>>GERRY: EACH WEEK A GROUP OF INSIDERS JOINS ME TO OFFER PERSPECTIVE ON THE WEEK'S TOP STORIES.
THIS WEEK SOUNDING OFF ON THE STRIKE BY GM WORKRS AND ITS IMPACT IN INDIANA, THE LATEST HARVEST OUTLOOK FOR HOOSIER
FARMERS AND A BIG JOBS ANNOUNCEMENT IN INDIANAPOLIS. JOINING ME THIS WEEK ARE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STAND FOR
CHILDREN, JUSTIN OHLEMILLER, PRESIDENT OF BECK COMMUNICATIONS GROUP, LARA BECK, AND VICE PRESIDENT, GREGORY & APPEL
INSURANCE, STEVE APPEL. WELCOME! >> I SAW THE NEWS AND THERE WAS ANTICIPATION THE STRIKE WAS
GOING TO HAPPEN AT GM, BUT IT STRUCK ME THAT I COVERED SO MANY STRIKE STORIES IN THE PAST IT SEEMED TO HAVE BEEN FOREVER
SINCE WE SAW A JOB LIKE THIS DID THAT SUPPRESSION. >> NOT REALLY YOU HAVE THIS PLAYING OUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY
BETWEEN THE BATTLE BETWEEN CORPORATE AMERICA LIFTING UP THE MIDDLE CLASS AND YOU SEE IT PLAY OUT IN THE PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGN, SO TO A CERTAIN EXTENT IT'S AFFECTING INDIANA THROUGH THE PLANTS AND THE WORKERS AND THOSE FUNDS BUT IT'S DRIVEN BY
NATIONALISM BUT WHEN STRIKES HAPPEN THEY DO WORK WHEN THE PUBLIC SUPPORTS THEM. AND SO THIS IS I THINK IN
INCREASING -- YEARS THE ENVIRONMENT WHERE THE PUBLIC WILL SUPPORT A STRICT SO IT'S INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT THE
LEVERAGES. >> YOU ADD LEVERAGE TO THINK HE IS SO DO YOU THINK THE UAW IS BANKING ON THAT THAT THE PUBLIC
SENTIMENT MIGHT BE. >> POTENTIALLY THE OTHER THING IS THERE'S INCREASING CONCERN ABOUT A RECESSION AND WHERE
THOSE INDICATORS ARE SHOWN SO I'M WONDERING IF THE UNION THIS THINKING WE HAVE TO GET AHEAD OF THIS BECAUSE OF ITS OF RECESSION
WE WILL NOT HAVE LEVERAGE TO GET WHAT THE WORKERS NEED OR WANT. >> NO ONE EVER GOES INTO A STRIKE AS A LARK.
THERE'S A LOT OF CAREFUL THOUGHT AND PREPARATION THAT GOES INTO IT AND YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT GM HAS DONE VERY, VERY WELL AS A
COMPANY SINCE 2008 WHEN WORKERS TOOK MAJOR CONCESSIONS. THERE A PART OF THIS REBIRTH AND THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH
WANTING TO HAVE BETTER PAY, BETTER HEALTHCARE BENEFITS AND MORE STABILITY IN THEIR EMPLOYMENT.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS GOING TO BE THAT PUBLIC NARRATIVE BUT I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WHEN IT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE IT IS WHAT
IS GOING ON IN THAT NEGOTIATING ROOM. >> I DON'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT THE EXECS OF IT TO MAKE A JUDGMENT
WHO IS RIGHT AND OBVIOUSLY ANYONE WHO IS STRIKING IT'S STRESSFUL SO I HAVE A LOT OF EMPATHY FOR THAT.
I HAVE ANOTHER VIEW FROM A SMALLER PRIVATE COMPANY B OF THE WORLD IS WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO BE IN THE BEST PLACE TO WORK
ENVIRONMENTS AND YOU GO AROUND THE ROOM WHERE EVERYONE IS ALL ABOUT HOW CAN WE TRAIN, RETAIN AND ENGAGE OUR EMPLOYEES AND
IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A HEAD SCRATCHER THAT 2019 WE ARE NOT ABLE TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET PAST THAT IMPASSE BECAUSE
THERE'S SO MANY BUSINESSES THAT DO NOT HAVE AN ADVERSARIAL RELATIONSHIP WITH THEIR MOST IMPORTANT ASSETS THAT WALK IN
AND OUT THE DOOR EVERY DAY. >> IT'S CHANGED A LOT SO INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THAT PLAYS OUT.
NEWS THIS WEEK AFFECTING OR IMPACTING THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF INDIANA AND SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO BE A GOVERNOR AS WELL
THE CHAMBER OUT WITH THE GOVERNMENT LEADER OF THE YEAR AWARD WHICH THEY WILL PRESENT IN NOVEMBER TO GOVERNOR HOLCOMB THE
GOVERNMENT LEADER OF THE YEAR AS YOU LOOK AT THAT SURPRISING NECESSARILY? >> NOT SURPRISING AT ALL.
JUSTIN IS LAUGHING BUT IT'S NOT SURPRISING. THE GOVERNOR IS ALIGNED WITH THEIR VALUES AND WHERE THEY ARE.
SO NOT SURPRISING. IT WOULD'VE BEEN BIGGER NEWS HAD HE NOT GOTTEN THAT AWARD ESPECIALLY IN AN ELECTION YEAR.
>> ALSO INTERESTING THE CEO AT SUPPLY KICK ANNOUNCED HIS INTENTION TO RUN FOR THE DEMOCRATIC GUBERNATORIAL
NOMINATION THE TECH ENTREPRENEUR DURING HAS HAD IN THE RING. >> THAT'S GREAT TO SEE AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE NEW FACES AND NEW
VOICES OUT THERE. JOSH RAN FOR SCHOOL BOARD AND WE HAD A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN WITH HIM DURING THAT RUN 4 YEARS AGO
AND SMART CAPABLE GUY HE WILL ADD A LOT TO THE RACE AND IT'S WIDE OPEN ON THE DEMOCRATIC SIDE AND FROM MY ORGANIZATION
PERSPECTIVE I LOVE THE FACT HE'S LEADING WITH THE ISSUE ON TEACHER PAY THAT WAS A CONCESSION AND GOVERNOR HOLCOMB
HAS PINPOINTED AS A PRIORITY AND IT'S GREAT TO HAVE AN OPPONENT THAT WILL ELEVATE THAT TO DETERMINE WHAT VISION WILL PLAY
OUT WHEN IT COMES TO TEACHER PAY. >> TEACHER PAY A HOT BUTTON ISSUE AND DO THINK HIS BUSINESS
BACKGROUND WILL RESONATE WITH VOTERS? >> ABSOLUTELY. I THINK WE HEAR SO MUCH ABOUT
THE TECH INDUSTRY AND HOW WE CAN BUILD ON THAT IN HERE AS SOMEBODY WHO HAS THAT BACKGROUND CREATING JOBS AND HOPEFULLY CAN
TAKE THAT AND LOOK AT IT FROM A BROADER PERSPECTIVE, NOT JUST IN CENTRAL INDIANA, BUT HOW DO WE BRIDGE THE DIGITAL DIVIDE
THROUGHOUT THE STATE'S BE STORY LAST WEEK HAD MAYOR TOM HENRY ON THE SHOW TALKING ABOUT GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AND MOMENTUM IN
FORT WAYNE AND DOWNTOWN AND CONTINUING THE ANNOUNCED TO HAVE A DEVELOPER FOR 70 MILLION-DOLLAR MIXED-USE
DEVELOPMENT. STEVE, AS YOU LOOK AT IT, INDIANAPOLIS FOR, SO LONG HAS BEEN THE WORKHORSE, IF YOU WILL
OF THE INDIANA ECONOMY AND OTHER PARTS OF THE STATE HAVE NOT PARTICIPATED. FORT WAYNE SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE
BEGINNING TO DO THEIR PART. IS THAT SOMETHING THAT CAN CATCH ON? >> IF YOU LOOK TO THE STATE TO
THE RIGHT, OHIO FROM TOP DOWN. THAT FROM OHIO, CLEVELAND, COLUMBUS, CINCINNATI AND INDIANA HAS NOT HAD THAT SAME DYNAMIC SO
IT IS WONDERFUL TO HAVE MORE BIGGER CITIES STARTING TO POP UP OR EVOLVE AND BECOME GREAT PLACES TO LIVE IN INDIANA AS
WELL. >> I'VE GOT A CLIENT THAT DOES A LOT OF WORK IN FORT WAYNE AND THEY ARE HOPPING IN THE
DOWNTOWN. WHAT I THINK IS REALLY FASCINATING IS YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THIS WORK THAT'S HAPPENED
UNDER MAYOR HENRY AND HE HAS A REPUBLICAN MAJORITY COUNCIL SO THIS IS A BIPARTISAN EFFORT AND WE HAVE TO ALSO LOOK AT WHAT
FORT WAYNE HAS DONE AS A REGION. YOU'VE GOT THE PARTNERSHIP UP THERE THAT HAS REALLY WORKED TOGETHER.
AND REALLY WORKED CREATIVELY AND I THINK IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO SEE THAT. >> SHIFTING GEARS TO
INDIANAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE AIRPORT EVERY OTHER WEEK IN TERMS OF A NEW RECORD OR SOME
HONOR IN TERMS OF THE BEST AIRPORT BUT PASSENGER NUMBERS CAME OUT AND INDICATES THAT THE AIRPORT IS ON TRACK TO HAVE ITS
BEST RECORD OR BEST PASSENGER TRAFFIC EVER. HUGE INVESTMENT TO GET THE AIRPORT I KEEP CALLING AT THE
NEW AIRPORT BUT IT'S NOT NEW ANYMORE. BUT IT HAD ITS CRITICS SAID THE TIME.
>> IT'S HUGELY IMPORTANT AND WE WERE TEAMMATES ON THE PETERSON TEAM WAY BACK WHEN IT SEEMS LIKE AGES AGO.
IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE BACK THEN THERE WAS A LOT OF SKEPTICISM. THIS IS A MISUSE OF FUNDS. THE AIRPORT WILL NOT BE THAT
IMPORTANT TO THE ECONOMY AND I THINK QUITE FRANKLY, THE VISION AND THE PLAN THAT CONTINUED UNDER MAYOR BALLARD HAS
CONTINUED TO BE EVERYTHING THAT VISION LAID OUT AND EVEN MORE FRANKLY. IT'S BEEN A BETTER SCENARIO THAN
WE IMAGINED ALL THOSE YEARS AGO. >> IT'S 54 NONSTOP FLIGHTS, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE AND THAT WAS NEVER THE CASE BEFORE.
I THINK ON A BUSINESS ANALOGY USUALLY WHEN YOU BUILD SOMETHING FIRST-CLASS, WORLD-CLASS PEOPLE TEND TO COME IN THIS AIRPORT
LAID OUT WELL. IT'S NOT THAT BIG, BUT IT'S BRIGHT AND AIRY AND I THINK IT'S JUST HITTING ALL THE CYLINDERS.
>> I ALSO WAS THINKING ABOUT IT WHEN WE WERE OBSERVING THE ANNIVERSARY OF 9/11. THIS WAS THE FIRST AIRPORT BUILT
AFTER 9/11 AND AFTER 9/11 THERE WERE A LOT OF QUESTIONS AS TO WHY WE WOULD BE BUILDING A NEW AIRPORT BECAUSE AIR TRAFFIC
WOULD BE DEAD. HERE WE ARE. SO IT'S VERY EXCITING TO SEE AND I THINK WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE
IT GROW AS WE MOVE FORWARD. >>GERRY: WITH THAT WE PUT A RAP ON ANOTHER EDITION OF THE INSIDERS.