I didn't see this diaried last night, so here it is:
A Lake County Judge has ruled Indiana's Right-To-Work Law Unconstitutional.
This is unbelievably huge news and a victory for Labor.
Judge John Sedia ruled the law unconstitutional last week because the state constitution calls for just compensation for services, according to an order. The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed in February 2013 on behalf of members of the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 AFL-CIO, who argued the law violated the constitution.Here's the legal conflict: The so-called "right to work" law makes it a criminal offense for unions to receive compensation for services federal law requires them to provide to workers even if they are not dues paying members.
HOWEVER, the Indiana Constitution mandates that no one's services can be demanded without just compensation.
The Indiana Attorney General's office has said they will appeal directly to the Indiana Supreme Court, calling the judgement incorrect because Judge Sedia dismissed four other counts in the suit.
Here is a .pdf copy of the 7-page decision for your perusal.
All eyes are now on the Indiana Supreme Court. If successful, this could mean the first step in tearing down the "right to work" laws all over the country.