HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) — As the now 10-day federal government shutdown heads to the weekend, the Trump Administration says the planned layoffs of federal workers are underway.
Russ Vought, the director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, tweeted this afternoon, “The RIFS have begun,” referring to reductions in force.
As News 19 reported this week, the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents about 10,000 workers on Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, is quite concerned about what’s next for federal employees, including those eligible for retirement. Redstone Arsenal has about 22,000 civilian employees as part of its workforce.
News 19 contacted Alabama House District 4 U.S Rep. Robert Aderholt’s office to clarify how retired workers would fare if they are part of a mass layoff. The main question is, if retirement-eligible workers do get laid off, will they get due process and their retirement benefits?
Aderholt’s staff had to reach out to a number of government offices, but they finally got an answer. An Aderholt spokesman provided this update to News 19:
“The House Oversight Committee said the normal retirement process would be followed for any employee who was retirement-eligible and impacted by a layoff that is done during the lapse in appropriations.”
While that is good news for those workers facing potential layoffs, few details have emerged about the size of the ongoing layoffs. Reports from Washington, D.C. quote a Trump Administration official saying the cuts will be substantial.
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