Mahony Breaks Off Talks With Gravediggers Union

Saying that 97 gravediggers employed by the Los Angeles Roman Catholic Archdiocese have filed a petition stating that they “no longer want to be represented by the union,” Archbishop Roger M. Mahony broke off negotiations Monday with the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union and said he would hold a new election.

But Barbara Mejia, Amalgamated’s California manager, said the union will not agree to new balloting. “We believe this is another attempt on the archdiocese’s part to avoid negotiations,” she said.

Last Feb. 8, workers at the 10 archdiocese-run cemeteries voted 66 to 62 for union representation for one year, and an arbitration panel validated the election on Nov. 22 despite claims of worker harassment by the union. The archbishop contended Monday that the one-year union agreement expires next month, but Mejia said that the year starts from the panel’s ruling in November.