Law Passes Making Indiana 23rd Right To Work State

Governor Mitch Daniels signed the legislation today making Indiana the country’s 23rd Right To Work State. Union activists picketed outside Lucas Oil Stadium, home to the Super Bowl on Sunday.

Indiana is the first state in the Industrial mid west know as the Rust Belt to sign Right to Work legislation. The legislation bans the signing of union contracts that require dues from nonmembers.

Both sides were lining up to fight for their respective side of the law. Republicans were already touting lists of businesses that are making plans to move to Indiana and existing businesses that are planning on ratcheting up hiring. Democrats are planning to make this THE issue of the campaign in 2012 to take back the Statehouse and allow the law to be repealed.

Daniels did not attend the public bill signing as is customary with legislation of this magnitude.

He said in a statement,

“This law won’t be a magic answer, but we’ll be far better off with it. I respect those who have objected, but they have alarmed themselves unnecessarily: No one’s wages will go down, no one’s benefits will be reduced and the right to organize and bargain is untouched and intact.”

Senate President Pro Tempore David Long, R-Fort Wayne, said a company in Noble County, is

“planning now to remain in Indiana instead of going to Alabama and a company from Michigan was planning to go to a ‘right to work’ state in the South. When they saw what was happening here, (they) invited the state to bid. . . . We are now in consideration for those jobs.”

Do you agree with Right To Work legislation?