Major union as well as federal worker advocacy group condemn moves to fire probationary employees as thousands told to leave
The Associated Press reports that Donald Trump’s move to lay off federal employees in their probationary period won’t save much money, but could jeopardize a host of government projects.
Among them: cancer research. Here’s more, from the AP:
The firing of probationary employees began earlier this week and has included the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Education workers.
At least 39 were fired from the Education Department on Wednesday, according to a union that represents agency workers, including civil rights workers, special education specialists and student aid officials.
This administration has abused the probationary period to conduct a politically driven mass firing spree, targeting employees not because of performance, but because they were hired before Trump took office.
These firings are not about poor performance — there is no evidence these employees were anything but dedicated public servants. They are about power. They are about gutting the federal government, silencing workers, and forcing agencies into submission to a radical agenda that prioritizes cronyism over competence.
The Trump administration’s decision to fire civil servants who have been in service for under a year is yet another profoundly damaging action. With just over 7% of federal employees under age 30, our government needs a new generation of workers with the necessary skills to better serve the needs of our modern society. By terminating employees simply because they are the most vulnerable, the Trump administration has just thrown away our down payment on the future. Many of those who lost their jobs today were newer hires made in areas of great need for our government, including AI, cybersecurity, and technology. It is ultimately our country that will pay a heavy price for this arbitrary dismantling of the civil service.
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Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2025/feb/14/trump-musk-federal-government-layoffs-jd-vance-ukraine-latest
