Pa. officials push Trump to save mine safety jobs
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Pennsylvania leaders are urging the Trump administration to halt layoffs at a key mine safety research facility near Pittsburgh — warning the move could undercut protections for roughly 3,000 Keystone State miners.
Why it matters: As President Trump champions coal and critical minerals, the federal scientists studying one of America's most dangerous jobs may be shown the door.
The big picture: Proposed workforce cuts are threatening the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) campus in the South Hills near Jefferson Hills, where scientists have developed real-time monitors for toxic dust, tools to prevent explosions, mine rescue tech and more.
The latest: Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, a Democrat, joined local labor leaders and other state officials on Tuesday to press the Trump administration to keep the facility open and reverse plans to eliminate about 120 positions.
Flashback: Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Jessica Shirley earlier this month told U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. the Pennsylvania Bureau of Mine Safety relies on its partnership with the facility for research, safety standards and new technology.
What they're saying: "We have a lot of young men and women working in the coal mines right now that are counting on us to continue on with these protections," said Chuck Knisell, United Mine Workers of America District 2 vice president.
Catch up quick: News of the Allegheny County layoffs first surfaced in early April, when HHS announced about 10,000 DOGE-directed job cuts nationwide.
- The White House planned to cut 90% of its NIOSH staff across the U.S., but bipartisan backlash from lawmakers and labor groups led to a partial reversal, NPR reports.
- Still, dozens of Pittsburgh-based researchers at the campus are facing layoffs as the case plays out in court, said Lilas Soukup, president of American Federation of Government Employees Local 1916 representing the employees.
- Soukup said the federal government has stopped honoring workers' collective bargaining agreements, deepening uncertainty among employees.
The other side: "Under Secretary Kennedy's leadership, the nation's critical public health functions remain intact and effective," an HHS spokesperson said in a statement. "The Trump Administration is committed to protecting essential services like those that support coal miners through NIOSH."
What's next: Nearly two dozen states are jointly suing the federal government over what they say are illegal layoffs at HHS. Any pink slips are on hold until a Rhode Island judge rules on the case.