Trump’s federal firings reach Independence Mall and other Pennsylvania national historic sites
Workers also were dismissed at Gettysburg National Military Park and Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton.
President Donald Trump’s plan to cut the size of the federal government reached into Pennsylvania over the weekend with employees being dismissed at several national parks, according to a union official.
Two probationary employees were terminated at Independence National Historical Park, already operating with at least 30 unfilled openings. Five were dismissed at Gettysburg National Military Park and five at Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton, according to David Fitzpatrick, local treasurer of AFGE Local 2058 and Secretary-Treasurer of AFGE Council 270.
The American Federation of Government Employees is the largest union representing federal workers, and has members working in almost every agency.
Efforts to reach a spokesperson for Independence Park were unsuccessful Sunday.
The park service employs about 20,000 permanent, temporary, and seasonal employees at sites that welcomed 325 million visitors in 2023, up by 13 million from the year before, according to the agency.
Fitzpatrick said 15 workers were let go at Shenandoah National Park in Virginia. More terminations are expected in New Jersey and New York, he said.
“On Friday I started to get calls about people being let go,” he said on Sunday. “Now it’s trickled down to us in Philadelphia, particularly at Independence National Historical Park. … They’re not going for the high-salary employees, they’re going for the bottom. This isn’t going to solve any budget problems.”
He said he understood that job offers to fill openings at Independence Park have been rescinded.
Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that directed all federal agencies to prepare for “large-scale” layoffs.
The cuts come as Philadelphia readies to play a major role in the nation’s 250th birthday next year, the semiquincentennial that marks the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.
Trump has announced plans for a “Task Force 250″ to oversee all federal agencies working on the semiquincentennial, as state and local governments figure out how to bill and pay for the celebration.
This month Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed about $65 million in funding during his annual budget address, saying that “ensures those epic events have the resources they need.”
“Because all eyes will be on Pennsylvania as we celebrate America’s 250th birthday in 2026 and welcome millions to where it all began,” Shapiro said.
Meanwhile, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker proposed an initial $40 million in funding for the 250th anniversary, an amount that some Council members thought must be increased.
Thousands of government employees have been terminated in the last several days, not just at national parks but also at the Environmental Protection Agency, Veterans Affairs, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Department of Education.
The cuts have targeted probationary workers, generally hired within the last year, who are easier to terminate because they lack certain rights to appeal.
Trump plans to remove nearly 1,000 probationary employees from the National Park Service, part of his effort to cut federal spending and shrink the bureaucracy, news agencies reported. Reuters reported that operations at the Appalachian Trail, Yellowstone National Park, and the birthplace of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be impacted.
Fitzpatrick said cuts in Philadelphia will impact the ability to celebrate the 250th anniversary, and wondered if park buildings might close even as crowds arrived.
“I don’t know what they’re going to do,” he said. “We expect more [departures].”