Indiana Workers Win Statewide Victory   by Mike Hall, Mar 1, 2006

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Quick action by Indiana’s working families and their unions beat back an extremist legislative ambush attempt to pass so-called right to work (RTW) legislation Feb. 28 in the state House of Representatives. 

Hoosier workers have done just fine for more than 40 years since the state repealed RTW laws in 1965, says Kenneth Zeller, president of the Indiana State AFL-CIO.
 
But anti-worker legislators have “been working this pretty hard,” for the past three years but never had the strength to bring it to a vote in the house, he says.

In neighboring Kentucky, working families are in the middle of a huge fight to turn back RTW legislation. A statewide rally to “Stand Up/Fight Back” for working family issues is set for March 7 in Frankfort. Check www.kyaflcio.org for more info.

Kentucky and Indiana working families know that workers’ average incomes are lower in states where workers don’t have union rights. In states with RTW laws, the average pay for workers is 15 percent less than in states where workers have rights to collectively bargain contracts (including wages and benefits).  

(RTW laws were given that catchy but misleading name by Big Business—but in fact they don’t guarantee workers any rights. What they really do is weaken unions and employee bargaining and destroy the best job security protection that exists: the union contract. Meanwhile, they allow some workers to pay nothing and get all the benefits of a union membership.)
   
While the Indiana RTW bill was introduced again this session, legislative leaders indicated it wouldn’t get to the floor for a vote. But Rep. Cindy Noe (R), who Zeller says has a close relationship with the vitriolic anti-worker National Right to Work Committee, unexpectedly offered the bill as an amendment to another piece of legislation early Feb. 28.
 
Zeller says a combination of same-day lobbying by unions at the state House and by working families contacting their reps in key members’ districts, cemented the bill’s defeat. The 65­–31 vote doesn’t indicate how close the outcome could have been because as soon as its downfall was assured, several wavering lawmakers jumped on the bandwagon.
 
Zeller is optimistic. “Maybe we’ve put this to bed for awhile.”
 

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