By Marilyn Odendahl, Truth Staff
ELKHART -- Conn-Selmer announced Tuesday what striking employees at the company's Vincent Bach plant have suspected for weeks -- the musical instrument manufacturer is hiring replacement workers.
However, union leaders dismissed the announcement as a scare tactic and said the union is continuing with business as usual, which includes working on a contract proposal to offer the company.
"I don't know that it means anything," said Larry Foster, United Auto Workers international representative. "It's just the normal course of the strike. It's nothing that's causing me any great alarm or the membership wanting to run back in there."
Workers picketing in front of the Vincent Bach plant on Industrial Parkway have said they believe managers in the factory are finishing or repairing trumpets and trombones but not making any instruments from scratch.
The press release from Conn-Selmer about the hiring of replacements hints that the company is concerned about having an adequate supply of instruments for dealers and musicians.
In the release, Conn-Selmer President John Stoner said, "While we await a counterproposal from the union's bargaining committee and consider the uncertainty of future events related to the work stoppage, we must find ways to continue to service our customers. In addition to hiring replacement workers, we have ramped up production at our Eastlake facility to produce additional professional Conn and King trumpets and trombones. Our offshore suppliers are also ramping up their production to meet our future requirements of Bach student trumpets and trombones."
About a month ago, Conn-Selmer did ask the employees at the plant in Eastlake, Ohio, if they would make some of the horns that had been produced at the Elkhart facility. Those workers, members of UAW Local 2359, said no because, according to Bryant Harvey, union shop steward, doing the work would be the equivalent to crossing the picket line.
"We're not their enemy," Harvey said, referring to the Vincent Bach workers. "We're not going to do anything to jeopardize their strike."
The Elkhart workers, represented by UAW Local 364, walked off the job April 1. They have since rejected Conn-Selmer's only other contract proposal that was offered June 9.
Jerry Stayton, president of the Vincent Bach union, said he feels the company still wants to negotiate but noted the company's actions will have a negative impact.
"I don't like to see this happen at all because this will infuriate my members and make it more difficult to negotiate," he said.