Union members fight Ind. ‘right-to-work’ proposal

INDIANAPOLIS — Union members have packed an Indiana Statehouse hearing as they fight an uphill battle against “right-to-work” legislation that sparked a five-week walkout by House Democrats this year.

Members of the General Assembly’s Interim Study Committee on Employment spent Thursday morning listening to supporters and opponents of the measure which would prohibit workers from being required to pay union representation fees.

Republican Sen. Phil Boots of Crawfordsville says he expects to convene one more meeting of the panel this month before forwarding the study group’s recommendations to lawmakers.

More than 100 union members filled the state Senate chamber and the hallways outside during the hearing. Occasionally they laughed and cheered at comments sparking threats from Boots that they would be removed from the hearing if they continued.