Iowa Senator Tom Harkin says he’ll continue to push to ensure that former workers at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant in Burlington get proper compensation for work-related illnesses. He says the advisory board twice voted, the last time unanimously to give compensation to the workers. Harkin says he’ll meet with federal officials today and push to have the compensation paid without further delay. The Defense Department recommendations released last week call for 15-hundred current workers of the Rock Island Arsenal to be cut. Harkin says he’ll also work to see that those workers are not cut. He says the Brack commission that’s reviewing the recommendations will take them under advisement. He says the commission will visit the arsenal and Harkin says he hopes they’ll see that it’s not a money-saving proposal and will decided to keep most if not all of the jobs. Harkin says he has high hopes the jobs will be saved. He says he’s not convinced it’s a done deal yet. Harkin says the commission will visit the arsenal this summer.
