Jerry Davich: Are right-to-work critics in denial?

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Jerry Davich

Updated: March 2, 2012 8:16AM

Raleigh “Al” Smallwood paused and bristled before replying to my point-blank question, so I asked him again.

“Do you think the right-to-work legislation will get passed?” I asked Smallwood during my radio show last Friday. “Yes or no?”

“Well, I hope it...” Smallwood replied before I cut him off.

“Well, I hope for a lot of things, too,” I told Smallwood, recording secretary for United Steelworkers Local 6787 and vice president of the Industrial Sector for the Northwest Indiana Federation of Labor. “But is your answer yes or no?”

Finally, he conceded that yes, the contentious right-to-work bill will likely be passed in the General Assembly, possibly as early as Wednesday.

I invited Smallwood, a vocal critic of the bill, to discuss this volatile issue on my radio show and he didn’t disappoint. He was informative, passionate and convincing.

But he also was in denial, I thought, which is why I pressed him for a yes or no answer.

Like many critics of the legislation, Smallwood is so disheartened and angry about the reality of the situation that he didn’t want to acknowledge its likely outcome: Indiana will become the 23rd state to adopt such legislation, the first to do so in the last decade.

Democrat lawmakers did all they could to avoid this. A few Republican lawmakers from this region did, too. And so did the unions and other vocal critics who flocked to Indianapolis to protest.

It didn’t alter its course. Not really. This is purely a political power play in action, with the bill-supporting Republicans a majority in the House and a supermajority in the Senate. That’s the reality. And it doesn’t matter what you, me, national experts or Hoosier workers believe will happen next.

For instance, will the new law attract more out-of-state (or out-of-country) companies to Indiana along with promised new jobs, as supporters claim? Will it simply allow workers a choice when it comes to joining a union, as others insist? Or will it serve as the death knell for unions in this state?

Everyone I have spoken to about this issue is convinced — convinced — they know the answer here. I’m convinced they don’t. The feedback alone I have received from last week’s column on this topic reflects my point. Here is a sampling:

“Mitch (Daniels) is a communist for ramming this down our throats,” said Gary K. of Chesterton. “Why can’t we even vote about it? It’s un-American is what it is.”

“Anybody that says this bill isn’t out to destroy unions is lying,” said Sharon G.

“You want the right to work, but don’t want to pay for the benefits the unions fought for! You shouldn’t get ANY OF THOSE BENEFITS!!!” said Ruth Crawford of Hobart.

“Maybe the reason this is happening is because the reporters that are reporting the stories are also clueless!” wrote Stewart McMillan.

“Your statement, ‘If signed by the governor, the right to work bill would ban labor organizations from collecting fees or dues for unionized representation’ is not only wrong, it is also seemingly written to be intentionally inflammatory!”

“It bans NOTHING of the sort,’ he added. “It simply says that a person can CHOOSE to not pay dues and if they CHOOSE not to pay dues, the union has the right to refuse to provide them some of their services. How is this different than any other aspect of American right to choice?”

(On a side note, I’ve never seen or heard so many exclamation marks in readers’ responses as I have with this issue. This includes previous columns on abortion, religion and gay rights.)

Jean E. wrote, “It seems to me that the unions are only out for themselves although in the past, they were good for the workers.”

“Sadly Jerry, as you have proved, few Hoosiers have not heard about right to work legislation,” said Greg G. “Maybe you should ask them about who is on ‘American Idol’ or some other reality show? I’ll guess, probably much better results.”

This was partly my point in my initial column; too many Hoosiers either don’t know about this topic or simply don’t care.

But now that this bill will soon become a law, will its critics remember which lawmakers not to vote for on a future Election Day? In a hotly contested presidential election year, they should. Or, as I predict, will apathy trump angst once again?

By the time you get to this point in my column today, I should be in downtown Indianapolis, visiting our state capital for the hype and hoopla of Super Bowl week. I’ll be writing about the pregame festivities revolving around our annual gridiron granddaddy of gluttony.

Yet I’m sure I also will witness the last gasp of protests in that city’s streets against the right-to-work bill, even though Gov. Mitch Daniels will likely sign it into law long before Sunday’s kickoff.

Another battle,
another prediction

I predict the New England Patriots will beat the New York Giants on Sunday by a score of 27-17.

If you can predict a score that’s closer than mine to the game’s final outcome, you could win a $25 gift card.

All you need to do is call in your prediction to my “Casual Fridays” radio show on WLPR, 89.1-FM, this Friday between noon and 1 p.m. at 769-9577. Good luck.