Federal job cuts hit NIOSH hard in Morgantown, leaving workers vulnerable — what to do if you’re affected

3 weeks ago 21

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is laying disconnected hundreds of workers. Though details are limited, United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) President Cecil E. Roberts said successful a caller statement,

“NIOSH began laying disconnected hundreds of workers who are engaged successful probe and the betterment of products and practices that virtually prevention the lives of ember miners each day.”

Don't miss

Roberts added that NIOSH announced “significant downsizing” of offices successful Morgantown, West Virginia and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The layoffs travel amid a sweeping national reorganization effort led by Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. arsenic portion of the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) Workforce Optimization Initiative.

But what are the occupation cuts expected to accomplish?

Why are these layoffs happening?

According to an HHS statement, the "Make America Healthy Again" program aims to trim the national wellness workforce by 20,000 employees wide — shrinking HHS from 82,000 to 62,000 full-time staff. It volition besides consolidate 28 HHS divisions into 15 caller ones, portion determination offices volition beryllium reduced from 10 to conscionable 5.

As portion of the plan, NIOSH is being folded into a caller bureau called the Administration for a Healthy America (AHA), alongside the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and different offices. HHS says the changes volition prevention taxpayers $1.8 cardinal per twelvemonth and amended ratio by reducing “redundant units.”

However, critics reason that the outgo savings travel astatine the disbursal of nationalist and workplace information — particularly successful places similar Morgantown, wherever NIOSH plays a cardinal relation successful researching ember idiosyncratic health, respiratory illness and workplace hazards.

“I bash not deliberation that these actions are being done successful a coordinated mode to wounded the American ember manufacture and those who enactment successful it. But that is the effect,” Roberts said successful the release. “Miners person and tin proceed to nutrient the materials to powerfulness American homes, nutrient American alloy and truthful galore different products our nine uses each day.”

Read more: The US banal market’s ‘fear gauge’ has exploded — but this 1 ‘shockproof’ plus is up 14% and helping American retirees enactment calm. Here’s however to ain it ASAP

How layoffs volition interaction workers — and however to support yourself

Layoffs astatine NIOSH endanger not lone the occupation information of hundreds of employees, but besides the wellness and information of ember miners and different high-risk workers who trust connected the agency's research.

Morgantown's installation employed astir 500 workers, reported MetroNews. Its probe informed information regulations, protective instrumentality standards and illness prevention strategies crossed respective industries.

Roberts believes the downsizing could cripple advancement successful excavation information arsenic the ember manufacture "relies connected the probe done determination to amended its information practices.”

Sen. Shelley Moore Capito R-W.Va. told 12 News successful a connection that the cuts would harm “vital wellness programs,” adding that “any cuts that interaction [coal workers’] wellness monitoring request to beryllium restored immediately.”

In summation to the information concerns, the economical interaction could beryllium important for Morgantown and surrounding areas. Losing hundreds of high-paying national jobs affects not conscionable those laid off, but besides section businesses that beryllium connected NIOSH employees arsenic customers. From diners and daycare centers to location work providers, galore tiny businesses could consciousness the ripple effects of the layoffs.

Here are a fewer ways locals tin negociate the disruption:

Know your rights. If you're injured oregon look vulnerability to hazardous conditions, study it instantly to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Employers indispensable inactive comply with its standards.
Protect your wellness connected the job. With less researchers to show workplace hazards, it's much important than ever to instrumentality precautions. Use due PPE, be each information grooming and papers immoderate incidents oregon vulnerability you acquisition oregon witness.
Consider looking for caller opportunities. Sen. Capito and West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey some accidental they’re moving to assistance affected workers find caller employment. While these roles whitethorn instrumentality clip to materialize, occupation retraining programs oregon national grants whitethorn beryllium offered soon. Pay attraction to authorities announcements and occupation boards.

As Trump and DOGE purpose to reshape national agencies, communities similar Morgantown are near to navigate the fallout and combat to support the workers and industries who person agelong powered the country.