Indiana: Legislature Backs Off "Right to Work"

At the Indiana statehouse, CWA members were among hundreds of demonstrators in February. From left, Jane Phillips, Local 4900; Debbie Sturgeon, Local 4700; and Dave Dunn, Local 4703.

Thousands of union workers are standing strong at the statehouse in Indianapolis, pushing back against a Republican governor and legislature that want to weaken workers’ collective bargaining rights.

Crowds of more than 4,000 filled the halls of the statehouse, standing up for Indiana families and workers’ rights.

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels, like New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, is trying to drive a wedge between public and private sector workers. The good news: it’s not working.

Daniels called public workers “the privileged elites” at a Republican dinner in Cincinnati, the Chicago Tribune reported. That’s right from Christie’s playbook, who has said there are two classes of citizens, “the people who get benefits, and the taxpayers who pay for them.” But on the ground in Indiana, Wisconsin, New Jersey and other states, thousands of workers are sticking together and standing together for their families and communities.

Members of CWA Local 4900 proudly display their banner at the statehouse.

In Indiana, as in Wisconsin, they have the support of Democratic members of the state legislature. Indiana Democratic lawmakers left the state when it became clear that Republicans were unwilling to discuss or compromise over the right to work (for less) bill and other proposals.

Democratic lawmakers said “they’re trying to figure out a way to save the state from this radical agenda.” And they’ll return when the Republican majority drops the bills that are a real assault on the middle class. Democrats have raised concerns about several of the bills, including education reform and budget proposals.

Republican lawmakers finally withdrew the measure to weaken collective bargaining, at least for this session.

Separately, Jeff Cox, an Indiana deputy attorney general was fired for the comments he made about using “live ammunition” against Wisconsin union demonstrators. In a Twitter conversation with a reporter, Cox called the Wisconsin demonstrators “political enemies and thugs.”