All Around

Unions vs. the Right to Work
Wall Street Journal
This group includes Indiana, which has recently been as active as Wisconsin on labor issues; ironically, Indiana enacted a right-to-work law in 1957 but repealed it in 1965. Otherwise, my tentative list includes Michigan, Pennsylvania, Maine, Florida, ...

It's 1968 All Over Again, and King's Fight For Unions Is Still Essential Essential
History News Network
In other states, Republicans want to adopt “right to work” (for less) laws that would take away the requirement that workers in unionized jobs pay union dues. This would undermine the unions while, in King's words, providing “no rights and no work. ...

A Three-Man Band of Budget Cutters
New York Times
But perhaps the most controversial measure that Indiana Republicans have proposed — “right-to-work” legislation that would prohibit any requirement that employees in private sector workplaces pay union dues or fees — was not one that Mr. Daniels ...

Wisconsin

Budget stalemate as strong as ever

Who will blink first? Neither side is budging in Wisconsin's epic fight over union rights, but at some point the dispute must come to a head. And Tuesday could prove to be a crucial day.

Capitol camp-out continues

Faced with several hundred drum-beating, dancing and chanting demonstrators who refused to leave the state Capitol after the doors were shut at 4 p.m. Sunday, police decided to let the crowd spend the night and continue the protest against Gov. Scott Walker's budget-repair bill.

Rallies for labor, in Wisconsin and beyond

MADISON, Wis. — With booming chants of "This will not stand!" at least 70,000 demonstrators flooded the square around the Wisconsin Capitol on Saturday in what the authorities here called the largest protest yet in nearly two weeks of demonstrations.

In Indiana, clues to future of Wisconsin labor

MADISON, Wis. — Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin and other officials who are pushing to eliminate or weaken collective bargaining by government employees say their goal is to save millions of dollars and increase government's flexibility to run its operations.

Demonstrators Can Continue Overnight Stays in Wisconsin Capitol MADISON, Wis. — In a victory — at least a symbolic one — for Wisconsin’s public employee unions, the Capitol authorities announced on Sunday that demonstrators could continue their all-night sleepovers in the building and would not be forcibly ejected or arrested.

Walker's Push to Curtail Union Rights Makes Him an Outlier Among Governors
Bloomberg
A website set up by the Republican Governors Association, dubbed “Stand with Scott,” yesterday had comments in support of Walker only from governors in Texas, Mississippi, Virginia, Louisiana and Idaho, all so called right-to-work states where ...

Indiana

Klinker expects Democrats to be in Illinois awhile
"We're sitting around trying to think of a way to end this," she said. "It's tough and it may be another week. I don't see the resolution happening overnight. "If it was just one issue, like right-to-work, it would be over, but it's multiple issues

With right to work shelved, it's time to come back
I understand why the House Democrats left to protest the right-to-work legislation. As president of the National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 49, I disagreed with the proposed law. I also disagree with several other proposals in the House, ...

The Walkout: needed or smokescreen?
Terre Haute Tribune Star
Right-to-work legislation was just one of them, he said. But he took particular aim at House Bill 1479 which would allow the state to take over under-performing schools. “There are 212 schools in Indiana that are on that list,” he said, adding later, ...

13 WTHRDaniels holds firm on statehouse dispute
WTHR
It started as a battle over "Right To Work" and peaked with Indiana House Democrats fleeing across state lines. Now, many wonder when the statehouse drama will end. "While they are subverting the legislative process, there's nothing to talk about,"

Indiana House Democrats showing no sign of relenting
Indianapolis Star
Even with plans to stop a "right to work" bill that would ban unions and companies from negotiating contracts requiring nonunion members to pay for representation, Democrats want 11 bills stopped. Republicans still want to get the House moving again. ...

With stakes so high, a deal at the Statehouse may be out of reach
Indianapolis Star
The tipping point, House Democrats said, came when Republicans decided to push the so-called "right to work" bill -- which bars unions and companies from negotiating a contract that requires non-members to pay representation fees -- against Gov. ...

Daniels 'disappointed' by township overhaul defeat
Evansville Courier & Press
Indiana's governor urges GOP lawmakers to give up a right-to-work bill for fear the backlash could derail the rest of his agenda; Ohio senators plan to soften a bill that would have banned collective bargaining, and the Michigan governor says he'd ...

Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels Is Tough On Budgets
NPR
It was a private sector Right to Work bill — very, very legitimate issue, uh, and uh — as I've said many times, and, uh — but a big one. And I had two reasons. I've had exactly the same position on this from the first time the idea surfaced. ...

Governor Mitch Daniels Trying To Avoid Wisconsin-Type Protest
Daily News Pulse
By Mike Thomas on February 27, 2011, 6:19 pm It was one thing when it seemed that all Democrats wanted to do was kill the right-to-work bill, which Daniels was never that enthusiastic about in the first place. It was quite another when it became clear ...

Ohio

Senate Bill 5 saves $1.3B, study says

State and local governments would have saved an estimated $1.3 billion in 2010 on health insurance and automatic pay increases if the limits imposed by Senate Bill 5 were in effect, according to a new analysis by the state Office of Collective Bargaining.

Senate Bill 5 -- It's about budgets, jobs, ideology

As hundreds of union supporters protested outside yesterday, Senate President Tom Niehaus met in his Statehouse office with Senate GOP leadership preparing changes to a collective-bargaining overhaul bill he hopes to pass this week.

Kasich -- 'I'm not anti-union'

Saying he is at war with joblessness, not unions, Gov. John Kasich denied yesterday that there is any coordinated effort by Republican governors to stifle the power of public-employee unions.

Kasich calls altering collective bargaining only first step

WASHINGTON -- Gov. John Kasich said curtailing collective-bargaining rights for public employees is only the first step in a series that he insists will "lower our costs, keep our entrepreneurs and create jobs."

Commentary: GOP in danger of misreading November mandate
Dayton Daily News
WASHINGTON — When he campaigned for governor last year, Republican John Kasich said he would take another look at Ohio law that grants collective bargaining rights to public employees. But he did not favor anti-union, right-to-work laws. ...

Pennsylvania

Metcalfe To Propose Right To Work Legislation « CBS Pittsburgh
Pennsylvania State Representative Daryl Metcalfe tells KDKA's Mike Pintek about his plans to propose Right-To-Work Legislation. RELATED LINKS: RepMetcalfe.

Corbett favors right-to-work legislation - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Gov. Tom Corbett would sign right-to-work legislation if the General Assembly were to send him a bill, his spokesman said Tuesday.

Minnesota

Minnesota 'right to work' bill stalls in Legislature
Minnesota Daily
A bill for a constitutional amendment prohibiting unions from requiring prospective employees to join or pay dues, making Minnesota a “right to work” state, was proposed in the House in early January but has yet to come before a committee. ...

New Hampshire

Hampton should keep eye on how reps. are voting
Seacoastonline.com
HB 474, the Right to Work bill, would hamper collective bargaining in New Hampshire. Hampton Republicans voting in favor of limiting collective bargaining: ...