Editor, Times-Union: Rep. V. Simpson said the Right to Work (RTW) bill passed because of anecdotes and myths about unnamed companies saying they wouldn’t come to Indiana without RTW laws. Let’s see how some of these anecdotes and myths stand up to reality (usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-02-10/indiana_right_to_work/529163).
We are told we need RTW to attract jobs to Indiana (see above article). But Lonnie Slone pointed out that since RTW passed, Warsaw alone has lost almost 200 jobs (Times-Union, March 16, 2012, p.5A “Jobs”). Jobs from Zimmer are going to Tennessee, while Little Crow is moving to Illinois. But-but, I thought RTW was supposed to attract jobs to Indiana? Gov. Daniels? Rep. Wolkins? What happened?
RTW states are supposed to average better pay and benefits than non-RTW states. Republicans have said this since Barry Goldwater was running for president. But fellow Hoosier Kenneth G. Dall-Schmidt of Indiana University points out that these claims in recent times are based “on data from North Dakota, which has experienced unusually fast economic growth due to shale oil. If that state is removed from the equation, income growth has actually been higher in states without right-to-work laws ... this is what happens when averages are used to prove a point” (newsinfo.iu.edu/news/paper/normal/20155.html).
Until and unless shale oil is discovered in Indiana, our income growth is probably going down. I urge working people to vote for our jobs, families, and futures in both primary and general elections. The Indiana AFL-CIO had a list of candidates it endorses for the upcoming primary (in.aflcio.org – AFL-CIO endorsements for 2012 primary election). You can also find out how current office holders voted on RTW (in.gov/legislative/bills/2012/PDF/Hrollcall/0057.pdf.pdf and Srollcall/0161/pdf.pdf). You know who you are. Now, so do the rest of us.
