Indiana union challenges public employee collective bargaining prohibition

[dixiegrrrrl]

INDIANAPOLIS – The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 62, which represents Indiana state employees, has filed a lawsuit in Marion County Circuit/Superior Court against Governor Mitch Daniels and his state personnel director Daniel L. Hackler. The lawsuit is in response to within the state’s budget bill (HEA 1001) that was signed in to law by Daniels on April 10, 2011 and went in to effect July 1, 2011.

In effect, the law makes collective bargaining between the state and any union illegal. It takes away any future governor’s ability to sign an executive order that would confer collective bargaining rights to state employees.

Governors Bayh, O’Bannon and Kernan signed executive orders extending bargaining rights to state employees. During that time, AFSCME represented some 3,600 state employees and maintained union contracts and good employee/employer relationships with the state.

Citing the separation of power within the state constitution, the union seeks to nullify the law because the executive branch of state government has jurisdiction over administrative procedures and employee/employer relations—not the legislative branch, which passed the new law.

http://www.afscmecn62.org/?zone=/unionactive/view_article.cfm&HomeID=70268