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July 21, 2011

‘Right to work’ stays on state legislators’ plates

Move would bar unions, employers from forcing workers to pay, join

BY MATT TROUTMAN Chronicle-Tribune

This year, the state legislative session was punctuated by a five-week Democratic walkout, sparked in part by a controversial “right to work” bill.

The possibility that similar legislation would be introduced next session was made more likely this week following an appointment by state Sen. Phil Boots, R-Crawfordsville, to chair a summer study committee investigating whether to make Indiana a “right to work” state, which would bar unions and employers from forcing workers to pay union dues or join unions.

Local labor officials and union supporters stood firmly against any such legislation.

Steve Shively, president of United Steelworkers Local 7113, which represents workers in Dana Holding Corp., said any proposed bills would draw large statehouse protests like they did last session.

“It’s not fair for people to come into work into a union shop and reap the harvest of what labor people did,” he said. “I absolutely hope that they stand by what they did before and not let the Republicans do that.”

State Sen. Jim Banks, R-Columbia City, said the committee was called to give a future bill more weight.

“It’s purely a recommendation to the legislature when they reconvene,” he said. “It gives them more ammunition to pass ‘right to work.’”

Generally, local legislators welcomed the study committee and supported “right to work” laws.

State Rep. Kevin Mahan, R-Hartford City, said the issue has been a “5,000-pound elephant in the room” for years.

“One way or other, I’d like to see it brought up or put to rest,” he said.

Mahan said his father was in a union and that he was open-minded about the issue, but questioned whether unions should be able to force people to join.

“I understand the union’s purpose, but on the same token, when people are forced to join a union, that goes against our principles as Americans,” he said.

State Sen. Travis Holman, R-Markle, said since he needed more information before voting on a possible bill that the study committee was an opportunity to move past “propaganda.”

“Decisions need to be made on empirical evidence and not just emotions,” he said. “If there is a charge to be carried, (Boots) will carry the charge.”

Indiana would become the 23rd “right to work” state in the nation if the legislation is passed. Supporters say that passage would make the state more attractive to businesses.

“There are a number of companies that will not consider a non-‘right to work’ state,” said Tim Eckerle, executive director of the Grant County Economic Growth Council.

Earlier this year, an Indiana Chamber of Commerce study found that the high costs of labor associated with union companies had lost the state billions of dollars of output from companies that located elsewhere. A competing Notre Dame study found that median household income is significantly lower in “right to work” states.

James Gartland, president of Atlas Foundry, said though his company has a nice relationship with its union, that his company has lost business to “right to work” states.

“I will tell you that over the past 20 years, we’ve seen customers who have left Indiana to go south,” he said.

The issue drew attention in May when the National Labor Relations Board filed a lawsuit against Boeing for locating a new plant in South Carolina, a “right to work” state.

Mahan said he thought “right to work” legislation did not necessarily harm unions; it just meant workers had a choice to not pay dues. He compared union membership to membership at a golf course or country club, where if people care about grounds upkeep, they pay dues.

“Teachers in the state of Indiana do not have to join a union,” he said, pointing out the Indiana State Teachers Association is perhaps the most powerful union in the state.

Philip Loy, chair of Taylor University’s political science department, said his view on the issue was “very straightforward.”

“I think that ‘right to work’ legislation creates too much of freeloader principle,” he said. “People don’t have to join or pay union dues, but receive all the benefits that unions bring.”

Loy said Marion and Grant County were previous union strongholds, but both workers and local businesses have suffered as manufacturing companies left. The Marion General Motors stamping facility is one of the last remaining large-scale union plants in the area.

If legislation comes back up, Holdman said he welcomed public input on the issue.

“I was hearing from both sides (last session),” he said. “It was pretty balanced between folks equally on both sides of the issue.”

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