More NIOSH layoffs reported Friday evening
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WBOY) — On Friday 12 News brought you the story on how several NIOSH employees were able to return to work in Morgantown, though their stay could not be guaranteed. According to the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA) however, the layoffs are continuing.
Suspect from Mannington standoff arrested in Monongah
UMWA International President Cecil Roberts released a statement on Saturday morning in response to more reported NIOSH layoffs that were announced Friday evening. The statement reads as follows:
What happened at NIOSH last night is nothing short of shameful. Telling hardworking, dedicated employees that they no longer have a job at 6:30 on a Friday night — after the workday is done and with no forewarning — is cowardly, heartless, and utterly unacceptable.
Let me be clear: this is not just an attack on jobs. This is an attack on the very foundation of worker safety in the United States of America. The dismantling of the Respiratory Disease Division at NIOSH is not just a bureaucratic shuffle. It is the elimination of our nation's leading defense against black lung disease and other respiratory illnesses that afflict miners and workers across this country.
This division is responsible for developing life-saving coal dust and silica monitors. It runs the miner X-ray surveillance program. It oversees MSHA's Part 90 program — a program that literally exists to save the lungs and lives of American coal miners.
Now, with the stroke of a pen and the cowardice of an evening layoff notice, those protections are being stripped away. Who is going to monitor dust levels in our mines? Who will ensure the next generation of miners doesn't end up with the same black lungs as their fathers and grandfathers?
The United Mine Workers of America will not stand by silently while decades of progress are gutted overnight. This isn't just detrimental — it's catastrophic. It's detrimental to coal miners. Detrimental to American workers. Detrimental to American families.
The UMWA's number one focus has always been, and always will be, the health and safety of our members. We will fight tooth and nail to ensure these programs are restored, these protections are preserved, and that our nation never forgets the sacrifices miners make to power this country.'
UMWA International President Cecil E. Roberts
12 News reached out to the UMWA for more information, specifically is those at the Morgantown location were involved. In response, the UMWA said, 'From our understanding every employee except for a few in Atlanta and DC are laid off. But we are not subject matter experts. It's all hearsay.'
Cathy Tinney-Zara, a union representative for AFGE Local 3430 with NIOSH in Morgantown told 12 News that she began receiving word of the layoffs Friday evening, and that those who received them were put on administrative leave effective immediately. She had not received any official word to ignore any RIF letters that were sent out on May 1 and 2.
As of right now, those who received RIFs in April will have their last day on June 2, while those who received them on Friday will have their last day July 2, according to Tinney-Zara.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
American Botanical Council Acquires Full Rights to Steven Foster Photo Library
The nonprofit now owns more than 150,000 images of 1,700+ species of medicinal and aromatic plants taken by famed photographer and herbal expert Echinacea Purpurea Passiflora Incarnata Austin, Texas, June 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The nonprofit American Botanical Council (ABC) announces that it has obtained ownership rights to the entire collection of medicinal and aromatic plant photographs taken by the late botanist, author, and preeminent photographer Steven Foster (1957–2022).Foster was well-known and widely respected as the author or co-author of 21 books on herbs and medicinal plants. He also wrote more than 800 articles and reviews on herbal medicine, ethnobotany, sustainable sourcing, conservation, and related subjects, including more than 100 articles and reviews in ABC's peer-reviewed journal HerbalGram. His extensive photographic library includes more than 150,000 images of more than 1,700 accurately identified medicinal and aromatic plant species. This includes Foster's photos of many native American medicinal plants, as well as other plants he encountered during his travels in countries around the world, including Argentina, Armenia, Belize, China, Costa Rica, Egypt, England, Georgia, Germany, Guatemala, Japan, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Peru, Switzerland, Trinidad and Tobago, Vietnam, and elsewhere. Foster was a member of ABC's Board of Trustees for more than 20 years and president for 10 years. He provided frequent and instrumental support for HerbalGram and served as a contributing editor, peer reviewer, and author of dozens of feature-length articles. He also contributed hundreds of medicinal plant photos from his extensive library, including at least 60 photos that appeared on the magazine's cover. His photography filled nearly every issue of HerbalGram since issue 24 in 1991. After Foster's untimely death in January 2022, ABC continued to have access to and permission to use his photos in a variety of ABC publications and communications through a special arrangement with his estate. ABC continued to feature his photos on ABC's website, in publications of the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP), and in HerbalGram, ABC's monthly newsletter HerbalEGram, ABC's weekly newsletter Herbal News & Events, and other ABC publications. Now, ABC has finalized the purchase of Foster's entire digital photo library, including full rights to all of the images. Credits to Foster's photographs will now read: 'Photo by Steven Foster ©2025 ABC.' 'For more than 40 years, Steven was a close personal friend and colleague and a primary contributor to ABC's nonprofit research and educational mission, publications, and programs,' said ABC Founder and Executive Director Mark Blumenthal. 'Steven's intelligence, botanical knowledge, insightful and deeply informed writing, and his compelling photography were an integral part of the development and evolution of HerbalGram and ABC. 'It has been ABC's goal not only to provide authoritative, reliable, science-based information on herbs and medicinal plants, but also to show the beauty of these plants, which we have done for decades thanks in large part to Steven's incredibly beautiful photos,' Blumenthal added. 'Now, ABC has the opportunity to continue its nonprofit educational mission with Steven's photos and to help expand the herb community and general public's awareness of and appreciation for Steven's remarkable photographic legacy. ABC Art Director Matt Magruder said: 'Securing the ownership of Steven Foster's photography library is an exciting new chapter for HerbalGram and all of ABC's various programs and publications. Steven's photography has been a foundational — and visually stunning — part of the organization from early on. As a fellow photographer, I am grateful to be able to honor Steven and to continue to share his quintessential photographic legacy through ABC's stewardship moving forward.' Michael J. Balick, PhD, member of ABC's Board of Trustees and vice president for botanical science, director and senior philecology curator of the Institute of Economic Botany at the New York Botanical Garden, said: 'I was delighted to learn that ABC has acquired the Steven Foster Photo Library. Steven's 'plant's eye view' was nothing short of extraordinary, and this is reflected in all of the artistic and scientific work that he did over so many decades. He was enthusiastic and generous about sharing his talents as a photographer and providing his guidance to anyone who asked for his advice, regardless of their level of botanical sophistication. When I invited him to illustrate the third edition of the Handbook of Poisonous and Injurious Plants [Springer, 2017], he provided his best work, and the photos that grace the pages of this reference book are not only useful for identification in cases of suspected poisoning, but also works of beautifully composed botanical art. We all miss Steven, who left us prematurely, and I am grateful to ABC and its donors for ensuring that this part of his legacy will endure, educating and captivating us all for many more decades.' Blumenthal noted that, at a time when people are beginning to use artificial intelligence as a source for botanical images, one primary benefit of Foster's photographs is the reliable and accurate identification of the depicted plant species. As an expert botanist, Foster properly identified the botanicals in his photos. Aside from the beauty of the photos, this benefit is a key feature of ABC's Steven Foster Photo Library. ABC featured a memorial tribute to Steven Foster in HerbalGram issue 133 and a pictorial of some of his medicinal plant photography in issue 134. A new pictorial of Foster's brilliant medicinal plant photos was just published in the current issue of HerbalGram, issue 143. In addition, ABC has named its newest award for botanical excellence after Foster, the ABC Steven Foster Excellence in Botanical Conservation and Sustainability Award, which is announced each spring at the annual ABC Celebration at Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim. Attachments Echinacea Purpurea Passiflora Incarnata CONTACT: Public Relations American Botanical Council 512-926-4900 ext. 129 publicrelations@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
OpenAI's marketing head takes leave to undergo breast cancer treatment
OpenAI's head of marketing, Kate Rouch, has announced she's stepping away from her role for three months while she undergoes treatment for invasive breast cancer. In a post on LinkedIn, Rouch says that Gary Briggs, Meta's former CMO, will serve as interim head of marketing during her leave. "Earlier this year — just weeks into my dream job — I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer," wrote Rouch. "For the past five months, I've been undergoing chemo at UCSF while leading our marketing team. It's been the hardest season of life — for me, my husband, and our two young kids." Rouch says her prognosis is "excellent" and that she's expected to make a full recovery. "1 in 8 American women will get invasive breast cancer," she wrote in her post. "42,000 die every year. Rates are rising for young women. I'm sharing my story [...] to get their attention and encourage them to prioritize their health over the demands of families and jobs. A routine exam saved my life. It could save yours too." Rouch, who previously worked with Briggs at Meta, joined OpenAI in December. She formerly was Coinbase's CMO, and before that led brand and product marketing for platforms including Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Facebook. This article originally appeared on TechCrunch at Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Hotel carbon monoxide alarm rule reintroduced in Congress
This story was originally published on Hotel Dive. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Hotel Dive newsletter. U.S. Reps. Angie Craig (D-MN) and Mike Levin (D-CA) reintroduced legislation to Congress that would require carbon monoxide detectors to be installed in every hotel and short-term rental room in the country, according to an announcement Thursday. Rep. Craig previously introduced the bill, dubbed the Stay Safe Act, in 2020. In its earlier version, the Safe Stay Act was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology but did not move out of the committee. A similar law went into effect in Minnesota in August of last year, according to the announcement, though the majority of states do not require in-room carbon monoxide detectors. The American Hotel & Lodging Association has previously encouraged hotels to install carbon monoxide monitoring equipment in spaces with fuel-burning appliances and in immediately attached spaces 'at a minimum.' Craig initially introduced the Stay Safe Act in response to the hospitalization of Minnesotan Leslie Lienemann and her son, who were poisoned in a Hawthorn Suites by Wyndham in Warren, Michigan, in 2019, per The New York Times. 'My son and I suffer life-long physical and emotional effects of carbon monoxide poisoning because there was no carbon monoxide alarm in our hotel room,' Lienemann said in a statement on Craig's website. 'Carbon monoxide is undetectable without a CO alarm.' 'We have the tools to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning and save lives — and we should be using them,' Craig said in a statement. The bill specifies that compliant carbon monoxide alarms must be installed 'in each sleeping or dwelling unit within each place of public accommodation affecting commerce.' Currently, only 14 states require carbon monoxide detectors in hospitality settings, according to the John Wesley Heathco Legacy Foundation, which was founded after American travelers John Heathco and Abby Lutz died of carbon monoxide poisoning at a Hyatt resort in Mexico in 2023. AHLA's Safe Stay initiative, which offers guidelines for hotels, encourages hotels to adhere to the fire and mechanical codes in their respective jurisdictions. It also says hotel staff should be familiar with their property's carbon monoxide monitoring capabilities — including the location of detectors and sounds of alarms — and be trained in emergency procedures. 'Johnny's death should never have happened, and no family should have to endure the devastation that we have had to live with for nearly two years, and that we will live with for the rest of our lives,' said John Heathco's parents, Chuck and Jill Heathco, and his sister and brother-in-law, Keri and Tyler Bliss, in a joint statement obtained by Hotel Dive. The issue of carbon monoxide poisoning made headlines earlier this year when three American tourists died in a hotel room in Belize, per NBC News. The Stay Safe Act was again referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology on Thursday. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
