Conn Selmer Strike |
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This site was created to provide resources to help understand the Conn Selmer Strike. The administrator of this site is a Vincent Bach "current" employee, who is in a "labor dispute" along with his brothers and sisters of local UAW 364. The objective of this site is to work closely with the union leaders of UAW 364 in providing the truest of facts and most relevant material relating to the strike.
News from the Strike Line.
3-4-09-A big reunion for the public is planned for the 3rd anniversary of the strike on April 1st 2009.
This event will show to the public through speakers, singers, videos, table displays and long time workers of Vincent Bach the real truth, current situation, and the sad path ahead for CEO Messina if he continues. See event flyer.
1-21-09- No negotiating is currently going on, the last willingness of the company to sit down and talk happened in August of 2008. Robert Allen reported the company offered at that meeting nothing that would excite the rank and file.
A new committee has been authorized by Robert Allen with the purpose to renew and invigorate the three year old strike. Its mission will be to create, in the words of our UAW Lawyer Rick Swanson, “an economic impact on the company”. Hence forth this committee will be known as the UAW 364 Strike Action Committee.
12-18-08- An article found on the company web site gloats of Indiana Tax dollars being spent to train scabs and replacement workers at the striking Vincent Bach plant. Why would our elected representative allow this when there is a work force trained and ready to work if only the contract would include the very workers who vote on the contract to actually be the ones to come back. Instead the company from the first day of negotiations refused to put clearly in writing that everyone would be brought back ahead of new workers.
Read the article by Googleing for the head line;
“Indiana Economic Development Corporation Grant Awarded To Conn-Selmer Elkhart Facilities”
12-16-08- The Company still seems interested in negotiating and meetings continue to occur. A recent check distributed by a collection of fellow unions in the area was much appreciated. I know for this administrator January is going to be a slow month in getting days to work with this economy.
11-20-08-Company has started negotiations again, hopefully the company is more sensible since the August negotiations when Robert Allen said the rank and file "would die on the strike line" (regarding what they were offering).
11-19-08-We hear Conn Selmer again has a contract with E>K.Blessing to produce TR 301 student line horns. E.K. Blessing will continue to use UAW striking workers to produce these horns.
8-1-08- EK blessing is making the TR 300 with the Bach name here in Elkhart. Their primary emphasis is on recruiting currently striking skilled employees of Conn Selmer so far they seemed to have about 20. This information I know because this administrator was invited in for an interview and tour of the Blessing plant here in Elkhart in order to work as a color buffer. unfortunately I had to turn down the offer because of the fact that I would not make money off the backs of our striking union brothers and sisters who do not have a chance to go back to the music industry. Rumor is that Conn Selmer has pulled their line from EK Blessing but nothing has been written in the Elkhart Truth paper at this time to confirm or deny this.
Currently negotiations have started with Steinway regrettably not with a president of the union we elected. Our current president resigned and currently the vice president is in office. We also need to elect a new officer that has quit and worked for EK blessing. His position has filled with an appointment made by higher ups in the UAW. At this time no union meeting are being allowed. The committee claimed that a vote was taken in a prior meeting not to have any more union meeting till there was something to report. When ask to see the minutes no copies were provided.
READ MORE>reasons to negotiate
I suspect that the first proposal will not be worthy of the two and a half years we have been on strike. Our non elected UAW 364 President has already hinted we may have to take less because of the economy.
Even the Conn Selmer Statue has to work without a union!
As of August 1, 2008
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Editorials Needed If you wish to comment on the Conn Selmer Strike and have your letter posted, please send an email along with your name, address and phone number to be reached and I would be happy to post your comments on the ongoing strike. For or against! |
If the flash videos do not show or play below you need to install Flash 9 with the link here. http://get.adobe.com/flashplayer/ MAYOR VIRG BERNERO OF LANSING MICHIGAN February 17, 2009 This reflects a lot of the quality of life benifits we had here at Vincent Bach, that help build the middle class here in Elkhart.
The film crew from PBS filmed at Conn Selmer (see pictures) as part of a story about sharing available work to keep lower senority workers. Two points: 2. What does "with everything else going on in the Elkhart community" have to do with the fact that most of your skilled workers are striking out in the street not working inside. No other business in the Elkhart Community is doing what your doing. This footage was aired Friday April 3, 2009. Text print out: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/business/jan-june09/painsharing_04-03.html Want to learn more about the Employee Free Trade Act? The John Marshall Law School October 18, 2007 With AFL/CIO National Organizing Director Stewart Acuff Jackson Lewis Law Firm: Attorney Michael Flaherty Watch points between 5 minutes to 30 minutes. |