2012’s No. 1 Governmental Priority

Our top priority for the 2012 session is Right to Work. The following should offer some background and facts on this issue to help our members understand why we are making
this a priority.

What is Right to Work?

Right to Work (RTW) legislation prohibits the practice of requiring union membership and the payment of union dues or fees as a condition of employment. It also prohibits an employee from being fired for non-payment of union dues or fees.

The common myth is RTW legislation is “union busting.” This legislation does not eliminate the right of unions to organize employees, nor does it prohibit a union from bargaining collectively on behalf of its members. It gives the employee the freedom to choose whether or not to join a labor union.

RTW has been argued in the courts and it was determined that the legislation is permitted under provisions of the federal Taft-Hartley Act passed in 1947. 

If Indiana becomes a RTW state, it becomes the 23rd state to adopt this legislation. The last state to pass a RTW law was Oklahoma in 2001.

Why we support RTW

The Chamber supports RTW as a vital economic development tool for Indiana. Experts and site selectors have stated that 25 to 50 percent of businesses automatically exclude Indiana from the list of possible sites for relocation because we are not a RTW state. With an 8.6 percent unemployment rate, we cannot deter businesses from expanding into or relocating in Indiana.

Data shows that between 1999 and 2009 the aggregate all-industry GDP of the 22 RTW states grew by 24.2 percent, which is 40 percent more than the gain by the 28 non-RTW states.

How you can help

We are committed to fighting for the passage of this legislation and we encourage you to get involved. Go to fwchamber.org/rtw to read more about this issue and join our grassroots coalition.

We have provided a petition for signature, form letters to the editor and letters of support, as well as contact information for our Northeast Indiana Delegation so that you may reach out to them personally and express your support for this imperative law.

We cannot fight this fight alone. The more members that join us, the stronger we will be and the more support we can offer to our legislators in Indianapolis who support this issue. We can make this concept a reality for Indiana. Get involved and make a difference!

“There may be a worker here and there who for certain reasons unexplainable to us does not join a union of labor. This is his right no matter how morally wrong he may be. It is his legal right and no one can dare question his exercise of that legal right.”

Samuel Gompers, Founder and First President, American Federation of Labor