Yesterday, the Indiana House passed the right-to-work bill, which would ban contracts requiring employees to pay union dues. The passage ends Democratic efforts to block the bill, which now heads to the Indiana Senate.
With its Republican control, the Senate is expected to pass the bill, which could make its way to Republican Governor Mitch Daniels as early as Feb. 1. Daniels is expected to sign the bill, making Indiana the first right-to-work state in industrial Midwest, which boasts many organized unions. Nine more states have right-to-work bills pending, while 22 other states already have the law on the books.
Democrats in Indiana have argued that the bill would weaken unions, which would lead to lower wages and potentially less safe working conditions. According to Indiana AFL-CIO President Nancy Guyott, the fight is far from over. "We're going to do everything in our power, we're only at the halfway point," she said in a statement.
Read more about the right-to-work bill.
