Posted by Dan Schultz on March 28, 2003 at 09:37:05:
In Reply to: Re: Re: UMI strike posted by Rick Denney on March 28, 2003 at 08:08:49:
I toured the plant in Nogales, Arizona just before Christmas 2001. The plant produces a limited quanity of King, Artley, Conn, Armstrong, (and others) saxophones and clarinets. It's no great surprise to me that they are having labor problems. Of course, most all of the final assembly is still done by hand (there's really no other way to do it!), but UMI, like any other business, was looking for ways to reduce costs. Many of the small components, especially the keys and castings, were being made off-shore. All of the workers I saw appeared to be seasoned, well-trained, and content. It was really a nice operation but it's clear to see that the industry cannot tolerate the cost of American labor. I suspect a prolonged strike will put an end to domestic manufacturing.