National

Indiana Is Next Battleground in Fight for the Right of Working People to Unite in Unions and Collectively Bargain


Indianapolis, Ind.–(ENEWSPF)–February 22, 2011.  Indiana members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – will join thousands of workers this week at the Statehouse in opposition to dangerous anti-working family bills.

“For decades working people, through their unions, have protected everyone’s right to join together for a common cause and to counter the power of corporations,” said Frank DeGraw, Business Manager of the Indiana Laborers’ District Council. “But now elected officials, due to contributions of out-of-state corporate donors, want to destroy this basic right and by doing so will lower living standards for all working people in Indiana.”

LIUNA members from throughout the state will travel to Indianapolis to fight both so-called “right to work” legislation and efforts to gut the state’s common wage law for construction workers.

Both proposals are attempts to destroy the freedom of workers to collectively bargain through their unions. The so-called “right to work” law would cripple the ability of unions to thrive and, based on states with the law, slash wages by more than $5,000 a year, weaken or eliminate pensions and leave more workers without health insurance.

Gutting the state’s common wage law for construction workers would remove the wage floor for state construction projects and result in an influx of out-of-state contractors who low-ball wages, driving down standards for all Indiana workers.

DeGraw said LIUNA members are galvanized to fight the proposals and strengthened by the tens of thousands of Wisconsin workers rising up against similar proposals in their state.

On Feb. 8, Indiana LIUNA members joined a seven-state conference call to organize against the anti-worker attacks and committed to fight them.

The actions this week will escalate to include thousands of working men and women and thousands of LIUNA members.

“We can’t let Indiana become a haven for bad jobs,” DeGraw said. “The best way for our state to move forward is by promoting the creation of good jobs that can support families and communities. We will fight this attack on workers for as long as it takes.”

Source: liunabuildsamerica.org

 


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