MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Union workers at NIOSH plan to rally in Washington, D.C. and Morgantown Thursday over DOGE cuts that have included several hundred jobs at NIOSH in Morgantown.
The American Federation of Government Employees is mobilizing its members. AFGE Local 3840 Vice-President Micah Niemeier-Walsh said they will take the protest to the headquarters of the Department of Health and Human Services. They plan to rally with other laborers and labor leaders.
“We’ll be rallying outside the Department of Health and Human Services headquarters building,” Niemeier-Walsh said. “We will be speaking with other leaders in the labor movement, including the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) president, the president of the United Steel Workers (USW), and other labor leaders.”
The hour-long rally begins at noon.
Niemeier-Walsh said they want the public to know that each year 5,000 workers die on the job, more than 100,000 more die from occupational diseases and it is the unique role of NIOSH to reduce those numbers. Also, the agency is vital to the safety of miners, firefighters, and industrial workers across many different industries.
“We’re going to explain to the people and have organized labor talk about how important it is to have NIOSH fully funded to protect the workers f this country,” Niemeier-Walsh said.
Days after the cuts, the decision was made to reinstate about 300 workers in Morgantown (110), Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Most of NIOSH, approximately 700 employees at various locations, are still on administrative leave with termination dates of June 2 or July 2.
“Many of the NIOSH critical functions are not functioning,” Niemeier-Walsh said. “They only reinstated 300 out of approximately 1,000 employees, and there’s no way 300 can do the work of 1,000 people.”
Morgantown-based AFGE Local 3430 President Cathy Tinney Zara said they will rally, beginning at 11 a.m., in support of fellow workers at the NIOSH building in Morgantown on Thursday. She said the largest division, the Laboratory Division that supports many other functions has not been called back limiting what the workers in Morgantown can do.
“Out of four different divisions, three are back,” Tinney-Zara said. “Our largest division, which is our laboratory division, has not had their RIF rescinded.”
Tinney-Zara said some elected officials have support them but much more is needed.
“We have had some support from U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito and Congressman Riley Moore,” Tinney Zara said. “We are hoping to get continued support and we’re staying hopeful.”
Capito thanked HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr Tuesday for his restoration of some of the jobs.
“While your action last week was a good first step, there are other divisions within NIOSH with specialized staff who conduct essential, unique work,” Capito told Kennedy in the budget hearing that the senator was chairing.
“I support the president’s vision to right size our government, but as you and I have discussed, I do not think eliminating NIOSH programs will accomplish that goal. I encourage you to look closely at all of NIOSH’s offices and bring back additional critical staff.”