Anti-union language clouds Indiana's bid for a Chicago Bears stadium
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A rendering of a potential Bears' stadium in Gary, Indiana. Rendering: Courtesy of the city of Gary
The Indiana Senate passed a bill lawmakers feel will push the Bears across the state line, but some anti-union language has labor leaders sounding the alarm.
The latest: The Indiana bill (SB 27) would create a commission that would be in charge of acquiring land and determining financing for a new NFL stadium. The commission could also issue bonds and collect local taxes.
Yes, but: It also has language that would prohibit project labor agreements, which are used to shore up contracts with unions on big development projects like sports stadiums.
Why it matters: Chicago is considered the birthplace of the modern labor movement, and the Bears have several project labor agreements in place.
Context: Indiana is a "right-to-work" state, and the Republican-led legislature has passed several anti-union measures.
Zoom in: The language in the bill has drawn the ire of Northwest Indiana Republicans. "As Republicans, it is our opinion that the issues of our working-class skilled tradesmen should be a top priority," they wrote in a letter to the state legislature, urging the House to modify or strike the anti-union wording.
What they're saying: "We're having those conversations," Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston said this week. "We know that the dollars and cents and the details need to be inserted in that bill, and we'll work together with our Senate colleagues, with the administration, with the governor's office, and certainly with the team, to figure out how we make that happen."
Zoom out: Illinois is a pro-union state, especially under Gov. JB Pritzker's administration. Any major development built in Chicago is required by the state to include union labor contracts.
- The state approved the Illinois Workers' Rights Constitutional Amendment in 2022, which protects the right to organize and collectively bargain and prohibits laws that would weaken those rights.
- If a stadium were built in Arlington Heights, it would require project labor agreements.
Between the lines: While the bill is likely to be modified, the issue could give Illinois a leg up on negotiations. If Indiana doesn't change its anti-union stance, the Bears would be turning their back on labor in the city that still would call them home.
- It's unlikely that would sit well with dyed-in-the-wool Bears fans, especially working-class tradesmen who embody Bears fandom.
- The Bears declined to comment for this story.
The bottom line: While still early in the process, it's the first true political wedge that could complicate where a new Bears stadium is built.