EDITORIAL: Wrong year for contentious union fight

The Indiana House opened its 2011 session last week with a fight over rules and procedures that was part theatrical, part strategic and part old-fashioned politics. Democrats demonstrated they still have a few tricks up their sleeves despite being outnumbered 60 to 40, and they will go all-out to stop a major anti-union push.

On the surface, Wednesday’s dust-up was about whether bills should be subject to a first-reading vote. But the real issue was Democratic leader Pat Bauer’s intent to demonstrate his caucus’ adamant opposition to a proposed “right-to-work” law, one that would weaken unions by specifying that employees can join a unionized workforce without belonging to the union or paying dues.