The head of the Indiana AFL-CIO says the state of labor in Indiana is strong and getting stronger, with union membership growing and public support for organized labor near historic highs.
In a recent conversation with Indy Politics, Brett Voorhees, president of the Indiana AFL-CIO, said both national and state-level numbers point to a favorable environment for unions, even as workers continue to struggle with inflation and affordability.
Voorhees cited a new Gallup poll on organized labor’s standing with the public, which found unions enjoying a 71 percent approval rating nationwide and a record share of Americans saying unions should have more influence in the country. According to the survey, 47 percent of respondents said unions should have more influence, 23 percent said less, and 26 percent said their influence should stay about the same.
(The poll can be found here: https://news.gallup.com/poll/713936/record-high-unions-influence.aspx.)
Voorhees said those national numbers track with what he is seeing on the ground in Indiana.
Union membership in the state, he said, has climbed from roughly 220,000 to 230,000 members in 2022 to well over 300,000 members today, with much of the recent growth coming from the building and construction trades.
“The general public is understanding the need for unions, especially with what’s going on in the economy today,” Voorhees said, pointing to higher prices for gas, groceries, and basic necessities. He argued that, for many workers, collective bargaining is becoming one of the few reliable ways to secure higher wages and better benefits.
Construction Leads Growth
Voorhees said union growth is occurring “across the board,” but the construction trades have seen some of the sharpest increases over the last couple of years.
He credited that in part to federal spending tied to the Biden administration’s bipartisan infrastructure law, which he said has brought “millions, if not billions, of dollars” in work to Indiana. He pointed to large projects in the pharmaceutical sector (including at Eli Lilly), data centers, and battery plants, all of which are relying heavily on union labor.
“Work is good for them,” he said of the construction trades, noting that unions have been forced to ramp up apprenticeship programs to meet demand.
Data Centers and Local Pushback
Data centers, in particular, have sparked controversy in some Indiana communities, with local officials weighing moratoriums over concerns about land use, water, electricity, and tax breaks.
Voorhees said unions are not opposed to data centers, but want to ensure that when they are built, they are done under project labor agreements and with clear “guardrails” for host communities.
He said unions are pushing for protections on water and power usage as well as a closer look at tax incentives, arguing that economic development should not come “without accountability.”
AI, Automation, and Jobs
Voorhees also addressed concerns about artificial intelligence and automation, both of which are reshaping workplaces in Indiana and across the country.
He said unions are not against AI, but want to make sure technology is deployed in ways that improve workers’ lives rather than eliminate their jobs.
“Technology should basically improve workers’ lives and not simply eliminate workers from the equation,” he said, adding that labor wants a “seat at the table” when decisions are made about how AI is used in sectors such as manufacturing and government.
Tariffs, Trade, and Manufacturing
On trade policy, Voorhees said unions support what he called “common sense tariffs”—for example, tariffs aimed at countries like China when it comes to issues such as steel dumping or national security.
At the same time, he warned that tariffs can backfire if they are imposed broadly or used as a political weapon without regard to the impact on U.S. manufacturers, especially those that rely on inputs or parts from key trading partners like Canada.
Voorhees said previous trade deals such as NAFTA and permanent normal trade relations with China hurt manufacturing in the Midwest, including Indiana, and that the labor movement is now focused on “fair trade” designed to keep production and jobs from moving overseas.
“Our manufacturing is our heart and soul, especially here in the Midwest,” he said. “We just want to make sure those jobs aren’t outsourced or moved to another country.”
Right-to-Work and Politics
Indiana has been a right-to-work state since 2012, which Voorhees said makes it harder to organize and maintain membership because unions must legally represent workers who choose not to pay dues.
He described those non-paying workers as “freeloaders,” but acknowledged that many are lower-wage or younger workers squeezed by rising costs and tough financial decisions.
Even so, Voorhees said right-to-work has not derailed union growth in Indiana, and the AFL-CIO continues to lobby for its repeal.
On politics, Voorhees said the Indiana AFL-CIO does not exclusively back one party. Instead, he said the federation endorses candidates—Republican, Democrat, or Independent—based on their stance on wages, benefits, and workers’ rights.
He also highlighted the group’s “Path to Power” program, launched in 2019 to recruit and help elect union members to public office at the local and state level, saying more than 80 union members have won office under the effort.
“With what’s going on right now with affordability, people are looking to unions,” Voorhees said, adding that the new Gallup data and recent membership gains suggest the state of labor—both nationally and in Indiana—remains “exceptionally good.”
