Update: Funeral Home Workers' Strike Postponed

Updated as of July 12 at 2:03 p.m.:

Union officials have postponed until further notice the strike scheduled to begin Tuesday morning at four area funeral homes including Oehler Funeral Home in Des Plaines and Weinstein Funeral Home in Wilmette, Maggie Jenkins, a spokesperson for Teamsters Local 727, said.

Jenkins said the postponement had absolutely nothing to do with vandalism reported at three of the funeral homes Monday; it had to do with issues related to the contract itself.

Union officials declined to provide additional details at this time.

Patch will publish more information on the delay when it becomes available.

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Originally published July 11:

Employees at two Alderwoods-owned funeral homes are set to strike Tuesday morning, according to a press release from the workers' Teamsters Union.

Workers from Wilmette's Weinstein Funeral Home and Des Plaines' Oehler Funeral Home are set to walk out at 10 a.m. because of health and benefit changes made by Alderwoods.

According, "Alderwoods, which is owned by funeral industry giant Service Corporation International (NYSE: SCI) and operates under the Dignity brand name, replaced the 17 employees' union health care with more expensive and less comprehensive coverage through the company."

The union branch filed unfair labor practices charges against Alderwoods "for bad faith bargaining and direct
dealing." The 16 employees and union members voted July 5 to pursue with a strike.

“Our members don’t want to go on strike, but the company has backed them into a corner,” said John Coli Jr., President of Teamsters Local 727 in the statement, which represents more than 450 Chicagoland funeral industry workers.

Stay tuned to Patch for more information on the strike.