Schmidt

BACKGROUND

This dispute involves Schmidt’s two and a half year employment with respondent SCFS, which began in March 2005, when he became an apprentice funeral director at respondent Pierce Brothers, and ended in November 2007, when he was a funeral director at respondent Eternal Valley. When Schmidt began working for SCFS, he signed a “Principles of Employment” agreement (agreement) with an entity identified in the agreement as “the Company.” The agreement contained an arbitration clause2 that required Schmidt and the Company to

There are four groups of respondents: (1) The parent company, Service Corporation International (SCI), which allegedly owns the company that employed Schmidt. (2) The company that employed Schmidt, SCI California Funeral Services, Inc. (SCFS), at its two locations: Pierce Brothers Valhalla San Fernando Valley Care Center (Pierce Brothers) and Eternal Valley Memorial Park (Eternal Valley). Both Pierce Brothers and Eternal Valley are fictitious business names of SCFS. (3) The three alleged affiliates of SCI: SCI Funeral and Cemetery Purchasing Cooperative, Inc., SCI Western Market Support Center, L.P., also known as (a/k/a) SCI Western Market…