As Indiana's state legislators discuss the merits of passing Right to Work protections for Hoosier workers, a group of scholars released a study last week confirming (pdf) workers and their families in Right to Work states benefit from workplace freedom in a very tangible way. From a press release announcing their findings:

Improving the per-capita income of Indiana workers and creating more job opportunities for Hoosiers would be among the major benefits of Indiana becoming the 23rd state to pass a right-to-work (RTW) law, according to research released today by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. In addition, statewide voter polling results show Hoosiers favoring adoption of RTW by a 3-to-1 margin.

Dr. Richard Vedder, an Ohio University economist, and his colleagues report in the study (Right-to-Work and Indiana's Economic Future) that if Indiana had adopted RTW in 1977, per-capita income would have been $2,925 higher -- or $11,700 higher for a family of four - by 2008. Looking forward (projecting the same growth rate in the next 10 years after adjusting for inflation), passage of a RTW law in 2011 would raise per capita income by $968 -- or $3,872 for a family of four -- by 2021.

The scholars conclude that a Right to Work law would benefit workers with greater job growth and real personal income. These results mirror the thorough research conducted by the National Institute for Labor Relations Research (NILRR), which has found that families benefit from Right to Work laws with more job availability and higher expendable income. No wonder workers and their families are seeking greater workplace freedom, leaving forced unionism states in droves.

The National Right to Work Foundation is just the place to get the latest developments on the fight against compulsory unionism.  There are several ways to learn about the daily developments in America’s Right to Work movement:

• Get the News – Check out Foundation's News & Press section to be informed on the legal challenges workers face and the Foundation's frequent legal victories.  Also check out the media's coverage about some of the Foundation's efforts on our Delicious bookmarks webpage.

• Receive Email Alerts – Sign up to get exclusive Foundation emails sent right into your inbox. There is a sign-up box in on the top right corner of every page on our site.

• Watch our Videos – Check out our Youtube and Eyeblast channels to get video updates about NRTW, its cases, and how it helps average working Americans fight the evils of compulsory unionism.  Right now, you can watch our latest featured video on how the Foundation is using the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to urge the Obama Administration to shed some light on its connections to Big Labor's top political operatives.

• Listen – Hear the voices of the Right to Work movement delve into a broad range of topics on workplace freedom with the National Right to Work podcast. In our latest podcast, the National Right to Work Committee's Greg Mourad sits down with WCHS radio hosts Michael Agnello and Rick Johnson to discuss card check's legislative prospects.  You can also listen to the Foundation's podcast via iTunes or manually subscribe to the feed.

• Network With Fellow Supporters – Join our Facebook.com group and follow our Twitter page to connect with other Right to Work supporters from across the country.  The latest press releases, blog posts, and videos can be found on the Facebook group’s profile page – while the discussion board allows group members talk about current issues relating to compulsory unionism. Follow the Foundation on Twitter to get Foundation updates at home, work, or on-the-go.

• Subscribe to our Newsletter – Read the latest edition of the National Right to Work Foundation’s newsletter, Foundation Action.  Foundation Action is a great resource to learn about the Foundation's groundbreaking efforts in the courts.  Sign up for your free subscription today. Subscribers will receive a hard copy in their mailbox every two months.

• Read a Book – Receive a free book from the Foundation. In Stranglehold: How union bosses have hijacked our government, Reed Larson reveals the astonishing story of how Big Labor acquired incredible power over local, state, and national government in America and how the very existence of our democratic institutions are under siege as a result. In Union Dues and Religious Do Nots, Foundation attorney Bruce Cameron provides a how-to guide to employees with strong religious convictions who want to exercise their right to refrain from formal, dues-paying union membership if they morally object to the union bosses' political agenda. Get your free copy here today.

And of course, continue to log on to the Freedom@Work blog, the best place to get the scoop on the battle against forced unionism.

Yesterday, Senate Democrats held hearings and called on Members of the National Labor Relations Board to speak about their views of the NLRB.

Member Wilma Liebman, one of the most fiercely pro-compulsory unionism members ever to sit on the National Labor Relations Board, testified about what she described as “a loss of confidence in the board and its processes.”

To understand what she means by that, watch the following video clip of her testifying about the NLRB back in December before a House committee. Not long after the four minute mark of the video, Liebman bemoans the fact that, according to her, the currently NLRB seems too preoccupied with “freedom of choice”:

“The Board has said for the first time that freedom of choice – which is to say the freedom to reject unionization – prevails in the statutory scheme over promoting collective bargaining.”

So there you have it: Big Labor’s real problem with recent NLRB decisions is that the Board is protecting freedom of choice too strongly, thus allowing workers to reject unionization.