Photo: Honda Manufacturing of Indiana
Governor Daniels speaking to Senior Vice President Bob Nelson and Wendy Kuntz of Body Manufacturing while on the plant tour. Manufacturing is one of the industries that has a high level of skilled workers.
Indiana House Democrats are calling on Governor Mitch Daniels to implement a program they say can help avoid layoffs around the state.
Thirty-five House Democrats signed their name to a letter asking Governor Daniels to establish a work share program for Indiana, which encourages employers to reduce the hours of their workers instead of laying them off and helps replace the lost wages with state unemployment dollars. The legislators say the state could apply for up to $2 million in federal grants to supplement the program.
Indianapolis Democrat Mary Ann Sullivan, who introduced a work share bill last session, says the program would not be a cure-all. But she says for some industries with a highly-trained workforce, such as manufacturing, work share could help save money.
“People are sent home, they find other work or they move, and so you have to incur additional costs to retrain new workers to come in when you’re back up to your normal workforce levels,” she says.
Sullivan says the program provides employers more flexibility and it is entirely voluntary. Daniels’ office could not be reached for comment.
