Ind. Dems ending boycott, won't promise labor vote

[xchrom]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_INDIANA_RIGHT_TO_WORK?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-01-09-13-34-39

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Indiana House Democrats on Monday are ending a three-day boycott of the Legislature over a contentious labor bill but are not promising to stay long enough to allow a final vote on the divisive measure.

House Democratic Leader Patrick Bauer told The Associated Press that Democrats are returning "just for today."

Republicans want to make Indiana the first state in more than a decade to enact right-to-work legislation, which bans employment contracts that require mandatory union fees. House Democrats stalled work at the opening of Indiana's 2012 legislative session last week by denying Republicans the 67 members on the floor they need to conduct any business.

Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma has said he would like to pass the bill through the House as soon as the end of the week. The measure is expected to face an easy path through the state Senate, where Republicans outnumber Democrats 37-13.

[msongs]

1. all those working people in Indiana must be glad they voted for .... republicans nt

[EC]

2. Well, I sure hope the Dems and Unions

have gotten people there calling their reps and senators to tell them to vote against it, or are at least out en masse demonstrating. Maybe some of the repubs will be afraid to vote for it, after seeing whats happening with other repubs in states like WI, MI, and Ohio.

[Bobbie Jo]

3. My husband

Union pipefitter...made the trip to Indy last week for the demonstration. The unions are busing folks to the capital - in shifts.

They have a significant and sustained presence around the capital, but it sure looks like this thing won't be stopped. The unions here are actually developing a strategy for the eventuality of this bill. Without going into detail....change will not come easy.

The R's are running non-stop ads pimping this garbage. It's going to get ugly.

[EC]

4. Sorry it's come to this.

I could see it with my daughter's generation, they didn't know what unions were for and never had much of a chance of a job with benefits other than 401k's, no sick days and very few vacation days. At least my daughter and many here lived in union families and saw the direct result of the protection. There is value in having a voice.