September 12, 2007, Edition - Volume 8 - No. 20
Welcome to the ICCFA Wireless newsletter! If you experience any problems with this html version, please let us know. Email lindab@iccfa.com.
ICCFA WIRELESS is a biweekly electronic newsletter bringing members of the International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association the latest government and legal, industry and association news. It is available to all ICCFA members current on their dues. Comments, questions and "hot news tips" are welcome. Write to: hq@iccfa.com.
PAID ADVERTISEMENT
INDUSTRY NEWS
It's Not Going Away: The Employee Free Choice Act
ICCFA NEWS
Fall Conference: The Place to Be for Top Execs
ICCFA Wide World of Sales Program Now Online
Did You Know? Experience Alone Does Not Make a Perfect Driver
CLASSIFIED ADS
INDUSTRY NEWS
It's Not Going Away: The Employee Free Choice Act
House Bill 800 and its companion, Senate bill 1041, remain pending in the U.S. Senate to enable labor unions to rebuild the ranks of their members. This goal is not particularly objectionable but the means to achieve it are.
Under the Employee Free Choice Act:
1.) employees would be denied their right to vote by secret ballot on whether or not they want union representation;
2.) the first collective bargaining agreement would be subject to mandatory binding arbitration, thereby imposing a contract over the objections of both employees and the employer;
3.) yet a secret ballot would still be required should employees want to decertify the union.
Typical funeral industry reaction to the proposed legislation tends to divide into two camps:
1.) the bill is so bad that it will never become law; and
2.) even if it becomes law, nobody will be interested in unionizing my few employees.
Hence, complacency seems the order of the day. However, the facts tell a different story. Regarding the first reaction, the bill passed the House of Representatives on March 1 by a comfortable margin of 241 to 185. Ninety-nine percent of House Democrats voted for the bill; 94 percent of House Republicans opposed it. Second, 46 of the 100 Senators immediately signed on as co-sponsors. Floor debate was held in the Senate on June 25-26 but a "cloture" vote needed to end debate and bring the bill up for a vote failed to achieve the required 60 votes. This means that the bill is tabled in the Senate but can (and will) be brought up again for consideration.
Do the math: the Employee Free Choice Act enjoys lopsided partisan support. Almost all Democrats support it, almost all Republicans oppose it. Currently, the Democrats have a razor-thin majority in the Senate, which explains why they were unable to gain the 60 votes needed to bring the bill to a vote in June. The national elections next November will place 22 Republican Senate seats in play with the potential to shift the majority decisively to the Democratic Party. Also, all of the Democratic contenders for the Party's nomination for President are co-sponsors of the bill, virtually assuring that the bill will be signed into law if it reaches the White House in 2009 and thereafter (assuming a Democrat is elected).
Regarding the second industry reaction (my business is too small to unionize), ICCFA labor law counsel Mike Pepperman has advised that today unions are actively organizing workplaces with as few as three employees. Back in 1955, 35 percent of the American work force belonged to unions. Today, less than 8 percent of private sector employees are union members. It is not surprising then that labor unions are behaving as though their very survival depends on the enactment of H.R. 800/S. 1041 - but much of industry is in denial (it won't pass; it won't affect me). If things remain as they are, the odds favor the bill's passage and it will most certainly affect almost all businesses regardless of size. The ICCFA has joined forces with the Coalition for A Democratic Workplace to oppose enactment of the Employee Free Choice Act. For more information and, more importantly, to get involved, visit the Coalition website at www.myprivateballot.com.
ICCFA NEWS
Fall Conference: The Place to Be for Top Execs
Just a few weeks remain until the 2007 Fall Management Conference, October 3-6, at the Fantasy Springs Resort & Casino in Palm Springs, California, but it's not too late to register! As the industry's gathering spot for CEOs and executives, the conference offers opportunities to network with colleagues, discuss business strategies and learn from the top experts in the cemetery, cremation and funeral service profession. Set in the beautiful California desert, the conference provides the perfect balance of education, relaxation and fun.
In addition, this year's program offers general sessions and facilitated small group discussions addressing topics such as management, strategic planning, diversifying your products and services, recruiting and more.
Keynote speaker Brian Grubb, corporate director of learning and content for the legendary Ritz-Carlton Leadership Center, will demonstrate how you can "put on the Ritz" for your client families without spending a lot of money. If your company deals with customers who are hard to "wow," this session is for you.
View the complete conference schedule and register at www.iccfa.com/fall07.htm. Call 1.800.645.7700 for more information.
ICCFA Wide World of Sales Program Now Online
Join the ICCFA for the 2008 Wide World of Sales Conference, January 9-11, at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, in New Orleans, Louisiana. This year's conference will feature a variety of "Recipes for Success," covering topics such as:
- Recruitment
- Training
- Effective sales presentations
- Generating leads
- Increasing market share
- Radio and TV advertising
- Developing results action plans
- And more.
The Wide World of Sales program is now available online at www.iccfa.com/sales08_program.htm. Registration forms will be available in late September. Call 1.800.645.7700 for more information.
Did You Know? Experience Alone Does Not Make a Perfect Driver
ICCFA-Dignity University online driving course leads to safer practices!
Thousands of hours at the wheel prove only that driving practices can become habitual. A good driver attains such status only through training plus experience. Every person who professes to practice defensive driving must set the goal of perfect driving as the standard.
This goal can be achieved with Defensive Driving, a course offered at ICCFA-Dignity U Online Training. The course teaches:
- How to prepare a vehicle for the road
- How to stay focused and prevent distractions while driving
- How to demonstrate safe driving procedures in the city, on the freeway and in rural areas
- How to deal with adverse weather conditions
- How to handle emergencies
To take Defensive Driving, simply log on to http://dignityu.ecampustraining.com/.
CLASSIFIED ADS
So, you think you're an innovator?
If you're not an innovator, this won't mean much to you. aegis is a revolutionary new system for funeral directors and cemetery counselors to design, personalize and customize life like monuments and markers in 3D with true granite colors in a matter of seconds. The system renders the memorial, prices the memorial and generates completed customer records, customer agreements and manufacturer order forms.
- Eliminates approval drawings
- Eliminates manual preparation of paperwork
- Eliminates delays
- Eliminates price books
Position Available!
Position: Vice President and Director of Sales and Marketing
Employer: Heritage Family Management - a major southeastern, family-owned, regional consolidator with properties in Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and Georgia intent on expansion that offers exceptional compensation and benefits.
Compensation: Annual earnings should range between $135,000 and $180,000 plus benefits, including but not limited to health insurance, life insurance, long-term disability insurance, dental and eye care, and a 401-K plan. Compensation is based on a very strong salary base and incentive bonuses.
Responsibilities:
- Manage and recruit a sales team for eight cemeteries with over 1000 interments while working to create additional revenue streams and improve upon sales averages, profits and new property sales.
- Work with an at-need funeral staff of 13 funeral homes and 2100 services to improve revenue per call with emphasis on increasing outer burial container and cremation averages.
- Create and implement of a coordinated marketing strategy for funeral, cemetery, monument store and pet cremation operations.
- Improve monument sales and marketing efforts through cemetery and funeral home properties, as well as existing monument stores.
Contact: All resumes should be emailed to Sally Harris, Director of Human Resources: sally@heritagefamily.com or faxed to (423) 543-3533.
Exciting Sales Opportunities!
StoneMor, a leader in the industry, has exciting opportunities for Sales Managers at three of our locations in our Western Region.
We boast one of the highest commission rates in the industry and our Sales Managers enjoy triple override bonuses on all location sales after hitting performance goals. We have excellent benefits including:
- Medical
- Dental
- Life
- Short-term Disability
- Long-term Disability
- 401K.
EOE
For more information, please call 877-857-8890 and refer to this ad or send your resume via fax at 215-826-2929 or email it to jobs@stonemor.com.
www.stonemor.com
Exciting Sales Opportunities!
StoneMor, a leader in the industry, has exciting opportunities for Sales Professionals at many locations.
We have excellent benefits including:
- Medical
- Dental
- Life
- Short-term Disability
- Long-term Disability
- 401K.
EOE
For more information, please call 877-857-8890 and refer to this ad or send your resume via fax at 215-826-2929 or email it to jobs@stonemor.com.
www.stonemor.com
Business Opportunity
CEMETERY FOR SALE
Location: Jefferson County Texas
Court appointed Receiver is seeking bids for a potential sale of a cemetery.
(Not a Trustee Sale)
Persons not familiar with laws concerning cemetery should seek appropriate counsel before replying to this request for bid.
Interested parties call 409.722.4684, and ask for the Receiver
Reach Thousands of Cemeteries and Funeral Homes With Your Classified Ad!
- ICCFA Wireless Classified Ads cost $75 and must be prepaid.
- Ads run in three consecutive issues, and include free placement on the ICCFA Web site for six weeks.
- Ads include a link to the company Web site and/or e-mail at no charge.
- Ads with a box number for confidential reply are available for an additional $5.
- Ads must be no longer than 250 words.
- The ICCFA limits the number of ads per issue to five, on a first-come, first-served basis.
- All advertising is subject to the publisher's approval; advertisers assume liability for all content of advertisements printed and for any claims arising therefrom against the publisher.
- For more information or to place an ad, contact Linda Budzinski at lindab@iccfa.com or call 1.800.645.7700.
And More ...
ICCFA Introduces New sales Training Programs by sales trainer and professional speaker Gary O'Sullivan, CCE. O'Sullivan's two latest products include a 10 DVD Series—The Power to Sell Preneed, and a training support system called the GoSell System. Both products provide sales managers with tools and training strategies that will help them to strengthen and motivate their teams. Click here to download a detailed description of each prodcut: www.iccfa.com/docs/osullivan.doc. To place an order, call the ICCFA at 1.800.645.7700.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2006 Keeping It Personal (KIP) Awards! The KIP Awards recognize outstanding examples of personalization of services or products in the cemetery and funeral service profession. Read about the winning entries at www.iccfa.com/kip.htm.
The 2007 Music Licenses are available for just $232, no additional fees. Covers ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Any U.S. funeral home, cemetery or related business is eligible for membership as a Music License Member. Join today!
The ICCFA Store allows members to purchase the latest ICCFA resources and training products online. Some products are available for immediate direct download, including the newly released Wirthlin Report on consumer attitudes and article packages on cremation, cemetery and funeral home valuations and trust funds.
The ICCFA News Page takes you to sources throughout the world for industry news and updates. It brings you the most comprehensive selection of funeral service and cemetery news available anywhere, along with frequently updated general news items related to national and world events. The News Page reports the news before anyone else and is one of the most visited page on the ICCFA Web site. Stop in each day and you'll see why.
The Network is an online e-mail service that offers ICCFA members an easy, free way to share questions and answers to everyday on-the-job challenges. Recent discussions have examined issues such as working with the Muslim community, distance between burial sites, direct mail marketing, the growing popularity of geocaching at cemeteries, recruiting staff and more. Ideal for smaller companies with smaller budgets. Join today!
The ICCFA Internet Expo is the largest online exposition in the cemetery and funeral service industry. Cemetery and funeral home owners and operators will find 300+ providers in more than 100 product and service categories. Exhibit space is provided as a free, exclusive benefit to all ICCFA supplier and professional members. Check it out today!
Need a labor relations and employment law attorney? Check out ICCFA's HR Law Benefit program offering members no-cost telephone legal consultations, paid for by the ICCFA via an exclusive retainer agreement.
ICCFA members now also have access to an attorney for tax-related questions regarding trust earnings, care fund allocations, capital gains, investments and more. The ICCFA has retained Leslie Schneider, CPA, a tax attorney with Ivins, Phillips & Barker in Washington, D.C., for telephone consultations for up to 20 minutes with no obligation. To take advantage of this member benefit, call Schneider at 202.393.7600.
The ICCFA and Applied Merchant Systems of Chicago, Illinois, currently offer members a Credit Card Processing Program with a special low discount rate. This benefit makes it less expensive for cemeteries, funeral homes, memorial designers and related businesses to accommodate customers who wish to pay via credit card. For more information, call 1-800-675-6573.
The ICCFA Insurance Program, administered by Alliant Insurance Services, allows members to purchase commercial property and casualty insurance -- including general liability, commercial property, automobile liability and physical damage, umbrella liability, professional liability, workers compensation, employee benefits and more -- at rates they probably would not be able to afford on their own.
To advertise in the ICCFA Wireless: The ICCFA accepts limited advertising in the ICCFA Wireless newsletter, a bi-weekly newsletter e-mailed to all ICCFA members that are current on their dues and have provided a current e-mail address. For rates and to place your insertion, contact Linda Budzinski at lindab@iccfa.com or 1.800.645.7700.
International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association
107 Carpenter Drive, Suite 100
Sterling, VA 20164
1.800.645.7700
703.391.8400
Fax: 703.391.8416
www.iccfa.com
Copyright 2007 International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association.