Updated at 7:30 PM, Tuesday, February 18th, 2025 to include comments from Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II, Kansas City, MO Mayor Quinton Lucas, and Missouri State Senator Patty Lewis.
Probationary Employees Cut Without Cause
If you voted for Donald Trump, hopefully you aren’t planning on getting your tax return back on time.
The Labor Beacon has been informed by National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) Chapter 66 that up to 1,000 probationary workers will be fired from the Kansas City IRS Submission Processing Center located at the corner of Pershing and Broadway in Kansas City, MO on February 19th, 2025. The probationary period at the IRS can be between one and two years, depending on the role. Workers will be given as little as an hour to collect their things and leave the building.
These workers are our union brothers and sisters. They perform essential work for the public and have been made into a political pawn for billionaires and millionaires.
“Tomorrow, hundreds of probationary employees at the Kansas City IRS Submission Processing Center will be removed from their positions not due to performance issues, not due to misconduct, but simply because of their hire date. This decision will eliminate approximately 30% of the workforce responsible for processing tax returns, potentially causing significant delays that will affect millions of taxpayers and the broader community,” said Shannon P Ellis, NTEU Chapter 66 President. “These workers our neighbors, friends, and family now face an uncertain future. Many are left scrambling to figure out how they will afford their medical insurance, essential medications, and even their next meal. The sudden decision serves no practical purpose other than to send a message, leaving dedicated federal employees as collateral damage in a larger bureaucratic maneuver.”
The NTEU, National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), and the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) have joined together to file a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, challenging multiple executive actions since Jan. 20, 2025 including the directive to fire hundreds of thousands of new federal workers after agencies have invested time and resources into their training, badgering nearly 2 million federal employees to resign and conducting mass layoffs while eliminating Congressionally created agencies and the jobs that go with them.
“The American people will suffer from the loss of the important government services these workers provide,” said NTEU President Doreen Greenwald. “We will not stand idly by while this administration takes illegal actions that will harm citizens, federal employees and the economy.”
The lawsuit asks the judge to declare that the mass firing of probationary and other employees and the deferred resignation program, collectively, are unlawful.
“All of these orders are further evidence that this administration is motivated not by efficiency, but by cruelty and a total disregard for the government services that will be lost,” Greenwald said.
Local Leaders Comment
“As President Trump and Elon Musk work to gut the federal workforce so that billionaires like them have an easier time ripping off the American people, the relentless harassment of federal employees nationwide has now led to the reckless firing of hundreds of civil servants in the Kansas City region,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, II. “This shockingly shortsighted decision to let go of these committed public servants will not only leave these patriotic Americans hanging out to dry, but it will undermine essential services that Missourians rely on in the middle of tax season, while creating a cascading negative impact on our region’s economy. And considering that investments in the IRS have proven to increase revenue and cut down on our federal deficit, the only logical conclusion is that this is all being done so that billionaires like Donald Trump and Elon Musk have an easier time cheating on their taxes.”
On February 13th, in an effort to hear directly from those impacted, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) hosted a listening session with federal workers and local labor unions from Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District to discuss the Trump Administration’s assault on the federal workforce and actions by President Trump and Elon Musk to undermine federal agencies and labor protections for civil servants. More than 40,000 federal workers reside in Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, with approximately 80,000 federal workers across the Kansas City region.
“I condemn this sinful decision to terminate the employment of hardworking Kansas Citians for no reason other than gluttonous greed, and as this action is inevitably litigated in federal courts, I will continue to use every lever available to support these civil servants and put an end to this extraordinarily damaging chaos,”
Rep. Cleaver, II.
“One of Missouri’s great Republican leaders, Kit Bond, helped bring thousands of federal jobs to Kansas City at the IRS. Our local IRS workers deliver vital services to the American people. Our workers are good American mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers. Mayor Lucas has not yet received official information or details about any proposed layoffs at the Internal Revenue Service or elsewhere, but will advocate actively with our federal delegation to protect the positions of affected employees who are valued members of our community,” said the Office of Kansas City, MO Mayor Quinton Lucas in a written statement to The Labor Beacon.
“These mass layoffs have no purpose, yield no savings, and provide no benefit to the public. These firings are the result of an unelected billionaire having unchecked power to dismantle services he knows nothing about. They’ve fired people overseeing America’s nuclear weapons. They’ve fired people trying to contain and stop bird flu. And now they’re firing people right here in Kansas City who have dedicated their time and talents to a career in public service. These layoffs are not just numbers on a spreadsheet, they are life changing decisions that impact real people. I am calling on Missouri’s federal delegation to put an end to this madness and protect the thousands of federal workers across Missouri who have done nothing wrong,” said Missouri State Senator Patty Lewis. (D-Kansas City)
Rally for Support on March 15th
Concerned citizens, employees, and supporters are invited to stand in solidarity with these workers at a rally on March 15th, 2025 from 12 PM to 2 PM outside the IRS building at 333 West Pershing, Kansas City, Missouri. Attendees are encouraged to wear red, white, or blue to show their support for the federal workforce.
These employees are not just numbers. They are hard-working individuals who serve the public every day. They deserve better than to be tossed aside for no reason. This decision doesn’t just impact those losing their jobs it affects the entire community. A reduced workforce means slower processing times, delayed tax refunds, and increased frustration for taxpayers across the country. Now is the time to stand together. Join us to show that these workers matter. Their jobs matter. Our community matters.
What is NTEU Chapter 66?
NTEU is a vocal advocate for around 150,000 bargaining unit employees in 37 federal agencies and offices. Chapter 66 is dedicated to keeping the federal workers of Kansas City, Missouri protected and informed.
NTEU Chapter 66 represents nearly 6,000 workers at the Kansas City IRS building.
According to its website, “the union is comprised of a diverse group of individuals who share in the common goal of commitment to public service. Each of the federal workers we represent plays an important role in keeping the country running and prospering, and we will continue to advocate for the dignity, respect, and fair treatment of all of our workers.”
Tristin Amezcua-Hogan is the Editor of The Labor Beacon and a member of LIUNA Local 264. Tristin also serves as the Director of Communications for the Greater Kansas City AFL-CIO and the Chair of the Kansas City Regional Transit Alliance.
Tristin grew up as the son of a UA Local 669 member in Tecumseh, KS and the great-nephew of George C. Amis, longtime leader of the United Rubberworkers (now USW Local 307) in Kansas. Growing up in rural Kansas as the child of teen parents, Tristin quickly came to appreciate the life-changing benefit of a union job.
Tristin and his partner, Rebeca Amezcua-Hogan, are residents of the Westside, Kansas City, MO's historic Mexican neighborhood. They are proud members of Kansas City's New Reform Temple.
