Mitch Daniels has been a supporter of a right-to-work bill that would limit union bargaining rights but says the legislature should not push it in its last session.
Supporters and opponents of a right-to-work law are gearing up for Tuesday’s ceremonial opening of the General Assembly.
This year, Indiana AFL-CIO President Nancy Guyott says legislators should take a cue from Ohio voters’ rejection of a ban on collective bargaining for government employees.
“People from all political doctrines — self-identified independents, self-identified conservatives, people from union and nonunion households, people from all across the educational spectrum — stood up and called for an end to these attacks on working people,” she says.
Daniels argued the ban on requiring workers to pay at least a portion of union dues would create jobs.
“You read that report, it certainly confirms something we’ve known: that it does cost us shots at job opportunities,” he says. “I happen to not agree with their logic, but a lot of companies simply will not look at us for that reason.”
A study committee held hearings throughout the summer, then released a report recommending passage, but the governor says he is not throwing his weight behind the bill until he gathers more information.
