ICCFA Wireless is a bi-weekly 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 ADVERTISEMENTS
INDUSTRY NEWS
Federal Labor Board to Require Employers to Post Notice: Right of Employees to Unionize
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) began a rulemaking in late December that will require employers to prominently post a notice to their employees of their rights under the NLRB Act. In particular, the notice must state that employees have the right to organize and form a union. The notice must be at least 11x17 inches in size and posted conspicuously. Failure to post the notice can result in sanctions, and possibly a finding by the NLRB of "anti-union animus" that can be used in any unfair labor practice proceeding.
The NLRB is accepting public comments on this proposed rule through February 21. The NLRB is expected to approve the rule along political lines: the board is composed of three Democrats and one Republican. Some observers had noted that the NLRB would be looking to get around the stalled Employee Free Choice Act, which Congress has yet to pass despite intense lobbying by the unions. The bill would have "facilitated" union membership by eliminating the secret ballot voting whereby employees could indicate if they wanted a union. This NLRB rulemaking appears to be one such effort to achieve similar goals. The posting requirement at first was limited to federal contractors, that is, private companies that work under contract to the federal government. The proposed rule would affect all businesses except for agricultural, airlines, and railroads. For more information, read the ICCFA labor law counsel's newsletter on this topic.
ICCFA Receives Complaints on Arlington Cemetery's New Scheduling System
Arlington Nation Cemetery has instituted a new procedure for funeral directors calling to schedule burials. The calls will no longer be answered; instead, the caller must leave a message with a callback number. Arlington states that a return call will be made within two days. So far, two of our funeral director members report that callbacks are received several days later and sometimes not at all. By that time, the family may no longer be available to confer with, and the family tends to blame the funeral home for the delay. Congressional representatives in the Arlington, Virginia, area are being alerted and the ICCFA has also contacted the Government Accounting Office (GAO), which is performing a study on Arlington, to discuss this problem.
TSA to Require 100% Screening of International Air Cargo Headed to the U.S. by December 31
The Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced last week that "recent global events have proven that there is a compelling need" to screen 100% of international cargo bound for the United States sooner than the original target date of 2013. TSA will require that all airlines shipping cargo on passenger aircraft into the U.S. must screen 100% of such cargo by December 31, 2011. This new directive will apparently apply to human remains flown into the U.S. from overseas. TSA has maintained the "current protocols" for shipping human remains within the U.S. pending the completion of pilot screening programs at LAX and elsewhere. For more information, review the one-page TSA announcement.
ICCFA NEWS
ICCFA 2011 Annual Convention & Exposition:
Sessions From Industry Leaders and
Business Experts
Early Bird Deadline February 4
No matter what sector of the cemetery, cremation and funeral profession you are in, the ICCFA's 2011 Annual Convention & Exposition, March 8-11 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, offers breakout sessions that will help you lead your business toward a "Bright Future." Among them are:
Management
- Strategic Planning That Works: A Skeptic's Story, Gary Freytag, Gwen Mooney Funeral Home and Spring Grove Cemetery
- Recruiting: Building the Team of Tomorrow, Barbara K. Milton, The Buchanan Group
- Stop Praying for Talent... and Start Predicting It!, Anthony Casablanca, Batesville Casket Co.
- The 4 Keys to Improving Employee Competence, Ingrid Gudenas, Effective Training Solutions
Marketing
- Marketing to Boomers, Julie Burn, CCrE, CSE, Glenda Stansbury, In-Sight Books, and Mark Guzniczak, Hillenbrand Industries
- Strategies and Tactics for Capturing the 50+ Consumer, David Weigelt, Immersion Active
- Social Media in 15 Minutes a Day, Nevin Mann, CCFE, Johnson-Woodford Company, and Rob Heppell, FuneralFuturist.com
- We Don't Sell Dirt... We Sell Memorials, Randall Wood, CCE, Musgrove Family Memorial Parks
Cemetery Administration
- Cemetery Infrastructure: Building a Strong Foundation for Business, Thomas J. DeGrace, PE, PP, Prime Engineering
- How to Increase the Value of Your Cemetery, Dan Isard, The Foresight Companies
- Bright Future for Endowment Care Trusts, Marcia Williams, Independence Trust Company
- Managing Trusts in Today's Market, David Hay, Evergreen Capital Management LLC
Funeral Directors
- Building a Funeral Service Experience That Will Build Your Business, Paul Seyler, Competitive Resources Inc.
- Partnering with Hospice, Kim Medici Shelquist, Homesteaders Life Co.
- Embalming Experts Roundtable, Melissa Johnson Williams, Johnson-Williams Funeral Service, Robert Mayer, Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science, Sharon Gee, Wayne State University, and Karl Wenzel, Arbor Memorial Services
- Can the Best Embalmers Still Learn Something?, Ken Whittaker, Pierce Companies
- Waterless Embalming, Mark E. Fisher, M.E. Fisher Funeral Home
Cremationists
- Crematory Operator Tricks and Tips, Larry Stuart Jr., Crematory Manufacturing & Service
- The Cremation Case: A Step-by-Step Guide to Avoiding Liability, Jim Starks, CFuE, CCrE, J. Starks Consulting, and Poul Lemasters, Esq., Lemasters Consulting
- Alkaline Hydrolysis Summit, Poul Lemasters, Esq.
Second Annual PLPA Conference
- The State of PLPA, Coleen Ellis and Bill Remkus, PLPA Co-Chairs
- Pet Care/Pet Loss: Working Together to Serve Families, a veterinarian roundtable featuring Drs. Marty Becker and Amir Shanan
- Pet Cremation: A Blueprint for Limiting Liability, Poul Lemasters
- Improving the Efficiency of Your Pet Crematory, Jon Remkus, Hinsdale Animal Cemetery & Crematory, and Ron Salvatore, Matthews Cremation Division
...and many more! The 2011 Convention also offers:
- Keynote presentations from former Apple evangelist Guy Kawasaki, author and innovation consultant Eric Haseltine, "America's Veterinarian" Dr. Marty Becker, and business/human resources consultant Juliet Funt.
- Cremation Coaching Center LIVE!: In the cremation "game," there will be winners and there will be losers. In this first-of-its-kind interactive educational experience, our cremation coaches will help you and your staff develop the strategy and skills you need to succeed in cremation operations, arrangements and administration. Co-chairs: Julie Burn and Poul Lemasters.
- Meetings in conjunction with:
- Jewish Funeral Directors of America
- Casket & Funeral Supply Association of America
- International Memorialization Supply Association
- More than 400 exhibit booths
- Networking luncheons, receptions and dinner
- Earn continuing education credits
- Free food & drinks in the Expo hall
...and much, much more. Members: Save $50 by registering by February 4. Registration and full program information is available online.
Act now to reserve your hotel room for $199 per night at Mandalay Bay. Use code "ICCFA 2011 Annual."
The exhibitor prospectus is available online. Send in your booth reservation form ASAP as booths are swiftly being assigned.
More Than 390 Attend the Wide World of Sales Conference
Last week, 393 sales and marketing professionals attended ICCFA's Wide World of Sales Conference in Las Vegas to kick-start their 2011 sales year. This is the largest attendance since 2000. Here's what some attendees had to say:
- Wow! Excellent presentations. Well thought out and authentic. Provided lots of ideas to consider.
- Great program with a lot of motivation.
- Valuable, applicable and engaging.
- A wealth of information and motivation that you can take home and immediately implement and put into practice. I'm pumped!
Thank you to the ICCFA Sales & Marketing Committee members as well as conference co-chairs Ken Coffey and Rick Miller, CCFE, for planning a fantastic program. Details about next year's conference will be coming soon.
|
THANK YOU TO OUR CORPORATE PARTNERS!
Service Corporation International • Forethought Financial Group Inc. • Homesteaders Life Company • Matthews International • Assurant Solutions • NorthStar Memorial Group • Arbor Memorial Services Inc. • Funeral Directors Life Insurance Company • Gibraltar Remembrance Services
|
Apply For a Scholarship to Attend ICCFA University 2011
|
THANK YOU TO OUR NEXT GENERATION SCHOLARSHIP DONORS!
- Jay Brammer, in memory of Jack J. Brammer
- Abigail Brammer Quiocho
- Cold Spring Memorial Group
- Ellis, Ged & Bodden, P.A.
- Paul Elvig, in memory of Susan Loving's father
- Jennifer Frew, Green Hills Memorial Park
- HALO International Corporation
- Jewish Funeral Directors of America, Inc.
- Matthews International Corporation
- Kimberly Kojan
- Gino Merendino, Merendino Cemetery Care
- Thomas G. Roberts
- Anthony Russo, Cypress Hills Cemetery
- Sinosource International Company, Inc.
- Thumbies by Meadow Hill Company
- Trigard
|
The ICCFA provides a variety of annual scholarships to attend ICCFA University through the ICCFA Educational Foundation, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) charity that supports the association's educational programs. Applications are now available for the 2011 session of ICCFA University, July 22-27 at the Fogelman Conference Center at the University of Memphis.
NEXT GENERATION SCHOLARSHIPS
The ICCFA Next Generation Committee has created a scholarship fund through the ICCFA Educational Foundation and will be offering three $1,600 scholarships to the 2011 session of ICCFA University. These scholarships will cover full tuition and meals as well as part of the recipients' hotel costs. Download the NextGen Scholarship Application or complete your submission online.
In addition, through a generous donation by Merendino Cemetery Care, the committee has created a specially designated $1,350 scholarship to be awarded to an active or veteran member of the armed forces or military reserves. Download the NextGen Veterans Scholarship Application or complete your submission online.
GENERAL ICCFA EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS
The ICCFA Educational Foundation's Scholarship Awards are presented annually to selected recipients. Applicants must be ICCFA members in good standing and employed in the cemetery, cremation and funeral profession for a minimum of two years. Click here to download the application for the general Educational Foundation Scholarships.
The Central States Cemetery Association made an endowment to the ICCFA Educational Foundation in 2009 to establish a scholarship award to ICCFAU for applicants from the states of Arkansas, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Wisconsin. Click here to download the application for the Central States Cemetery Association scholarship.
Deadline for all scholarship applications: February 14, 2011.
You may also find information on other associations that award scholarships to ICCFA University at www.iccfa.com.
ICCFA to Honor Members Who Have Died in the Past Year
The ICCFA will hold its annual Memorial Service at 9:15 a.m. on March 9, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, honoring the lives of colleagues and loved ones who have passed away in the past year. A questionnaire seeking details about the decedent's personality, hobbies, passions and more is available to download from our Web site. Photos would be greatly appreciated and may be sent to Robert Treadway at robt@iccfa.com. Deadline: February 1.
2011 Music Licenses Now Available—Purchase Yours Online
The ICCFA is offering 2011 music licensing with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC for only $248 per property. With no additional fees or membership requirements, this is the LOWEST PRICE available in the industry!
Companies that currently hold their licenses through the ICCFA have been invoiced.
You may purchase your music license ONLINE NOW or by downloading the registration form.
The 2011 price represents no increase from the 2009 and 2010 rate and is a direct pass-through of the combined annual price increases from ASCAP, BMI and SESAC. Licensing directly with the agencies this year would cost nearly $600 per location.
Music licensing is the law, and failure to obtain a license where one is required can be costly: Copyright law provides for damages similar to fines of up to $30,000 for each song that is infringed. If your company, regardless of size, hosts performances of copyrighted music—whether the music is performed live or played from recordings—music copyright owners say you are legally required to pay an annual licensing fee.
Suppliers: Annual Convention Booths Nearly Sold Out
ATTENTION SUPPLIERS: Haven't reserved your booth yet? Act quickly! We have sold nearly 90 percent of the hall. Download the prospectus here. Exhibit at the fastest-growing industry expo hall and take your business to "the Next Step."
For more information, please contact Rick Platter, Supplier Relations Manager, at rickp@iccfa.com or 1.800.645.7700.
Apply Now To Receive a Certification
ICCFA has designed a certification program to recognize those persons who have attained the highest level of achievement within the funeral service and memorialization industry. The ICCFA Certification Committee now awards five certifications:
- Certified Cemetery Executive (CCE)
- Certified Funeral Executive (CFuE)
- Certified Cremation Executive (CCrE)
- Certified Cemetery Funeral Executive (CCFE)
- Certified Supplier Executive (CSE)
To apply for certification, download the application form. The next Certification Committee meeting will be held during the ICCFA Annual Convention & Expo, March 8-11, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Applications are due by February 4.
- TO BUY/SELL
- POSITIONS AVAILABLE
- Sales Management Professional (Michigan)
- Top Sales Director Needed for Two Cemeteries (New York)
- Managing Partner and Sales Manager Opportunities (Florida)
- Sales Manager (Tallahassee, FL)
- Sales Manager (Oakbrook Terrace, IL)
- Sales Manager (West Palm Beach, FL)
- Sales Managers and Assistant Managers (Nationwide)
- Sales Leader (San Francisco, CA area)
- Sales Manager (in California between Los Angeles and Las Vegas)
- Experienced Sales Manager (Mid-South)
- Sales Manager (Orlando, FL)
- Sales Manager (Hughson, CA)
- Sales Management Team Position
- Experienced Funeral Director (New Mexico)
- Regional Management Positions (IL, OH, LA, MS, WV, AR, MO, KY, TN, NJ, MD, DE, PA)
- Maintenance Superintendent (SE Florida)
- Executive Director, Catholic Cemeteries (Miami, FL)
Place your classified advertisement with ICCFA today!
member benefits
Access to Abenity Employee Discount Program
Give your staff access to more than 100,000 discounts and more than $4,500 in savings per employee. Click here to read the Abenity brochure or visit www.abenity.com/pricing for pricing details. Corporate code: ICCFA.
ICCFA Supply Link Allows Easy Buyer's Guide Searching
The ICCFA Supply Link, an online buyer's guide members can use to easily search for products and services from the convenience of their computers, can be accessed directly from the ICCFA home page. The Supply Link offers a "Search" function whereby members can search according to product type or company name and can be limited to a state or to a certain radius distance from a specified city or ZIP code. Users also can narrow their search to include only ICCFA-member companies. Suppliers that are ICCFA members and exhibitors are identified as such in their listings.
Discounts at FuneralReview.com and Dignity University
The ICCFA has partnered with FuneralReview.Com to provide online continuing education at a discount for members. Founded in 2002, FuneralReview.Com is North America's largest provider of online continuing education courses designed specifically for funeral directors, embalmers and preneed counselors. ICCFA members are being provided a code for use in obtaining a discount on the site's funeral courses.
All funeral courses at FuneralReview.com are approved by the Academy of Professional Funeral Service Practice. ICCFA members in good standing can log in using a special code to receive a discounted price on the funeral service courses. If you have not yet received your code or have misplaced it, call the ICCFA at 1.800.645.7700. For more information, visit www.funeralreview.com.
The ICCFA also offers low-cost online training on a variety of OSHA topics through a partnership with Dignity University. To access the 23 OSHA courses, visit http://online.ecampustraining.com/Dignityu/.
ICCFA News Page
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.
Music Licensing
The 2011 Music Licenses are available for just $248 per property, 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. Licensing directly with the agencies this year would cost nearly $600 per location, so this price—which requires no additional membership fee—is still the lowest available to the industry. Purchase your license online now at .
Tax-Related Questions
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, DC, for telephone consultations for up to 20 minutes with no obligation. To take advantage of this member benefit, call Schneider at 202.393.7600.
ICCFA Insurance Program
Administered by Alliant Insurance Services, this program 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. For details, call 800.390.9099.
HR Law Benefit
Through an unprecedented new benefit program, ICCFA members can now access free legal consultations regarding labor relations, human resource management and employment law. Attorney Michael Pepperman of the Labor Relations and Employment Law department at Obermayer Rebmann Maxwell & Hippel LLP (ORM&H), is available to address questions on topics ranging from hiring and firing, to employee privacy and workplace violence, to wages and hours, to equal employment opportunity and wrongful discharge issues. Michael Pepperman, Esq., has spoken on labor and employment issues at several ICCFA conferences and regional industry meetings. To take advantage of this benefit, please call 215.665.3032.
ICCFA Introduces New Sales Training Programs
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. For more details or to place an order, call the ICCFA at 800.645.7700.
ICCFA Internet Expo
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!
Fraud Prevention & Detection Consultation Service
ICCFA has retained the services of veteran fraud investigator Robert A. Garvey Jr., CPA, CFE, CrFA, CVA, to serve as a consultative resource for members' employee theft and fraud concerns. The new member benefit, the "Fraud Investigation and Deterrence Consultation Service" or FIDCS, will allow members to discuss by telephone any issues or concerns related to suspected fraudulent activity or a desire to put systems and controls in place at their locations to deter such activity. There is no cost to ICCFA members in good standing to utilize this benefit. The number to call is 866.649.1902.
Legal Advice on Cremation Concerns
Courtesy of the ICCFA Government and Legal Fund, ICCFA members now have access to pre-paid legal advice on cremation-related issues. Through this exclusive member benefit, the association has retained Poul H. Lemasters, Esq., of Lemasters Consulting in Cincinnati, Ohio. Poul is an attorney and licensed funeral director, and members in good standing may call him at 513.407.8114 to discuss cremation concerns for up to 20 minutes at no charge.
GPL Compliance Check
Members whose businesses must follow the FTC Funeral Rule's General Price List (GPL) requirements can have their lists reviewed for compliance by attorney Poul H. Lemasters, Esq., without charge. Contact Lemasters at 513.407.8114.
CONTACT US
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 2010, International Cemetery, Cremation and Funeral Association
|
