Teamsters Local 305 withdrew a union election petition for funeral home workers in Oregon and Washington on April 23 to avoid a lengthy hearing about who belonged in the unit.
Local 305 had asked the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a union election for 120 funeral directors, embalmers, grounds crew workers, crematory operators, family services counselors, removal techs, and office staff at multiple funeral homes, crematories, and cemeteries owned by Service Corporation International, the largest provider of funeral and cemetery services in North America. The proposed unit would have covered 21 facilities across nine cities and two states.
Service Corporation International challenged the unit, saying administrative workers like the funeral directors should not be in the same unit as maintenance workers like groundskeepers. The company also questioned the validity of one unit that covered multiple workplaces.
“We did not want to lose the hearing and ultimately have the petition thrown out and have to start all over,” said Local 305 President David Schmidt. “We wanted to go ahead and get our ducks in a row and build the group stronger before we moved forward.”
Schmidt says Local 305 plans to refile for a union election.
