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You are here: Home / Politics / Trumpery / Trump Crime Cartel / Bloodbath at NIOSH

Bloodbath at NIOSH

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Microwaved Mel Gibson has ordered the gutting of NIOSH, cutting hundreds of jobs in my region. Pittsburgh was hard hit:

Federal workers in Pittsburgh’s South Hills have apparently been caught up in nationwide layoffs involving 10,000 people, with staff at a federal facility focused on mine safety receiving lay-off notices Tuesday.

About 200 members of American Federation of Government Employees Local 1916, a union representing federal workers, received emails Tuesday morning informing them of a “reduction in force.” Union workers’ last day will be June 30. According to AFGE Local 1916 president Lilas Soukup, nonunion workers were let go Tuesday morning.

Soukup said union contract protections could give some workers the option to relocate elsewhere. But she said details have been hard to come by.

“It’s just a messed-up affair, really,” she told WESA.

The employees worked at the Bruceton Research Center, which houses the Pittsburgh offices of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, a research agency focused on worker health and safety. Employees for that agency — and others focused on mine safety — conduct research and develop and test respirators used to protect miners and first responders.

The Morgantown unit, which does a ton of great things and is a major regional employer, is also being gutted:

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., expressed concern about recently fired federal workers in Morgantown.

Capito, in a statement released Tuesday, said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services employees at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) facility in Morgantown play an important role in monitoring the health of coal miners in the state.

“While I believe in the broad vision set forth by the Trump administration to right size our government, I’m concerned that today’s cuts at CDC/NIOSH could impact vital health programs that are important to many West Virginians, especially our coal miners,” she said. “During my meetings with Secretary Kennedy prior to his confirmation and as recently as last week, we discussed how important the health of coal workers is to West Virginia. Any cuts that impact their health monitoring need to be restored immediately. I am working with the Department of Health and Human Services to understand the depth of these cuts, both to programs and the workforce in Morgantown.”

The NIOSH cuts impact “hundreds of workers who are engaged in research and the improvement of products and practices that literally save the lives of coal miners every day,” according to a statement from United Mine Workers of America International President Cecil Roberts.

Shelley did not think the face eating leopards would eat her face. In fairness, after Trump’s tariffs hitting China kick in, there won’t be that many coal miners to worry about. Considering the WV government is already propping up coal burning electrical plants to keep coal barons like Justice and their paid cronies like Manchin in the money, losing all those foreign markets will kill off the only thing keeping them afloat. Hell, none of us are going to have jobs at this rate, so, I guess, whatever.

Reader Interactions

108Comments

  3. 3.

    rikyrah

    Just absolutely horrific, Cole.

    The damage being done to our scientific infrastructure is immeasurable.

    I am beyond pissed.

  4. 4.

    Baud

    Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., expressed concern about recently fired federal workers in Morgantown.

    Susan Collins was proud of her.

  7. 7.

    Steve in the ATL

    I don’t know the rules for federal employee. Do their unions not have the right to demand decision bargaining or effects bargaining?  In the private sector one can’t just do this.

  8. 8.

    Anonymous At Work

    Senators Caputo and Justice need to take a page from Suzy Collins and tell reporters “I am so concerned I almost saved an email in my drafts folder.”

    Frak: Baud got there first.

  9. 9.

    Bupalos

    I’ll show up. That’s close enough to me. I do operas in P’burgh I could do this.

    Call it out Cole. You made this online thing. Call for BJ-ers to show up at whatever thing you organize or join.

    “So I guess whatever” is super 90’s but let’s figure out we’re past that.

    Offering 4 humans including hot milf and at least 2 photogenic youth/children

  10. 10.

    Jackie

    @Baud:

    Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-W.Va., expressed concern about recently fired federal workers in Morgantown.

    Susan Collins was proud of her.

    Was Moore Capito‘s brow sufficiently furrowed?

  11. 11.

    JBWoodford

    It’s not just coal miners who are going to be hit by this–lots of other people who use respirators rely on that NIOSH stamp as a guarantee of quality.

  12. 12.

    Anonymous At Work

    @Steve in the ATL: Reduction in Force, RIF, is when the agency is “downsizing” and excess workers are let go at no fault.  That’s important for rehiring purposes and why unions have fought hard.  But the government can reduce the workforce as needed and the union contracts spell out how, rather than a complete stop.

  13. 13.

    Anonymous At Work

    @Jackie: Dunno, but Suzy Collins can tackle a reporter to give them a comment in ways that scare Ray Lewis.

  16. 16.

    suzanne

    I wonder if the “white working class” is ever going to figure out that FFOTUS doesn’t give a lemony fresh fuck about them.

  18. 18.

    Scott

    Suggested picket signs.

    Layoffs courtesy of drag queen story hour

    Brought to you by trans athletes

    Come get fed at your local megachurch

  19. 19.

    LAC

    @Anonymous At Work: In the case of my former agency, FDA, the powers that be issued a RIF notice at 5 in the morning. The affected employees waited in long lines, were moved to side in front of their remaining colleagues, wanded,  escorted to their desks and escorted out once they packed their belongings. They were humiliated and entire divisions were removed via a RIF. None of what was done passes the smell test and they are trying to bypass the union and the contract. So no, not a fucking normal day.

  21. 21.

    Steve LaBonne

    @Baud: Let’s see, from Nixon to the present they haven’t managed it. So I’m afraid my guess is “never”.

  23. 23.

    Scout211

    It’s a good thing that SignalGate is all in the past right now and there’s no harm no foul to our government secrets.  And since we just learned that the whole team used Gmail to communicate with each other, we know our government secrets are safe and secure.

    But Hillary . . .

    Grrrrrrr!

  24. 24.

    Jeffro

    I’ve heard of “rule or ruin” before, but I’ve never seen “rule AND ruin”…

    …until now.

  25. 25.

    Eric S.

    Those 10k layoffs also include staff that administered LIHEAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. I’m sure glad my company’s CotB opened up his, umh, I mean the company’s wallet to give the Orange fucker $2.5m for his inauguration.

  26. 26.

    Shalimar

    @Baud: Trump talks about coal miners all the time like they’re some mythical perfect worker, so it’s easy to listen to that and believe he actually cares about actual coal miners and not mythical he-man coal miners.  You’re right though, they should have figured it out the first million tax cuts for billionaires.

  27. 27.

    Urza

    @JBWoodford: Quality is a thing of the past during the enshittification of America/capitalism.  Regulations were barely holding it at bay as it was.

  28. 28.

    Jeffro

    also, Cory Booker just called out to ‘Brother Warnock’ and he’s talking about being there (with John Lewis!) when Jimmy Carter teaches Sunday school, and now all my silly “life goals” have just been put in their proper perspective.

    ETA: I think I have that right…might have missed a detail…

  29. 29.

    Ksmiami

    Blue states need to save themselves at this point. There’s not going to be anything left that’s good in America once this crew is done.

  30. 30.

    Albatrossity

    @Baud: They don’t worry about the Republicans not caring about them. They are ok with pretending that is the case, just like they pretend that their skydaddy loves them and takes care of them.

  31. 31.

    EthylEster

    Re: Shelley did not think the face eating leopards would eat her face.

    And no leopards will eat her face. The worst that could happen to her is that she will not be re-elected. And I doubt that will happen. It is WV after all.

  32. 32.

    Matt

    While I believe in the broad vision set forth by the Trump administration to right size our government

    We could “right-size our government” in one quick swoop and solve all these problems: just take a universal 10% off the top of every Republican official using the National Razor.

  33. 33.

    Martin

    @Baud: I have been trying to say for a while now, that Democrats should have leaned into billionaires being the baddies to drown out the blame of trans people.

  34. 34.

    trollhattan

    I still have my compact NIOSH chemical hazard book, from my HAZWOPER training days. It’s a small orange Bible worth every ounce.

    These fuckin’ guys.

  36. 36.

    Lobo

    From a previous post but is applicable to Kennedy:

    Whatever the state once was, it is now this—a bunch of middle-management gangsters fucking each other over or doing each other favors according to their sense of how doing so will benefit them, with no other consideration ever entering the equation. This is how it works, from one day to the next: a bunch of absolutely amoral gangster boss types and various industry elites scratching each others’ itches and cutting each other in and making business decisions; the mores and moral logic of Jeffrey Epstein’s island, but everywhere.

    I was trying to remember what this reminded me of.  Finally, I figured it out.  So for all the Star Trek Fan People.  This is a description of the people who run the Terran Empire in an alternate universe.  This election was about the Federation versus the Terran Empire.  People chose…

  38. 38.

    Martin

    @Ksmiami: Been saying that as well. States need to build coalitions as CA has done with CARB and others. They could maintain some of this functionality within the states to serve as blueprints when we need to rebuild this shit.

    CA, OR, WA need to build out a replacement for FEMA for these states, for example.

  40. 40.

    Nukular Biskits

    Good evenin’, y’all.

    First, this from John:

    Considering the WV government is already propping up coal burning electrical plants to keep coal barons like Justice and their paid cronies like Manchin in the money, losing all those foreign markets will kill off the only thing keeping them afloat.

    We’re probably about to see the same thing down here in America’s Taint, Mississippi.  The state legislature just passed a bill to eliminate the income tax (while increasing the non-groceries sales and fuel taxes) for a state that relies on federal funding for about 40% of its budget.

    Smart. Not. And it’s based on a lie – they’re shifting the burden of taxation down the income ladder.

    And then this from John:

    Hell, none of us are going to have jobs at this rate, so, I guess, whatever.

    My gov’t customer (a big Trump fan) is changing positions, which normally would open up his billet. One of the guys on my contract would have been the best person to fill that billet (going gov’t) but publicly stated today there was no way in hell he’d ever consider taking a gov’t job and risking getting fired/laid off only a couple of weeks later.  I can’t say as I blame him at all.

    And then there’s this from a work email regarding “clarification” about whether we can hire people to meet our contract obligations:

    Question: Or is this a complete shut-down of hiring new contractors?

    Answer: I do not believe that is the intent.  The memo states that the intent is to ensure contractors are not being used to substitute for unfilled/vacant civilian positions.

    They’re truly trying to drown gov’t in a bathtub.

  41. 41.

    Steve LaBonne

    In better news, Corey Booker has broken the record for longest Senate speech. Much, much respect.

  42. 42.

    Ksmiami

    @Martin: yep. And start impounding federal tax funds. Fuck the GOP. Band all blue states together and fuck these ppl

  43. 43.

    Nukular Biskits

    @Baud:

    Question:

    When will people who are not rich realize that Republicans don’t care about them?

    Answer:

    “Socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat, but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires.”

  44. 44.

    Steve LaBonne

    @Ksmiami: How many times do we have to listen to this bullshit? Withheld Federal taxes are remitted directly to the Federal government. States have no possible way to “impound” them. Is it too much to expect people on our side to learn some extremely basic facts about how things work?

  46. 46.

    frosty

    @Ksmiami: States can’t impound federal tax funds. They’re paid by US residents directly to the Federal IRS without going through the state government anywhere. This has been explained frequently. Try to keep up.

    @Steve LaBonne: Yep. Well said.

  49. 49.

    PaulWartenberg

    Hell, none of us are going to have jobs at this rate, so, I guess, whatever.

    Pitchfork manufacturers are going to have a blast this economic cycle…

  50. 50.

    comrade scotts agenda of rage

    Everybody needs reminding that while there are two main federal unions, they by no means represent a vast swath of the federal employee population in ways y’all typically think of union representation.

    They might represent specific organizations, etc., but to use my experience when in DOD and DOT, we didn’t have ‘contracts’, etc.

    We had written-into-law civil service protections so when something like a RIF was announced, it was planned out in agonizing detail in advance.

    All those rules are clearly being thrown out the window and the (R) led House and Senate aren’t saying ‘boo’ about violations of the law.

    Of course.

  52. 52.

    Melancholy Jaques

    @Baud:

    When will people who are not rich realize that Republicans don’t care about them?

    It’s amazing they ever thought that at all.

  54. 54.

    cain

    @Ksmiami: I just don’t want those clowns trying to come into our blue states and then demanding we cater to them. Fuck them.

  55. 55.

    Jeffro

    Booker, to Grassley: “I don’t know how you’re going to get re-elected now, sir…you hugged a Black guy from New Jersey…I have pictures!”  LOL

  56. 56.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @cain:  I just don’t want those clowns trying to come into our blue states and then demanding we cater to them.

    That’s what the federal government is for. They don’t have to demand we cater to them, we agreed in advance.

    Which is why we’re stuck for decades wasting money fixing their messes and paying extra for their irresponsible policies, meanwhile we can’t advance much anything on our agenda.

  60. 60.

    trollhattan

    Well shite. I know, Florida, but still.

    Republican State Senator Randy Fine has defeated Democrat Josh Weil in a special Florida congressional election to fill the seat previously held by National Security Advisor Michael Waltz.

  62. 62.

    lamh47

    CDC has been gutted.  The next pandemic (and I’m sorry, with anti-vaxx like RFKJr in charge is coming) is going to be devasting…smh

  66. 66.

    Medicine Man

    Oh, eff Capito for using the term “right size” when talking about government staffing.

  72. 72.

    Dan B

    @rikyrah:  Awful doesn’t begin to describe this.  I’m reminded of the racists in Arkansas.  Kids in the pool who said the color would come off in the water and “get on you.”

  75. 75.

    RSA

    “While I believe in the broad vision set forth by the Trump administration to right size our government, I’m concerned that today’s cuts at CDC/NIOSH could impact vital health programs that are important to many West Virginians, especially our coal miners,” she said.

    Conservative talk about “right-sizing” government (or anything, for that matter) is just infuriating bullshit. What capabilities do we want the government entity to provide? How much should it be expected to cost? They do none of the analysis and just argue that less is better.

    Ironically (though irony is dead, I’ve heard),

    West Virginia receives $2.72 in federal funds for every dollar residents pay in federal taxes. Federal funding makes up roughly 45% of West Virginia’s revenue. About 3.7% of the state’s workforce is employed by the federal government, one of the highest rates in the nation.

  81. 81.

    Ksmiami

    @cain: I don’t want to fucking fund them. I don’t even want to share a country with Republicans. Worthless garbage idiots

  85. 85.

    RSA

    @LAC: I’m sorry to hear that, for the people involved. I’m reminded of the original “fork in the road” email message, with this passage:

    At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions.

    If you choose not to continue in your current role in the federal workforce, we thank you for your service to your country and you will be provided with a dignified, fair departure from the federal government utilizing a deferred resignation program.

    We all knew that the promised “dignity” was so much bullshit.  “We will fuck you over as much as we possibly can” would have at least been honest.

  86. 86.

    Harrison Wesley

    @lamh47: I bought an extra 100 KN95 masks. Hope that will carry me until I check out or the country returns to sanity.

  91. 91.

    Jay

    @The Audacity of Krope:

    there is a new r/Conservative Reddit up. It’s a new site for naming, shaming and exposing people who voted for the Leopards Eating Faces Party who now have blegs up asking for money.

    So that’s a shift.

  92. 92.

    Professor Bigfoot

    @suzanne: I wonder if the “white working class” will ever figure out that all the shit Trump is doing to hurt brown people will hurt them, too.

  94. 94.

    Sister Inspired Revolver of Freedom

    Guys, this Canadian is very afraid 😨 for Americans, especially the Disabled. People are going to die because of this. It’s just a given at this point. Please don’t be one of them.

    Egg shortages and the rise in egg prices will get worse. Because the people monitoring Avian Influenza are gone. Along with a previously reliable source of cheap protein for those living on low income . You can add dairy to the list, too.

    It’s a damn good thing for Canada that more and more Canadians are cancelling US travel plans. I am beginning to wonder if we’re going to see the return of border checks and controls like we had at the height of the Covid19 pandemic. Or worse.

  99. 99.

    Martin

    According to Josh Marshall the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS) was closed and everyone fired because it violated Trumps anti-DEI policy (wasn’t monitoring pregnant men, apparently).

    That was the nations infant mortality prevention system.

  101. 101.

    The Audacity of Krope

    @Professor Bigfoot: I wonder if the “white working class” will ever figure out that all the shit Trump is doing to hurt brown people will hurt them, too.

    But the real deciding factor here, which party will feed these white folk’s unearned feeling of superiority?

  103. 103.

    LAC

    @zhena gogolia:

    @RSA:

    Thanks – I feel so bad for them. In addition, they are being referred to EEO personnel either no longer at their particular agency or even in one case, who died.

    The dignity, indeed…

  105. 105.

    bluefoot

    A friend of mine works at HHS. He told me couple weeks ago that one way they are shrinking staff besides these mass firings is that if you want to hire someone/fill a position, you are required to eliminate four others first.

    I haven’t heard from him today so I don’t know if he still has a job.

  106. 106.

    Sister Golden Bear

    @Scott:

    Suggested picket signs.

    Layoffs courtesy of drag queen story hour

    Brought to you by trans athletes

    Lets not. Lots of MAGAs will assume that’s what happened. I’m not joking, and we’re already facing too much hatred as it is.

  107. 107.

    catclub

    @Ksmiami: And start impounding federal tax funds.

     

    Good luck with that.  Which state banks outside of the Federal reserve system?

  108. 108.

    Uncle Cosmo

    @BSMiasma: To update and redirect one of Dad’s go-to expressions:

    You talk like a man with a paper asshole.

    I cordially invite you to attempt to pin that medal to your sunken chest next to the one for Designated Cosplay Stalinist Of Balloon Juice in hopes your unique combination of bloodthirsty fantasy and personal clumsiness will cause you to stab yourself mortally in the process.

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