Daniels: End public worker unions

WASHINGTON, June 10 (UPI) -- Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels said Sunday he thinks the "government works better" without public worker unions.

In 2005, Daniels ended collective bargaining rights for state workers on his first day in office. In 2011, he restricted teachers' bargaining rights and this year, he signed a law that said workers don't have to join a union to get a job, "Fox News Sunday" said.

In an interview on the show, the Republican governor said he believes the state of Indiana has improved without public worker unions.

"I think government works better without them. I really do. You know, in our state, we had a 16-year run with so-called collective bargaining. And we did end it," Daniels said.

"And I want to say that although it led to the savings of large amount of tax dollars, it was not principally about that. We had 160 pages of shackles on government's ability to deliver better. And seven years later we are delivering services. We could never made the reforms tied down to 160 pages of thou shalt not."

He said since he ended collective bargaining for state workers, people receive their tax refunds faster, state parks are in better shape than before and people are in and out of the Bureau of Motor Vehicles in less than 10 minutes.