The icy winds of Indiana did not deter thousands of union supporters who rallied outside the Statehouse calling for lawmakers to drop anti-union measures that would cut back on labor rights.

Holding signs with slogans such as "America is a union" and "Union busting = middle-class busting," the crowd cheer pro-union speakers including the international president of the United Steelworkers, Leo Gerard.

The bills that the union workers are opposing are the same ones that have prompted House Democrats to leave the state and head to Illinois. Senate Republicans did not want to face the crowd and ended their work week Thursday morning.