conn-selmer strike

[connedbyselmer]

Some good points my friend. This is more than just if I have job or not.I worked for theSelmer company , Vincent Bach, for over 41 years and it was one of the best employers in the world. After it was bought out by corporate raiders with criminal associates, it aquired Steinway and assumed their name. These morally bankrupt people left their hands off the business for a few years and the company continued to make large profits for their shareholders. But like most greedy unethical CEO'S Dana messina was not satisfied and wanted more at the expense of retired workers , their death benfits, and unreasonable wage concessions, in an attempt to break the union, while discriminating against old workers who have dedicated their life to this company.
This is about what is going on all over this great country, Corporate greed. It is time people stood up to fight against EVIL instead of whinning about it while gready CEO'S ship their jobs to china. Weather I have job left with this evil company is a side issue.
Parasites like Messina can be compared to maggots ,you really don't hate them, but you don't like to see them cause you know what they are and what they do. It is usually enought just enough to turn your back on them and walk away or just step on them.

[swordfishtrombone]

[connedbyselmer]

Hey fishy, good to hear from you again pal.I am still on the campaign against evil conn- selmer, think I will make this my next career .Glad to see your still alive too.
The union has a big worldwide protest set up for the middle of next month against Steinway to help voice the morally bankrupt behavior of this company and their little CEO Dana Messina. Sales were down 25% last quarter and total strike related cost are well over $20,000,000 now. We may have lost the battle of this strike but we are continuing to punish messina for his bad management decisions as related to this strike and corporate greed decisions. It is our goal to make sure the little man takes many years to recoup his losses from this strike that has cost many of us lifelong workers our livelihood .
Support from musicians, and various unions from across the nation has been good and our boycott has had some effect ,as has been demonstrated by the numbers.
Dealers and musicians that continue to support Conn-selmer , Steinway products have about the same level of ethics that this company and their upper managment does. these people have had ties with the criminal element in their background.
By the way fishy did you ever get that trombone problem straightened out that you were winning about?

[swordfishtrombone]

[Jerry]

I haven't been keeping up.

Could someone tell me how the strike was settled, if it was settled, what the workers got or didn't get.

If this has been covered in another thread, could someone point me to that thread.

Thanks.

[connedbyselmer]

Hey Jerry,
Strike is still going on. It is almost over because CEO Dana Messina union busting program is almost complete. The strike will be over as soon as the NLRB rules on complaints, such as independent bargaining , not negotiating in good faith and age discrimination as complained by the union. This will then let the decertification vote that the scab labor initiated take place.
The UAW sold us down the river when it withheld the information that if we would had held the vote ourselves, before the 1 year anniversary of the strike ,and voted it down we could have remained on strike for another year. It is hard enought fighting against an evil company(conn-selmer)let alone a union that doesn't want to represent you. Our international representative was just replaced ,but a little to late after he failed to adequately represent us. We have put up a good fight, proved that STEINWAY CEO DANA MESSINA made some bad management decisions that cost his company over $20,000,000 in strike related cost. We will continue to fight against this unethical company as will be shown by the world wide protest June17, as we Have recieved the support of some musicians and their unions.
As I have stated before anyone that buys or supports Steinwaymusical and their products is guilty of undermining the working class of America and supporting an unethical immoral company.

[mafields627]

That's why unions are worthless. They're out for nothing more than filling the pockets of union leadership.

As a teacher, I'm a member of the NEA and my state agency. I really don't want to be, but they do provide $1 million in liability insurance and free legal support. I feel like I'm making a deal with the devil every time I see the dues on my check.
_________________
--Matt--

No representation is made that the quality of this post is greater than the quality of that of any other poster. Oh, and get a teacher!

[Jerry]

So what is the likely outcome for the workers?

[connedbyselmer]

The company will ask certain workers to return to a shop without a union.Each worker then will have to make up their own mind to return if they want a job.
Some of us workers have also filled age discrimination charges against Steinway. But when your dealing with a republican government you about stand a rats behind of winning anything.We will have been given the right to sue however and we will hopefully initate a class action lawsuit against dirty Dana and company, which will be our last hurrah,to a company, which many of us workers have given our lives to.
I am very proud of my fellow union brothers and sisters who shoved the little mans insultative offers back in his face 5 times and cost the little corporate parasite millions of dollars in strike related cost ,and many years to recoupe, if he can stay in bussiness, while running a company that gives "SPECIAL DIVIDENS " to shareholdres, while stealing death benfits from retired workers ,widows and children.

[Jerry]

Could you list the main differences of what the union was asking for and what the company was offering? And how that differed from the previous contract that was in effect?

[connedbyselmer]

40% reduction in all pay classifications ,eliminating all incentive work, eliminate pension plan, eliminate 2 paid holidays, max 4 weeks vacation after 20years, make total union time to all elected officials 8 hrs per week. take health & life insurance away from previous and future retires ,raise insurance rates to approx. 75.00 per week on family plan, increase out of pocket expense to 4,000.00 per person while increasing co- pays and decreasing standard procedures and make employees responcible for 20%of hospital &doctor charges. Give no guarantee of future outsourcing job security to horns being manufactured in china. Make severance pay literally impossible to get due to training and placement issues. eliminate almost all favorable union contract language due to all work rules.
These concessions were rebuffed 5 TIMES to CEO Dana Messina and Steinwa while we had consistently been making them millions in profits in the 30% range for many years up to the present strike.
Messina himself made millions buy dumping his stock the day before he put us out on the street buy selling off most of his stock (high) and letting it fall to a low,then buying back, then paid himself and other shareholders a first time ever "SPECIAL DIVIDEN" BONUS of 3.00 per share.
You got to give the little guy credit he can make more money manipulating stock then he can by running a company fairly and morally.
Parasites like Ken lay, michael millken,jeffery skillings , our own president and chairman of the board kyle Kirkland and others ,all got caught doing illegal things and using people. It will eventually will catch up with dirty Dana too. Till then we can take pride that we stood up to evil corporate greed and just wait till he gets his as always happens sooner or latter.

[swordfishtrombone]

[swordfishtrombone]

[connedbyselmer]

Yea fishy it is corporate greed , but the bad thing about it no one seems to really mind, it is just the American way nowadays, and everyone just turns their back and looks the other way. and even defends them, while they stick it to the average worker.

[lmf]

Hi, Conned by Selmer,

I suspect I can accept your arguments on behalf of the strikers, but I don't accept your comment about it being ignored by a certain political party. From what I've noticed, no political party is coming to your aid.

I do believe what Conn-Selmer is doing is short-sighted and will ultimately downgrade its craftsmanship and product line.

I wish the union workers a fair shake for which they deserve. They've worked hard at their craft. But, please keep politics out of the situation while continuing to speak to the real issues.

Best wishes!

Lloyd

[swordfishtrombone]

[davidnissen]

I have just heard about this strike from the UK Musicians Union.

The situation is disgusting! It reminds me of our Miners Strike here in 1984 but of course we in the UK had a Labour Party Opposition at the time which sold the strike out along with the rest of the Union Movement.

All I can say is of COURSE it's political. The reason why Steinberg is doing this is simply - Capitalism, something the American workers will have to understand sooner or later. The answer is a Socialist society in which the workers themselves OWN and CONTROL the means of production. Over to you in the USA!

[rockford]

[songpainter]

[Nickyboy2]

But you also have to throw in the cost of a warehouse, the equipment to make all the parts and a whole bunch of other costs that I don't know about at this time. It is a good idea, but unless you have a very good investment group, or are just that darn good that you dont need the many thousand dollars (maybe millions for all I know) of equipment it is just not that feasable to start up a company. Look at the ZeuS brand, good quality instruments rumored to be made at the Kanstul factory, and it is still trying to get it's feet off the ground, and thats with the use of someone elses equipment and facilities.

Now, if I happen to be wrong with any of the above, PLEASE feel free to correct me, this is just the insight from a 19 yearold college student, who sometimes likes to think he knows much more than he does.