Phone Topic Tuesday: Indiana and the “Right To Work” Statute

"Right-to-work" laws are statutes enforced in twenty-two U.S. states, mostly in the southern or western U.S., allowed under provisions of the federal Taft–Hartley Act, which prohibit agreements between labor unions and employers that make membership, payment of union dues, or fees a condition of employment, either before or after hiring, which would require the workplace to be a closed shop.

The fight over Indiana's proposed “right-to-work” bill will take center stage Today as House lawmakers get set to fire up more debate. Democrats are pushing for a referendum on the issue or they may walk out.

But do you know what right-to-work is and what it could mean?

Right-to-work means a person cannot be forced to join a union, or forced to pay union dues or fees at their work place. As it stands now, people working in Indiana don't have to join a union if their company has one, but they still have to pay union dues. If the right-to-work bill passes, that would change, making it a Class A misdemeanor to require an individual to become a member of a labor organization and pay union dues.

We are discussing this today on Phone Topic Tuesday with me from 1p-4p. Call in at 1-888-900-WGBF, or post comments below!