Over the recent holiday weekend, the Trump administration dismissed thousands of U.S. federal government employees. According to The Washington Post, managers acted swiftly to meet a directive from the Trump administration to terminate workers by Tuesday, leading to what employees have dubbed the \"St. Valentine's Day Massacre\" in group texts and online forums.
The firings primarily targeted new hires on probation, who have fewer protections compared to permanent employees. Additionally, the wave of dismissals affected long-serving employees who had recently transferred between agencies, military veterans, and individuals with disabilities employed through accelerated hiring programs that placed them on two years' probation.
\"Most probationary employees have limited rights to appeal dismissals, but union leaders have promised to challenge the mass firings in court,\" noted the report. \"The largest union representing federal workers has also indicated plans to contest the terminations and pursue legal action.\"
Critics have voiced concerns over the administration's rapid implementation of these personnel changes, which align with a vision promoted by President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk for a leaner, more streamlined government. This latest round of firings has already sparked an administrative complaint on behalf of workers at nine agencies and adds to more than a dozen legal challenges to Trump's authority filed within a month of his term.
The administration's actions have extended to employees across nearly every agency, including map makers, archaeologists, and cancer researchers. Some workers argue that these dismissals contradict a U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) directive to retain 'mission-critical' workers.
Reference(s):
Trump admin fires thousands of workers without evidence: report
cgtn.com
