Daniels: Right-to-work will spark job growth Union leaders quickly criticized Gov. Mitch Daniels on Thursday after the governor said he supports Indiana becoming a so-called “right-to-work†state.
The governor voiced his support in a written statement, then spoke to reporters later Thursday afternoon. Daniels said he’s been weighing the issue for a year and took the struggling national economy into account. He said it would be “irresponsible†not to act.
“I didn’t rush to this judgment and only came to it because in the way it has been costing us opportunities that I know we can capture,†Daniels said. He said “hundreds†of opportunities have been lost. “The point is we don’t see most of them. When we have a chance to compete, we have a good win rate.â€
When pressed on the opportunities that have evaded Indiana, Daniels mentioned Hyundai and Volkswagen automakers. “They went looking and now we know why,†he said.
Daniels pointed to data from the Indiana Economic Development Corp. to substantiate his claims.
“When a business allows us to compete, we win two-thirds of the time. But between a quarter and a half of the time, we don’t make the first cut, due to this single handicap. Knowing how many additional jobs we could be capturing is what has persuaded me that we must enact this reform,†he said in the statement.