According to an article in LA Weekly, the mechanics, welders, and interment specialists at Whittier, California cemetery, Rose Hills, voted 35-23 to join the Cemetery Workers and Greens Attendants Union, SEIU Local 265, on Friday, October 13.

The cemetery, one of 470 cemeteries owned by Service Corporation International, is 1,400 acres in size and one of the largest in the country.  By comparison, Arlington National Cemetery near Washington, DC is listed at 624 acres in size – so Rose Hills Cemetery is over twice as large.  It is estimated that over 7,000 people are interred there per year.

According to some of the workers it was apparent that SCI did not want union representation as, according to the article, there was twice daily mandatory meetings of the workers that, again according to the workers, were meant to discourage union membership.  Workers also tell of the parent company’s letters to their homes that, among other things, said that union membership does not necessarily equate to higher wages.

Funeral Director Daily take:  It’s interesting that in my almost 40 years of being in the death care industry it seems that there have not been many labor disputes — whether it is from funeral home staff, to casket companies, to cemetery workers.  I know that, at least in one upper midwest metropolitan area, some vault manufacturing workers and drivers were unionized and I know that at one time there was a movement to unionize a large group of funeral directors of a major firm.  Quite frankly, as I worked throughout my career, I never knew or even wondered if I was working with union or non-union personnel.

I won’t put my personal opinion in here but there is two sides to this issue.  On one hand, if you unionize you have someone to look over your class of workers and negotiate with management for your conditions as an employee.  On the other hand, if you unionize you also give up your position – either independently or as a group – to really have a seat at the table in making management decisions.  Neither is right, neither is wrong — they are just different strategies in employment.

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to know people involved in the management of Rose Hills Memorial Park and Mortuary going all the way back to the early 1990’s when Rose Hill was privately owned.  I’m looking forward to getting the chance to visit with those people on their opinions of this situation.  It will be interesting to see how this situation “shakes out” and where it leads Rose Hills, and its business, in the future.

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