Apparently the unions are under the impression the 13th Amendment was meant to prevent non-union members from being able to work.
(Capitol Confidential) — An Indiana union suing Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels over right-to-work legislation is claiming that it violates the 13th amendment — the law that outlaws slavery.
In the lawsuit, the union claims that the Indiana right-to-work bill “requires dues-paying union members to work alongside non-union personnel,” which the union contends is slavery.
Ed Maher, spokesman for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150, didn’t return a message left on his office phone.
Patrick Wright, senior legal analyst for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, said the union’s claim was ridiculous.
“The legal argument expands the definition of chutzpa,” Wright said. “Compulsory membership and coerced dues and fees are the hallmarks of the union movement, yet they claim that giving workers more choice is an act of enslavement.”
The International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 filed its lawsuit Feb. 22 against Indiana’s governor, attorney general and labor commissioner.