(WSBT) A lengthy strike at a musical instruments plant in Elkhart may be coming to an end.

Nearly 18 months ago, union workers at Conn-Selmer's Vincent Bach plant hit the picket lines.

Both sides have been to the bargaining table, several times, with no results.

A vote could be in the offing to end the union, which would end the strike.

"I thought 100 percent, we'd be back within 2-3 weeks,” said Jeff Hoogenboom, employed at Vincent Bach for 26 years.

UAW workers at the Vincent Bach plant went on strike on April 1, 2006. Striking workers thought the job action would never last this long.

"At no point in time did I ever think the strike would go this long,” Hoogenboom said. “Like I said, back in ’92-‘94 we striked over several issues and I believe it went for two weeks and we were back in.”

"Well I figured the strike would go on for longer than the last one did,” said David Kish, a Vincent Bach employee for 41 years. “I thought the issues would be resolved. I didn't feel that it would go on this long. But it’s just the way it goes.”

The company has since replaced employees inside the plant with mainly non- union workers.

The current work force recently requested that they be allowed to take a decertification vote to do away with the union.

The union filed an appeal, but that was denied by the National Labor Relations Board.

That sets the stage for a vote to take place to end the union, which would end the strike.

With the likelihood of a decertification vote on the horizon, the company and the union still need to reach a consensus on which striking workers can vote on it, and which ones cannot.

The union would like to see severance pay considered as part of that vote.

As of now, we have not heard of a time table for that decertification vote to take place.