‘Significant downsizing' happening at NIOSH in Morgantown: UMWA
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is laying off hundreds of workers, according to the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA).
Although specifics are limited, the UMWA International President Cecil Roberts said in a statement Tuesday that 'NIOSH began laying off hundreds of workers who are engaged in research and the improvement of products and practices.'
The statement also said that NIOSH 'announced significant downsizing of offices in Morgantown, W.Va., and Pittsburgh, Pa.' on Tuesday.
12 News has reached out to officials and representatives for more specific information on the downsizing. West Virginia Delegate John Williams (Monongalia, 080) told 12 News that he has 'seen no official statement' but that he does 'believe the reports are accurate.'
The Morgantown NIOSH facility has been operational since the organization's inception in 1970, and grew from 20 to about 600 employees by 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website.
Fairmont Novelis plant closure is 'major loss' after more than 100 years in community
The Morgantown facility, as well as the Pittsburgh facility, focus on research relating to health and safety issues affecting workers and coal miners, including respiratory disease.
Roberts said in his statement that the coal industry 'relies on the research done there to improve its safety practices.'
Roberts also said that the layoffs, compiled with closures in the Mine Safety and Health Administration and fees and tariffs expected to be placed on West Virginia coal that is exported to China, give the appearance that miners have 'a target on their backs.'
'I do not think that these actions are being done in a coordinated way to hurt the American coal industry and those who work in it. But that is the effect. Miners have and can continue to produce the materials to power American homes, produce American steel and so many other products our society uses every day,' Roberts said in the release.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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