Ogden to host job event for federal workers amid talk of IRS cuts
Still, many who work for the federal tax-collection agency are nervous given prior talk that as many as 1,000 could be cut from the ranks of the IRS's 7,500-strong workforce in Ogden alone. 'Their eyes have been opened to how they are being treated, and they are looking for other options, even people who have been here for 20-plus years,' said Robert Lawrence, president of the Ogden chapter of the National Treasury Employees Union, Local 67.
What's to come remains to be seen, but given the uncertainty, more than 350 people have signed up to attend a job event Wednesday, April 23, geared to federal workers in the Ogden area. The city of Ogden organized it, given the IRS's status as Weber County's top employer. It will take place from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Ogden-Weber Technical College Event Center, 200 Washington Blvd.
'We wanted that community to know that we have them in mind, and we want to make sure that they find stability in work,' said Mike McBride, spokesman for Mayor Ben Nadolski's administration. Many IRS workers come from area cities, and if there were 'a massive layoff,' he said, it would have ripple effects beyond Ogden.
Lawrence reported 'situation normal' for now on the employment front for IRS workers but also conveyed mixed signals he's received. Prior indications were that up to 1,000 IRS employees in Ogden were to be axed, with May 15 and June 30 set as layoff dates. Now, though, Lawrence is hearing rumors — 'and I reiterate, rumors' — that layoff plans 'may be put on pause.'
Since President Donald Trump took office for his second term on Jan. 20, he and adviser and businessman Elon Musk have focused on trimming the federal workforce in a bid to scale back federal spending and reduce government bloat. Given the agency's presence in the city, the talk of the IRS cuts has been particularly nerve-wracking for many in the Ogden area, prompting some to demonstrate in the city as well as Salt Lake City.
Around 100 probationary IRS workers in Ogden were let go in February, part of an initial wave of layoffs around the country under Trump. The National Treasury Employees Union sued in light of alleged violations of workers' contracts, a judge ordered that the workers be put back on the payroll, and Lawrence said the laid-off workers are getting paid, though they're not actually working, as the sides sort through the issues. 'That's the new government efficiency policy right now,' Lawrence quipped.
The Federal Employee Career Transition and Resource Connection event on Wednesday will feature reps from the Utah Department of Workforce Services, the Ogden-Weber Chamber of Commerce, Ogden-Weber Technical College, Weber State University and other organizations. There will be people taking professional headshots, helping with resume building and providing information on food, housing and utility support. There will also be information on 'new career and education opportunities,' according to the city.
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