National Park rangers at Independence Mall in Philadelphia among probationary workers fired by Trump administration
The Trump administration is continuing its push to downsize the federal workforce. According to a letter received by CBS News Philadelphia, on Friday, some federal employees at Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia were let go.
"Personally, it makes us distraught," said Ed Welch, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 2058 and an employee at Independence Historical Park.
This most recent round of layoffs targeted probationary workers, those who have been on the job for less than a year, whether they are new to their department or have recently changed positions. These workers have fewer protections than non-probationary employees.
As of Tuesday afternoon, two employees were let go at Independence National Historical Park, Welch said. There were also five employees laid off each at Gettysburg National Military Park, Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site outside of Reading and Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton.
In total, about 1,000 employees in the National Park Service were fired over the weekend, about 5% of the workforce, according to CBS News.
"These are Americans' playground," Welch said. "So when you go this summer to places you want to visit with your family, my concern is you're not going to be able to get in, you're not going to be able to park, you're not going to be able to bring your trash anywhere, you won't find a national park ranger to explain to you what you're looking at."
But Welch took great exception to the letter those employees who were let go received. He allowed CBS News Philadelphia to review one of the memos sent to a National Park Services employee. It says that the Department of the Interior determined the employee "failed to demonstrate fitness or qualifications for continued employment."
"This is simply a lie that these people haven't performed to standards. They have," Welch said. "The reviews they've received, to date, under a year, most of these people, I'd say the great bulk, have exceeded their expectations."
Welch says Independence Historical Park was already was already down more than 30 employees prior to these layoffs and that several historic buildings in their footprint have been closed because of staffing issues. He also worried about the possibility of additional downsizing, especially ahead of 2026, when the nation will mark its 250th anniversary and the city and park expect to be inundated with people.
"What're we going to tell the American people when they get to Independence Hall and the line is three blocks long and they're going to have to wait two hours with their kids who are unhappy?" Welch said. "We want people to come here and learn about these issues and the Constitution and the formation of the nation. We can't do it adequately without an adequate number of people."
These layoffs are the latest mechanism the Trump administration has used in its effort to downsize the American federal workforce, as the federal government is the nation's largest employer. In January, the administration offered most federal employees a buyout, with eight months of pay and benefits.
The deadline for workers to take that buyout came last week.
"Seventy-five thousand accepted the buyout program. That's going to save millions of dollars for the American taxpayers, and that's exactly what we wanted," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said last Thursday.
But that number represents just over 3% of the entire 2.3 million federal workforce, short of previous White House projections of 5% to 10%.
Latisha Thompson, a social worker at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, says she was stunned when she received the offer, but never really considered it. Still, she believes the downsizing efforts will continue.
"We all are expecting more reductions in force to happen," Thompson said.
Thompson, who has been with the VA for nearly three years, says the department has been long underfunded through several administrations. She worries further staff losses could have effects on the care and services the VA provides to veterans.
"This would be a grand job loss to the veteran populations and of course have a major impact to the health and well-being of their families," Thompson said.
But federal workers tell CBS News Philadelphia they are not going down without a fight. The Federal Unionist Network, a group Thompson is a part of, is planning a rally at Independence Mall on Wednesday.
Thompson says their message will be sent directly to Elon Musk, who spearheaded the Department of Government Efficiency, also known as DOGE, which has led the workforce reduction efforts.
"DOGE is not needed. DOGE is an excess. DOGE is killing working families. DOGE is not for the American public whatsoever," Thompson said.
As for Welch, he says union leaders believe these most recent layoffs are not legal, and they are looking at their options to take action against the administration. He says the move stands against the things they preach at Independence National Historical Park.
"The takeaway that we've dealt with for the last 200 years in this park is that we do not have a king. We have a system of checks and balances, where the executive cannot run amok and gut the workforce," Welch said.
Brian Gibbs, a park ranger at Effigy Mounds National Monument in Harpers Ferry, Iowa, went viral on Facebook when he posted about losing his job on Friday.
"This is the second time in under five years a dream job I worked has been eliminated. Now I may need to uproot my FAMILY again," Gibbs' post said in part.
The Department of the Interior did not return a request for comment.
