crossposted from
unbossed
This is not just about Indiana, though workers and unions in Indiana have been taking it on the chin this year. Almost before he was sworn in, Governor Mitch Daniels joine several other Republican governors in
removing public sector unions' right to organize. And recently, the Indiana Court of Appeals decided
against protecting whistleblowers. And
Indiana University's Labor Studies Program - has had
its budget gutted, basically ending the program.
Lord knows you wouldn't want workers to learn about labor history, their rights, or ways to gain empowerment. You wouldn't want workers to protest illegal employer actions, even when it would make the public safer. And you certainly wouldn't want public sector workers gettin' uppity. That is just not the Indiana tradition.
OK, perhaps at one time Indiana was
under the control of the Klan, including its
governor. But that was then. Nonetheless, it is safe to say that Indiana has never been seen as a liberal state. It has certainly always been a hard place to be a minority or a unionist.
Given that, you have to applaud the Organize Indiana Project Its project director, David Williams - one of those laid off IU labor studies teachers - has put together a website that is chock full of resources. There is news. There are links to union jobs and internships. It is a one-stop site for links to everything the beleaguered unionists needs, except a good beer and a country that respects the rights of workers.
They have all sorts of union tools, including the T-1 project - a software program to help Union Organizers manage and track their campaigns.
It has links to do legal research and economic research, links to public records, and a handbill factory.
And this does not even begin to describe the collection of useful links on the site.
If you haven't finished your holiday shoping, it has links so you can buy union made union gear.
I guess you can see why Governor Mitch Daniels had to put a stop to IU Labor Studies and throw people like David Williams out in the cold.