The Trump administrationƵs recent staffing cuts , which was already short-staffed because of prior hiring freezes, according to an official from a union representing hospital workers.
ƵWeƵre down so many employees because we are hiring just the barest of minimum to get things done,Ƶ said Greg Bailey, local vice president for the American Federation of Government Employees 2198. ƵAnd now weƵve got people doing two and three, and some people doing four different jobs just trying to keep the facility up and running so the patients can actually get care.Ƶ
The Department of Veterans Affairs Feb. 13 and 24 it had dismissed a total of more than 2,400 probationary employees, as a part of an effort by President Donald TrumpƵs administration to Ƶmake agencies more efficient, effective and responsive to the American People.Ƶ The effort is being led by tech billionaire Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency.
According to news reports on Wednesday, veterans affairs employees.
Four of those cuts so far have been at the Beckley VA Medical Center, Bailey said. Employees were also cut at the Martinsburg and Clarksburg VA Medical Centers, according to public affairs officers for the facilities.
ƵAt VA, we are focused on saving money so it can be better spent on veteran care. We thank these employees for their service to VA,Ƶ VA Secretary Doug Collins said in one of the news releases. ƵThis was a tough decision, but ultimately itƵs the right call to better support the veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors the department exists to serve.
ƵTo be perfectly clear: these moves will not negatively impact VA health care, benefits or beneficiaries,Ƶ Collins said. ƵIn the coming weeks and months, VA will be announcing plans to put these resources to work helping veterans, their families, caregivers and survivors.Ƶ
According to the VA, the cuts will save the agency a combined $181 million per year to be redirected to health care, benefits and services for beneficiaries.
The Beckley VA Medical Center is a 30-bed general medical and surgical care facility and a 50-bed community living center. Bailey said Veterans Affairs had already been under a hiring freeze since August or September. When of all federal civilian employees.
ƵWhen youƵre already at a critical shortage of nurses and administrative staff, four people really sways the scale big time,Ƶ Bailey said. ƵI mean, weƵre already having to cut back on the amount of beds that we have available, because we canƵt compete well enough to even get enough nurses to maintain the number of beds that we are supposed to have. We were already at a critical shortage before they even lost those four.Ƶ
Two of the four people who were fired from the Beckley facility were veterans and all of them had outstanding performance appraisals, Bailey said. One employee was eight hours short of having an entire year of probation, he said.
ƵThey fired him for what they said was [his] performance wasnƵt good enough,Ƶ Bailey said. ƵEven thoughƵhe was getting ready to get an award for the outstanding work that he had done in the department.Ƶ
All of the positions affected were low-pay administrative roles, he said.
Bailey said the four were notified that they were fired by email from an email server in Washington D.C. The email said they were fired because their performance wasnƵt up to par and that they were not a fit for government work.
ƵEven our management tried to stop it because they werenƵt even notified,Ƶ Bailey said. ƵThe supervisors didnƵt even know that the people got terminated until they reached out to their supervisor to ask them what was going on.
ƵSo even the supervisors werenƵt even aware, and they werenƵt for it whatsoever,Ƶ Bailey said. ƵEven they were opposed to it, and tried to do everything they could to stop them all from being terminated.Ƶ
In separate statements Wednesday, public affairs officers for the Beckley, Clarksburg and Martinsburg VA medical centers said they had each dismissed a Ƶsmall numberƵ of probationary staff and that the decision would not have a negative effect on veteran health care or other services.
The cuts Ƶwill allow VA to focus more effectively on its core mission of serving Veterans, families, caregivers and survivors,Ƶ the statements read. ƵWe cannot discuss specific personnel matters due to privacy concerns.Ƶ
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