Trump threatens to fire more than 100 Chicago EPA workers
More than 100 employees of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chicago office have been warned by President Donald Trump’s administration that they may be fired.The warnings came in an email sent last week to most-recently hired workers who have not yet put in enough time to enjoy more job-protection benefits.“As a probationary/trial period employee, the agency has the right to immediately terminate you,” the email said. “The process for probationary removal is that you receive a notice of termination, and your employment is ended immediately.”Agency employees are already expected to be largely handcuffed by Trump over the next four years as the president sees some policies and regulations stifling economic growth. Trump, however, has promised air and water will be protected from pollution. Similar warning emails were sent to EPA offices across the country, according to The New York Times.Trump has talked a lot about cutting government employees. Last month, he offered almost all the more than 3 million federal workers a form of buyout that may not be legal.“This attack on the EPA workforce is unprecedented in scope and scale,” said Nicole Cantello, president of the union that represents hundreds of employees in Chicago. “The result of these simultaneous actions could be a severe slowdown or shutdown of EPA’s work protecting human health and the environment in the Great Lakes.” Related What does Trump’s second term mean for Chicago? It’s been expected that Trump will take actions to reduce inspections and enforcement of pollution laws at the agency since that's a plan he carried out during his first term in office. In a statement, an EPA spokesman said the agency is trying to be upfront with workers as the administration creates "a more effective and efficient federal government.""As we work to improve efficiencies across the government, it is essential that all staff understand the law and how policy decisions may impact them," the spokesman said. Trump is also shutting down research and other government programs around climate change and environmental justice. This was a trend also seen in his first administration, and he's vowed to roll back newer programs initiated by former President Joe Biden.Chicago is the Midwest regional hub for the environmental agency. From the Loop office, the EPA oversees Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin and 35 Native American tribes.Last week, the U.S. Senate confirmed former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin as Trump’s pick to head the environmental agency.There’s no word on who will oversee the Chicago regional office.
More than 100 employees of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Chicago office have been warned by President Donald Trump’s administration that they may be fired.
The warnings came in an email sent last week to most-recently hired workers who have not yet put in enough time to enjoy more job-protection benefits.
“As a probationary/trial period employee, the agency has the right to immediately terminate you,” the email said. “The process for probationary removal is that you receive a notice of termination, and your employment is ended immediately.”
Agency employees are already expected to be largely handcuffed by Trump over the next four years as the president sees some policies and regulations stifling economic growth. Trump, however, has promised air and water will be protected from pollution.
Similar warning emails were sent to EPA offices across the country, according to The New York Times.
Trump has talked a lot about cutting government employees. Last month, he offered almost all the more than 3 million federal workers a form of buyout that may not be legal.
“This attack on the EPA workforce is unprecedented in scope and scale,” said Nicole Cantello, president of the union that represents hundreds of employees in Chicago. “The result of these simultaneous actions could be a severe slowdown or shutdown of EPA’s work protecting human health and the environment in the Great Lakes.”
It’s been expected that Trump will take actions to reduce inspections and enforcement of pollution laws at the agency since that's a plan he carried out during his first term in office.
In a statement, an EPA spokesman said the agency is trying to be upfront with workers as the administration creates "a more effective and efficient federal government."
"As we work to improve efficiencies across the government, it is essential that all staff understand the law and how policy decisions may impact them," the spokesman said.
Trump is also shutting down research and other government programs around climate change and environmental justice. This was a trend also seen in his first administration, and he's vowed to roll back newer programs initiated by former President Joe Biden.
Chicago is the Midwest regional hub for the environmental agency. From the Loop office, the EPA oversees Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, Wisconsin and 35 Native American tribes.
Last week, the U.S. Senate confirmed former New York Congressman Lee Zeldin as Trump’s pick to head the environmental agency.
There’s no word on who will oversee the Chicago regional office.
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