Estimated read time: 4-5 minutes
- A labor leader for Ogden IRS workers advises against accepting a buyout offer put forward by the Trump administration.
- The Trump offer of pay through September for federal employees who accept the proposal is aimed at reducing the federal workforce.
- The buyout proposal was offered to more than 2 million federal employees, and they have until Thursday to accept it.
OGDEN — With a Thursday deadline looming, the union representing many of the IRS employees in Ogden is offering support to workers as President Donald Trump pushes hard to downsize the federal labor force.
The IRS is the top employer in Weber County, and IRS workers, among other federal employees across the country, must decide by Thursday whether to resign and accept a buyout proposal put forward by the Trump administration. The U.S. Office of Personnel Management sent an email on Jan. 28 outlining the "deferred resignation" plans, part of Trump's efforts to reduce the size of the U.S. government.
Some critics, however, see the proposal as vague and a threat to efficient government operation, and Doug Sanders, a field representative for the National Treasury Employees Union, or NTEU, advises against taking the offer. Sanders, based in Denver, discussed the issue with Robert Lawrence, president of NTEU Chapter 67, which serves some of the IRS workers in Weber County.
"The details are scant. So we, NTEU, and I am advising folks not to take this deal," Sanders said in a short video with Lawrence posted this week on the NTEU Chapter 67 Facebook page. "It's very strange. It's very weird. It just seems inappropriate for the level of professionalism that our civil service has and has earned."
Local NTEU reps didn't respond to KSL.com queries on the issue. But parallel to the video, NTEU issued a statement, posted on NTEU Chapter 67 social media channels, offering words of support to probationary federal workers. New federal workers, those who have been on the job less than a year, are also the focus of downsizing by the Trump administration, according to Federal News Network. The trade publication cited an Office of Personnel Management memo dated Jan. 20, the same day Trump was inaugurated to his second term.
"For those probationary employees considering resigning, we implore you to stay strong in the face of these relentless attacks. We have your back and will continue to fight for you," reads the NTEU message. "For those employees who have passed their probationary periods, we ask you to keep reaching out to your colleagues within their probationary period and let them know you stand with them."
According to the Utah Department of Workforce Services, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which operates the IRS, employed an estimated 7,000 to 9,999 workers in Weber County as of 2023, making it far and away the largest employer in the Ogden area. Accordingly, Trump's buyout proposal and the broader push to reduce the size of the federal workforce have potential implications for many in Weber County.
However, the Trump administration's efforts to scale back government are directed at federal employees around the globe, not just Weber County. The Jan. 28 message, dubbed the "fork in the road" email, was sent to more than 2 million federal employees, according to Katie Miller, spokeswoman for the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE. That's the entity created by Trump and headed by businessman Elon Musk tasked with coming up with ways of increasing government efficiency and reducing the federal footprint.
More recently, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, has come under increased scrutiny by the Trump administration in its efforts to whittle the size of government. USAID provides foreign assistance to countries around the world.
Most federal agencies are to be downsized
Per terms of the "deferred resignation" proposal, federal workers who take Trump up on the offer would retain pay and benefits until Sept. 30 but wouldn't have to keep working at their federal jobs.
"We encourage you to find a job in the private sector as soon as you would like to do so. The way to greater American prosperity is encouraging people to move from lower productivity jobs in the public sector to higher productivity jobs in the private sector," reads a frequently-asked-questions page about the proposal.
I am advising folks not to take this deal.
–Doug Sanders
At the same time, the letter outlining the proposal offers no guarantees for those who opt to keep their jobs, noting that the "majority of federal agencies" will likely be downsized under Trump. "At this time, we cannot give you full assurance regarding the certainty of your position or agency, but should your position be eliminated you will be treated with dignity and will be afforded the protections in place for such positions," reads the offer.
Sanders, the NTEU field representative, noted what he sees as the lack of details and clarity in the proposal in recommending against it. "Without more details and without a lot more information, working with the employees, working with our union and the various unions that represent the federal civilian service, don't take the deal," he said.
In an opinion piece in Government Executive, a trade publication, Doreen Greenwalk, the NTEU president, said the ability of the government to operate efficiently is at stake. "Either we fight for our federal workforce now — to ensure the American people continue to get the quality services they depend on — or we will suffer the consequences of a government ill-equipped to protect and deliver for the taxpaying citizens of our nation," Greenwald wrote.
