Union Takes Right-to-Work Protest to IN House Speaker’s Home

Dozens of northwestern Indiana union members have taken their protest over pending right-to-work legislation in the General Assembly to the Indianapolis home of Republican House Speaker Brian Bosma.

Meanwhile, at the capitol, the Indiana House voted down a motion to kill the bill on a 59-39 vote.

Buses carried members of the Munster-based Local 41 of the Laborers' International Union to Bosma's house on the far northeast side of Indianapolis. Business Manager Kevin Roach says House Republicans want to hurt unions at the dinner table, so his local decided to take the dispute to Bosma's.

The proposed law would prevent unions from collecting mandatory representation fees from workers. The demonstration has remained peaceful, but state troopers were on the scene.

Bosma's spokeswoman referred to the demonstration as "bullying'' and says it won't influence the speaker. Democrats ended a boycott over the bill Monday and returned to the House floor prior to the vote Monday afternoon.

(With additional reporting from Illinois Public Media)