A Texas man who took hostages in a northwestern Indiana realty office and held police at bay for several hours suffered three gunshot wounds before dying, likely from two different weapons, a coroner said Saturday. Roy L.INDIANAPOLIS – The fight over Indiana’s new right-to-work law isn’t expected to interrupt Super Bowl XLVI.
The Indiana State AFL-CIO issued a statement Thursday tamping down rumors of protests, while the NFL Players Association seemed to move on from the fight altogether.
“The Indiana State AFL-CIO does not plan nor condone any attempts to disrupt the Super Bowl. While we understand the anger and frustration of working Hoosiers’ over the disgraceful passage of the so-called, ‘right to work’ bill, the appropriate outlet will be at the ballot box, not the Super Bowl,” AFL-CIO President Nancy Guyott said.
More than 1,000 union members did rally Wednesday in Indianapolis. Their event included a peaceful march though Super Bowl Village.
The right-to-work debate has dominated Indiana politics for the last year. After a hard-fought battle, Gov. Mitch Daniels signed the measure into law Wednesday.
It prohibits employees from being required to pay union dues or fees in exchange for the benefits of a collectively bargained contract.
Guyott reminded Hoosiers that the Super Bowl is made possible because of the very Hoosiers the Indiana legislature attacked.
“Working people built this city and the stadium. They staff the restaurants, clean the hotel rooms, build the stages, clear the streets, keep the power on and protect our citizens,” she said in a statement. “Unlike Governor Daniels and the Republican leadership in the General Assembly, we aren’t interested in doing anything to impede those workers’ ability to put food on their family’s table.”
She also thanked the NFL Players Association for its support. Executive Director DeMaurice Smith released a strong statement this year condemning the law.
But on Thursday, Smith – in a regularly scheduled Super Bowl news conference – was less passionate.
“We took and continue to take an aggressive stand on this so-called right-to-work here in Indiana. People asked the other day, ‘How do you feel about putting all those efforts of the NFLPA behind those collective efforts … that nonetheless that legislation passed?’
“We’re fine with it. We will continue to fight where we believe that fight should be taken. The progress of men and women who work for a living is always measured in this country in years and sometimes decades and certainly not days.”
Smith went on to say the players’ group is proud to stand with people who believe in collective action. He will also participate in a protest at a downtown hotel today regarding low wages and abuse of subcontractors.
