Public Policy
"Our nation needs an economic renewal that places workers and their families at the center of economic life and creates enough decent jobs for everyone who can work." -2012 Bishops' Labor Day Statement
"Right to Work" Reports
Indiana experience offers little hope for Michigan ‘right-to-work’ law
Recently, Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder has pointed to Indiana’s economic success since passing “right to work” as a reason for Michigan to adopt similar legislation.1 Neither the governor nor Indiana officials, however, have been able to provide evidence that “right to work” (RTW) was the determinative factor in even a single company’s decision to locate in the state. A close examination of the law and of data provided by the Indiana Economic Development Commission (IEDC)—which served as the basis for Gov. Snyder’s comments—suggests that there is little reason to think RTW has significantly impacted job growth.
To read the entire Economic Policy Institute report, written by Gordon Lafer, Marty Wolfson and Nancy Guyott, go to: http://www.epi.org/publication/pm199-indiana-experience-offers-little-hope-michigan-right-to-work/
"Right to Work" vs. The Rights of Workers
The Higgins Program released this report in March 2011 in response to proposed legislation for the state of Indiana. Marty Wolfson, director of the Higgins Labor Studies Program (HLSP) and author of the report, met with the Indiana legislature's interim study committee in July of 2011 to discuss his findings.
Higgins Program response to Indiana Legislative Committee's recommendation on RTW
In Fall 2011, the Interim Study Committee on Employment Issues of the Indiana legislature released its final report, which recommended that the legislature consider right-to-work (RTW) legislation. In the response above, Higgins director Marty Wolfson explains why this is bad for Indiana.
"Right to work" law leads to lower wages for all
Higgins director Marty Wolfson and long-time Higgins member Barbara Fick, University of Notre Dame Law School professor, published this op-ed in the South Bend Tribune on Sunday, December 4 in an effort to educate fellow Hoosiers about this important issue.
"Right to Work" Lowers Wages -- And That's a Fact!
On January 3, 2012, The Higgins Labor Studies Program published a public policy commentary, written by director Marty Wolfson, on the problems with "Right to Work."
The legislature passed the right to work law, which went into effect in Spring 2012. Higgins associate director Dan Graff discussed the ramifications of "Right to Work" for Michiana in a Fox 28 interview.
In a CNN Money article, Higgins associate director Dan Graff was interviewed about the Higgins research report, which shows that a RTW law will bring lower wages to Indiana.
