Funeral Directors Stage Rally As Picket Hits 100 Days

Funeral directors, embalmers and drivers will stage a rally marking 100 days on the picket line since walking out of contract negotiations with funeral corporation Service Corporation International.

Members of Illinois's political, religious and labor communities will join the locked-out, Teamster-represented funeral home employees at noon, Thursday, in front of Blake-Lamb Funeral Home, 4727 W. 103rd St., in Oak Lawn (Cicero Avenue and 103rd Street).

The union members, including employees from Blake-Lamb and Chapel Hill Garden South in Oak Lawn, and Evergreen Park's Kenny Brothers, say they want to preserve preserve health care and retirement benefits that Houston-based SCI  "wants to strip away," according to a Teamster press release.

SCI, which operates under the Dignity Memorial-brand, locked out the striking employees on Aug. 19.

Thursday's rally will feature several guest speakers, including Teamsters Joint Council 25 President John T. Coli, State Sen. Bill Cunningham, State Rep. Kelly Burke, Chicago Fire Department Chaplain Fr. Thomas Mulcrone, State Sen. Tom Cullerton, Teamsters Central Region Vice President Becky Strzechowski and Chicago Alderman Nick Sposato.

Read Patch coverage of the funeral home employee strike.

Stuff to Do

• Evergreen Park Community High School Homecoming Weekend, Oct. 11-12. Everything you need to know about the parade, game and alumni reunions. 

• Evergreen Park Basketball League is forming a Sunday night league for grade school-aged players. League starts at 6 p.m. Oct. 27. Contact Coach Flanigan at pflannigan@evergreenpark.org for more information.

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