TERRE HAUTE —
Democrats might feel a little lonely in Indianapolis these days, but local union members gave two legislators a hero’s welcome Saturday morning.
Rep. Clyde Kersey (D-Terre Haute) and Sen. Tim Skinner (D-Terre Haute) had the Wabash Valley Central Labor Temple’s podium to themselves for more than two hours, focusing most of their time on the topic of right-to-work legislation.
A power outage at the Vigo County Public Library on Friday forced a cancellation of the legislative crackerbarrel session planned for that location, but officials at the Wabash Valley Central Labor Council decided to proceed with the event nonetheless.
The crackerbarrel sessions are typically sponsored by as many as seven organizations, but Saturday’s meeting belonged to just its host.
A little more than 100 people packed the meeting room amid signs reading, “You Can’t Cure Stupid, But You Can Vote Them Out” and “Stop Corporate Greed.”
Bill Treash, president of the Wabash Valley Central Labor Council, said the group proceeded with the meeting primarily to discuss right-to-work.
“This legislation affects all working men and women, union or non-union,” he said. “As you can see, there’s a lot of drama going on at the Statehouse.”
Cancellation of the event at the library came late Friday, and organizers said that evening that they would attempt to contact all of the area’s legislators. Skinner and Kersey were alone in their attendance Saturday.
Rep. Bruce Borders (R-Jasonville) said Saturday afternoon he was not invited to the event at the Labor Temple.
“I wasn’t notified by anyone,” he said, stating that last he’d heard Friday evening the crackerbarrel had been canceled. “I received no invitation.”
Likewise, Sen. John Waterman (R-Shelburn), said he did not receive notification either.
“I didn’t know anything about it,” he said Saturday.
Rep. Bob Heaton (D-Terre Haute), said he’d been called Friday about the cancellation. Saturday afternoon he realized an additional message had been left on his phone late Friday night, but he too was unaware of the second event until reading about it online Saturday.
Meanwhile, the crowd inside the Labor Temple was clear in its opposition to right-to-work.
Republican-sponsored right-to-work legislation would abolish contracts between unions and employers requiring workers to pay fees or dues to unions as a condition of employment.
Kersey said the issue is dominating the assembly.
“The overriding legislation this session is right-to-work,” he said, describing it as a partisan battle with the minority Democrats fighting as best they can. “All other bills are secondary.”
But with a Republican governor, and GOP-control of both the House of Representatives and Senate, it’s been tough for the opposition, he said.
“What bothers me most is how our democratic rights have been shoved to the wayside,” he said, stating that Gov. Mitch Daniels’ recent move to cap the number of people inside the Statehouse was a direct attempt to stifle protesters opposing right-to-work.
Democrats are trying to stall the legislation as Republicans “fast-track” it, he said, expressing their desire to have the bill read in committee before proceeding through the normal course of discussions.
“That’s the way all other bills go through the Indiana legislature, and if this is the most important piece of legislation in the state, that’s the way it should go too,” he said, describing the “fast-track” approach as a “blatant misuse of power” by the majority party. “They did it that way because they didn’t want to face the opposition twice.”
Skinner said the GOP’s tactics are “scary” and based on false information. Proponents of the legislation claim that 30 percent of companies won’t even look at Indiana because it’s not a right-to-work state, but no one will give him a list of those corporations, he said. When asked why such a list can’t be provided, Skinner said he’s been told it’s a matter of “privacy.”
“No. They can’t do that because they’re lying about it,” he said, claiming Daniels believes state employees and union workers make too much money.
But first came the state employees, who lost collective bargaining rights early in the Daniels administration, and next came the public teachers, who lost the same last year, he said. This year, Daniels is after the labor unions, Skinner said.
“And it was just a matter of time before that happened,” he said, pointing out most of the committees contain seven Republicans to just three Democrats.
Todd Thacker, business manager of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 725, was one of many speakers that morning placing some of the blame on Democrats and a lack of unity.
“They know we are a minority, and that’s what we are,” he said, stating that a third of Hoosiers who voted for Democrat Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election also voted for Republican Mitch Daniels. The answer, he said, is to get involved and ensure that Democratic candidate John Gregg wins the governor’s seat this year.
Skinner said Democrats and union supporters have gotten a little “lazy” in recent years. Recent discussions about putting right-to-work legislation on the ballot as a referendum have to be taken seriously, he said, noting the GOP’s numbers will make for a tough fight.
“I was just blown away when I found out that 50 percent of teachers vote Republican,” the retired educator said, likening that to “a chicken voting for Col. Sanders.”
Meanwhile, between 30 and 40 percent of union members vote Republican as well, he said.
Democrats might argue that a majority of Hoosiers oppose right-to-work, while Republicans claim the opposite, he said. However, a recent study conducted by Ball State University found that 27 percent are for it, 24 percent against it, and 48 percent don’t understand it.
A member of the audience recounted how right-to-work legislation was debated in 1964 when union members blocked Washington Avenue in Indianapolis. Today, the numbers just aren’t there, he said, noting more public education is needed on the topic, as Saturday’s event was largely “preaching to the choir.”
Brian Boyce can be reached at 812-231-4253 or brian.boyce@tribstar.com.
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