Welcome to the hundred-and-fortieth edition of Morticians’ Monday Morning Mashup, 4M #140, where we’ll serve up bite-sized, easily-digestible nuggets of the deathcare news you need to crush conversations in the week ahead. Bon appetit!
SCI union?
It looks like Service Corporation International (SCI) workers in Oregon and Washington will not be unionizing after all. Teamsters Local 305 had asked the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold a union election for 120 SCI employees in 21 facilities across nine cities in the two states. SCI challenged the effort on the grounds that all employees should not be included in the same unit; for example, administrative workers shouldn’t be grouped with maintenance staff. Local 305 withdrew their application in late April to regroup, and have plans to refile their petition.
No mass in the cemetery
For nearly 60 years, a Virginia Knights of Columbus organization has held a Memorial Day mass in Petersburg’s Poplar Grove National Cemetery to honor deceased veterans. This year, however, the National Park Service (NPS) will not grant the Knights a permit for the service, citing a new policy that designates “religious services” as “prohibited demonstrations.” The Knights have engaged an attorney to urge the NPS to reconsider, citing their religious freedom and the First Amendment.
A weird rumor to spread, but ok
News outlets in Jamaica have been busy trying to quash an article circulating online that fish being sold in the local market have been found to contain embalming fluid. Interestingly, the article was first posted on Radio Jamaica’s website in 2010, but has recently resurfaced, much to the chagrin of the region’s health authority.
Speaking of Jamaica …
Some deathcare professionals in Jamaica aren’t big fans of a new proposal that would charge funeral homes a fee that would go towards the maintenance of public cemeteries. One director is in favor of the measure, but feels the official promoting this potential fee should also make an effort to rid the country of the plague of unlicensed funeral directors performing funeral services illegally. The Jamaica Observer quotes this director as arguing that officials should “identify these fly-by-nights that outnumber us 10 to one, they will get more money — because me know as a fact that nuff of them, the bandooloo things dem a do as operators, dem nah pay a cent to Government.”
Another arrest
A Maine funeral director has been arrested and charged with two counts of felony theft. The charges against Harold “Chip” Lamson stem from nine complaints involving more than 60 violations, including issues with “trusts, deficiencies with funeral services, and failing to communicate with families.” Lamson has agreed to surrender his license within 120 days; his license will remain revoked for five years.
