Source: Photo: Eric Berman/WIBC)
INDIANAPOLIS — The United Steelworkers Union walked through downtown Indianapolis on Tuesday as they marched toward the Indiana Statehouse. Union members from throughout Indiana arrived at the Statehouse to lobby in support of a multiple bills that would help veterans, raise unemployment benefits, and repeal the right to work.
USW members stood on the steps of the Statehouse chanting word of support just short of 11:00 a.m. before filing in to go through security. The legislation being discussed includes:
H.B. 1246
– This House Bill addresses workers compensation and the ability for an individual to choose their own health care provider for injuries sustained on the job. Currently, employers would select the healthcare provider for on the job injuries. H.B.1246 would allow for the worker to receive temporary or permanent assistance from their preferred healthcare provider with the company covering the costs.
H.B. 1247
– Aims to repeal the “Right to Work” which allows for individuals to work a union job without having to pay dues into unionwhile still receiving collective bargaining protections. Repealing the Right to Work would mean that employers of union-represented facilities would require all employees to pay union dues as a part of their employment. Even if the employee did not wish to join the union, they would be required to pay an “agency fee” or “fair share fee” which would go toward non-political activities and provide benefits to all employees.
– Paperwork distributed to USW workers cited a study from the Illinois Economic Policy Institute that reviewed states that had enacted Right to Work laws and found that those states on average; have 3% lower hourly wages, 17% lower economicproductivity, and 50% more on-the-job fatalities per 100,000 workers.
S.B. 10
– Would increase the weekly unemployment benefits from $390 to $445 dollars. The amount individuals can collect from unemployment has not changed since 2012. The bill would also allow for people to collect an additional $50 in unemployment for each dependent in their household.
H.B. 1425 & S.B. 15
– A veterans bill that would require places of employment to have visible signage posted for employees who are veterans of the United States to see the benefits available to them through their employer and service to the country.
SB 15 has already passed the Senate and is now moving on to the House of Representatives. The rest are still being voted on in their original chambers.
