Associated Press
TOM LoBIANCO,Associated Press
Updated: Jan 25, 2012 7:09 PM
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana's Republican-controlled House of Representatives cleared the way Wednesday to become the first right-to-work state in a traditionally union-heavy Rust Belt increasingly targeted by non-union foes.
The House voted 54-44 to make Indiana the nation's 23rd right-to-work state after Democrats ended a periodic boycott which had stalled the measure for weeks. The measure is expected to face little opposition in Indiana's Republican-controlled Senate and could reach Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels' desk shortly before the Feb. 5 Super Bowl in Indianapolis.
"This announces especially in the Rust Belt, that we are open for business here," Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma said of the right-to-work proposal that would ban unions from collecting mandatory representation fees from workers.
But Republicans have struggled with similar anti-union measures in other Rust-Belt states like Wisconsin and Ohio where they have faced a massive backlash. Ohio voters overturned Gov. John Kasich's labor measures last November and union activists delivered roughly 1 million petitions last week in an effort to recall Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker.
Indiana would mark the first win in 10 years for national right-to-work advocates who have pushed unsuccessfully for the measure in other states following a Republican sweep of statehouses in 2010.
Hundreds of union protesters packed the halls of the Statehouse again Wednesday, chanting "Kill the Bill!" and cheering Democrats who had stalled the measure since the start of the year.
"We did better than anybody ever expected," House Minority Leader Patrick Bauer told The Associated Press before debate began on the issue, adding that outnumbered Democrats fought the best they could in the divisive labor battle.
Republicans foreshadowed their strong showing Monday when they shot down a series of Democratic amendments to the measure in strict party-line votes. Democrats boycotted again for an eighth day
Republicans handily outnumber Democrats in the House 60-40, but Democrats have just enough members to deny the Republicans the 67 votes needed to achieve a quorum and conduct any business. Bosma began fining boycotting Democrats $1,000 a day last week, but a Marion County judge has blocked the collection of those fines.
The measure now moves to the Indiana Senate which approved its own right-to-work measure earlier in the week. Gov. Mitch Daniels has campaign extensively for the bill and said he would sign it into law.
Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Publius | February 2 2012 8:53am
Perhaps if the Unions of today had not morphed into left-wing hate machines and thuggery, the people of this state would have supported their cause. However, when out-of-state activists show up at our Hoosier statehouse and disrupt democracy in action, and when elected officials (all Democrats) supposedly representing a geographic constituency run and hide to Illinois instead of doing their jobs, the good people of Indiana remember. RTW is right for ALL the PEOPLE.
FreedomRinger | January 27 2012 11:55am
This whole thing is really a shame. The unions have brought this on themselves. At one time most unions were honorable organizations with honorable goals. A few still are. Unfortunately, too many unions have gone far beyond those honorable goals and degraded themselves to the level of extortion and liberal political activism. It is becoming increasingly clear that the country will no longer tolerate their interference. There may very well be some negative effects to some workers because of this bill. I tend to believe the majority of those effects will only be to those that are being compensated above their market value anyway. Yes, some companies may choose to take advantage of this law in an attempt to be unfair to some employees. Those are the cases where an honorable union could be useful. Too bad the dishonorable ones may have destroyed their ability to do it.
AwlHattin_Ocattle | January 27 2012 5:50am
Imploding the old political economy; forging a new way forward.
In the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Free at last, free at last, thank God almighty the workers are freed from the thugs and moonbats at last
ACDCROCKS | January 26 2012 3:31pm
bigbluecat22 says, I dont see how this hurts anyone. If i dont want to pay dues then i shouldnt have two. I am fine with not being forced to pay dues to a union, and dont want there help
Bigblue, what you say is fine, but the problem is , in the law, it states that the union still has to represent you even if you don't pay any dues. Now the unions have no problem with you not joining and not paying dues it's just that why should they have to represent you ? Do you think it's fare that the union still has to represent you even though your not paying any dues ? This is why this law should be held off till November so people like you can learn all about this law. But the repukes rammed it down everyones throat without everyone knowing the facts about this law. Here's an example for you. I'm going to use $1 million a year as an example. But we all know CEOs make several millions of dollars a year. Do you think it's fare that a CEO makes $1 Million dollars a year to sit in an office in a chair and make $20,000 a week, while all the employees make minimum wage or $10 - $12 an hour and can't even feed their children or buy a car or a home ? Ask your friend's dad if he is willing to take a $10 - $20 per hour cut in pay. I'm not saying that RTW wil cause wages to go down but it sure opens the door for them to go down, because with out the unions , there is nothing to stop the corporations from lowering your wages anytime they want and tell you if you don't like it over there is the door. Is this what you want ?
bigbluecat22 | January 26 2012 1:26pm
I dont see how this hurts anyone. If i dont want to pay dues then i shouldnt have two. I am fine with not being forced to pay dues to a union, and dont want there help
bigbluecat22 | January 26 2012 1:23pm
I get the sense that some people on this post are not living within there means, and are scared of being paid whart they are worth. You shouldnt make 40 an hr to sit on a chair and hit a button, and say you deserve it due to experience. That example came from my friends dad who works for chry****, who is in a union and supports rtw. He says if u dont want to pay dues, then dont
ACDCROCKS | January 26 2012 1:07pm
@ 1776, So obviously you're a repuke or you wouldn't have replied to my post. Obviously you don't know anything about unions since you think union members are thugs. Long time ago, maybe. But this is the 21st century . We take your lame azzez to court and sue you . We let the courts decide how to handle people like you . Therefore we thugs don't have to beat your stupid azzez up to teach you dumb azzez right from wrong. Can't believe how dumb you are . I would say ( without a doubt ) , I have a much better job than you. Therefore , when your wages are dropped to minimum wage, just maybe you will understand why all these people are so against the RTW bill. Until then, enjoy your already low wage job,and get ready for minimum wage. I'm sure the soup kitchens and welfare office will be ready to take you in.
Bengiund | January 26 2012 1:07pm
First, I had no affiliation with any unions in my 34 years in the work force. I’ve worked hard, received an education and taken extra training trying to get ahead, but with cost of health care and trying to plan for my retirement. I actually bring less spending power home, especially factoring inflation in, than I did ten years ago. I attribute this directly to free trade and declining union membership. “Right to Work” is just another slap in the working man’s face.
Lucy63 | January 26 2012 11:26am
I have had jobs without a union, and ones with a union. Since I am familiar with both sides, I must say union jobs provide better wages, benefits, and job securuty than those without a union. Even though some people on the union job didn't want to participate they expected to get the same benefits and raises as the ones who were in the union. That is not fair to the ones that pay dues to get certain benefits. Indiana being a state where you may be fired at any time for any reason also is another asset to having a union job. It allows you to have an advocate to help with unfair firing of an employee without good cause. Non-union job provide no such options. I do believe that right to work laws will destroy decent wage and benefit options that are only available to union supported jobs. It will not create more jobs either. I think these are all laws to warrant lowering of wages and not providing any job securuty for workers. I hope that the unions and the people will keep fighting to overturn this bill, because it will not help workers, or provide more job creation. I think this is just a way to keep the poor and middle class from prospering by the rich and the republican base. I do not agree at all with our governor's views and reasons for passing a right to work bill that Indiana doesn't need to have. From experience union jobs are better and we don't need a right to work bill here. OVERTURN RIGHT TO WORK IN INDIANA!!!!!!!!!!!
tjcuzns | January 26 2012 10:02am
I think the only ones truly upset about Right to Work laws are those making a living off of union dues.
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