By Marilyn Odendahl, Truth Staff
At the Pro Winds music store in Bloomington, Ind., the stream of Vincent Bach trumpets that flows into the retail shop has slowed to a trickle.
The reason is that 200 miles to the north, the workers who make those horns -- along with trombones and baritone saxophones -- are standing idle outside the Vincent Bach factory in Elkhart.
The work force of about 230, represented by the United Auto Workers Local 364, walked out April 1 after rejecting the contract offered by their parent company, Conn-Selmer.
Production inside the plant has slowed considerably and, as the strike is about to enter its fourth month, some musical instrument dealers are starting to see their stock dwindle.
"The Bach Stradivarius is the most popular professional trumpet we sell," said Kevin Bonnell, sales representative at Pro Winds. "We hope they can get everything resolved so they can start manufacturing again as soon as possible."
Smaller dealers may be having more trouble getting the Vincent Bach horns than the larger stores.
At Rayburn Music Instrument Co. in New York City, customers wanting a Bach trumpet are walking out the door when they're told the instrument is not in stock.
"I'm just losing sales to other dealers," said David Hoffman, manager. "Eventually others will lose sales if this keeps up."
The premiere instrument made at the Elkhart facility, the Bach Stradivarius trumpet is a staple of many professional and semi-professional musicians around the world.
Customers who want that instrument are turning to major dealers like South Bend's Woodwind & Brasswind. Owner Dennis Bamber said his store has a healthy supply of Bach instruments, in part because the business stocked up in anticipation of the strike. Still, he echoed Hoffman's concerns about the impact the work stoppage will have if it continues for a longer period.
"We may have enough to get through August," Bamber said, "but after that it may be difficult."
Since the strike began, the union bargaining committee and representatives from Conn-Selmer have met only twice and another contract offered by the company was voted down by the union June 9. Along the picket line, workers most often complain about company management and plant supervisors who the strikers say are more concerned with quantity than quality.
Steinway Musical Instruments Inc., parent company of Conn-Selmer, has announced it is hiring replacement workers but the striking workers and some dealers question whether a new work force can be adequately trained for such skilled labor.
"There's only so much market for a $2,000 trumpet," said Jon Ray, sales manager at Wichita Band Instrument Co. in Wichita, Kan. "I suppose (Conn-Selmer) has to do what they can to keep labor costs down within reason."
Citing the increase in competition from Chinese instrument makers, Richard Akright, owner of A & G Music in California, believes the Vincent Bach workers could lose their jobs permanently to overseas operations or even other Conn-Selmer plants in the United States.
"I just don't understand what they're thinking," he said. "I just think they're wrong. They should have found a way to work it out without closing the factory."
Akright then lamented that if the Vincent Bach horns are produced elsewhere, the instrument will lose its identity.
"Generally speaking, I really don't have that many problems with those horns," he said. "The quality is very, very good."
Despite the instrument's reputation, however, as the strike wears on and the store shelves become bare, Robert Black, founder of the Evanston Band and Orchestra Co. in Illinois, is noticing some players are buying competing brands, such as Yamaha, when they can't get a Bach.
"You'll see by September a real crunch starting," Black said. "The big benefit will be Yamaha because even if the strike ends tomorrow, to ramp up production takes 30 or 60 days."