.

Post your labor rate.

Your posted labor rate should accurately reflect the actual cost of operating a modern collision repair facility – one that invests in technician education, advanced diagnostic equipment, OEM repair information, calibrations, specialized tools, facility improvements and the technology necessary to safely repair today’s vehicles.

Collect your labor rate whenever possible.

The market cannot accurately reflect the value of professional collision repair if repairers fail to charge what their services are truly worth. THIS CANNOT BE STRESSED ENOUGH!  You know what you are worth! You are only short changing yourself if you do not charge accordingly. NO ONE is going to offer to give you more than what you are asking!

And finally…

Prove it.

The data collected through surveys, including the NABR Labor Rate Hero Survey, will help demonstrate the realities of operating a collision repair business in today’s environment.

If you have not completed the survey…Do it.

If your posted rate has changed…Update it.

If your information is no longer accurate…Correct it.

Reliable data is the foundation upon which future decisions will be made.

The old expression says, “You can’t manage what you don’t measure.”

The same principle applies here.

We cannot expect fair reimbursement if we fail to document the true cost of performing safe, manufacturer-compliant repairs.

Section 78 gives our profession something we have sought for many years:

A permanent seat at the table.

Now we must ensure that the information brought to that table is complete, accurate and representative of the professionalism that exists throughout Massachusetts.

Great strides have been made. But our responsibility has also grown. The insurance industry will undoubtedly continue presenting its data and its perspective.

We must do the same. Not with emotion. Not with rhetoric, but with facts. With professionalism. With credibility. That requires EVERY repair facility to participate. EVERY survey completed. EVERY labor rate updated. EVERY piece of supporting information submitted. Collectively, those individual efforts become a powerful representation of our profession.

As I said in last month’s message, our work has never been about defeating another industry. It has always been about creating a better future for the motorists of Massachusetts. A future where consumers receive proper indemnification. A future where reimbursement reflects the realities of modern collision repair. A future where shops have the resources necessary to perform safe, complete, manufacturer-compliant repairs.

Section 78 has given us an extraordinary opportunity. Now comes the heavy lifting. Let’s not waste it.

Let’s continue working together. Let’s continue educating. Let’s continue participating. Let’s continue gathering the facts that will shape tomorrow’s decisions. Because meaningful change does not happen by accident. It happens because dedicated professionals refuse to stop doing the work.

Post It. Collect It. Prove It.

Together, we have earned this opportunity.

Now let’s make the most of it.

Safe repairs are no accident.

They are built upon knowledge, professionalism, transparency, and the willingness to support every claim with credible evidence.

Want more? Check out the September 2026 issue of New England Automotive Report!