03/26/2013
Brothers and Sisters,
They just blinked.
Yesterday in the middle of debate on a bill designed to hold back progress on working people’s issues, debate was stopped. Right there in the middle of the debate, discussion was stopped – and moved to Thursday at noon.
The bill: Senate Bill 213. It bans cities, towns, counties and townships in Indiana from requiring employers within their jurisdictions to provide terms and conditions of employment, or worker benefits that exceed the minimums established by federal or state law. Two years ago, the legislature took away the power of local governments to push for better wages by banning living wage ordinances. Now they want to go further. They want to make sure your town can’t require employers to provide a minimum amount of benefits, adequate working conditions, or fair terms of employment or attendance policies.
It means less local control. It means less fair employment policies. It means less safety at work. And because most things that become state or federal law start as a local idea somewhere, it means less progress. You have to wonder if maybe somebody thinks big business’ dollars have an easier time controlling the outcome when the legislators have too many constituents to know them by name.
The big business lobby is no doubt going to spend all day today trying to round up the votes to pass this attack on home rule. Don’t let them.
Call your State Representative right now at 1-800-382-9842 and tell them to oppose Senate Bill 213! (Click here to find out who your State Representative is)
Call now. They’ll vote on Thursday at noon.
In Solidarity,
Indiana AFL-CIO Legislative Team
