Spokane mining safety lab loses staff as part of 10,000 federal health job cuts: 'I don't believe the administration understands the work being done at these sites'

The wave of federal firings by the Department of Health and Human Services on Tuesday included workers at a specialized laboratory in Spokane that studies mining and wildland firefighting safety. The department notified the Spokane Research Laboratory’s union Monday that approximately 200 employees at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health facilities in Pittsburgh and Spokane would be affected. That includes perhaps 90 employees locally.American Federation of Government Employees Local #1916 Director Lilas Soukup, who is based in Pittsburgh but also represents the lab in Spokane, said HHS fired managers Tuesday and plans to eliminate the union-represented employees effective June 30.Soukup said about 45 union members in Spokane are part of about 90 workers that include contract workers. The firing of management leaves union employees without supervision or direction, a safety and security concern, Soukup said .Workers don’t have any guidance on whether they are suppo...