WASHINGTON (KELO.com) — Iowa Senator Joni Ernst and South Dakota Senator John Thune agree with President Donald Trump’s order to reopen the nation’s meat packing plants.
But they also said worker safety has to be addressed.
“It is concerning though those workers that are refusing to go to work, how do we get them back to work and motivate them to go back to work when they have a fear of their safety and wellbeing?” Ernst replied in a telephone news conference with Thune and regional reporters this afternoon.
Thune shared her concerned.
“There are a lot of proposals (for worker safety,” Thune said. “I think that if they are implemented, they could go a long ways toward restoring an environment that’s conducive to keeping employees, safe and healthy, but also hopefully restoring the confidence to workers.”
Thune said he hoped health and safety measures such as those proposed by the CDC would help get employees “going back” into the plant.
The Senators did not have an opportunity to address another provision of the President’s order. It would give meat packers protection from lawsuits should their employees sue them for not taking sufficient safety precautions.
