- Apr 14, 2001
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Teamsters Picket Cemeteries in Minnesota
ST. PAUL, Minn. (July 30) - Some grieving families think the Teamsters Local 120 is making a grave mistake.
The union is picketing cemeteries, including when funeral services are in progress, in its strike on the Twin Cities' biggest maker of burial vaults.
Brown-Wilbert Inc. employs about 25 Teamsters, many of whom make burial vaults at a plant in Roseville. But some also deliver and install the vaults at local cemeteries. Since the strike started, Brown-Wilbert managers have been doing that graveside work.
Picketers were at St. Paul's Calvary Cemetery on Wednesday when Cheryl Grudnoske attended the funeral of her husband's uncle. The Teamsters stayed near the cemetery gate and didn't picket near the burial site.
Still, Grudnoske said she thought the picket line was disrespectful to the deceased - who was a union member - and his grieving relatives. She said she called the Local 120 offices.
"I said: 'I'm a union supporter. Do you think you made any points with us? What do you think you achieved? Everybody there was upset with you.'"
Brad Slawson Sr., acting principal officer of Local 120, said the union members had a legal right to strike where they work, which in this case includes cemeteries.
"Well, obviously, we know that they will be upset with it," he said of mourners. "Unfortunately it's the business we are in. The only alternative is not picketing at all."
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Bullsh!t. They could picket the factories where the vaults are made. Instead they decided to picket the cemeteries while grieving people are at funerals. :|
ST. PAUL, Minn. (July 30) - Some grieving families think the Teamsters Local 120 is making a grave mistake.
The union is picketing cemeteries, including when funeral services are in progress, in its strike on the Twin Cities' biggest maker of burial vaults.
Brown-Wilbert Inc. employs about 25 Teamsters, many of whom make burial vaults at a plant in Roseville. But some also deliver and install the vaults at local cemeteries. Since the strike started, Brown-Wilbert managers have been doing that graveside work.
Picketers were at St. Paul's Calvary Cemetery on Wednesday when Cheryl Grudnoske attended the funeral of her husband's uncle. The Teamsters stayed near the cemetery gate and didn't picket near the burial site.
Still, Grudnoske said she thought the picket line was disrespectful to the deceased - who was a union member - and his grieving relatives. She said she called the Local 120 offices.
"I said: 'I'm a union supporter. Do you think you made any points with us? What do you think you achieved? Everybody there was upset with you.'"
Brad Slawson Sr., acting principal officer of Local 120, said the union members had a legal right to strike where they work, which in this case includes cemeteries.
"Well, obviously, we know that they will be upset with it," he said of mourners. "Unfortunately it's the business we are in. The only alternative is not picketing at all."
----------------------
Bullsh!t. They could picket the factories where the vaults are made. Instead they decided to picket the cemeteries while grieving people are at funerals. :|
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