SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Recent cuts to the federal government’s workforce have reached northeast Pennsylvania. The cuts are impacting one of Scranton’s key historical attractions and economic drivers: The Steamtown National Historic Site.
Five workers at the Steamtown Historic Site were dismissed: A shock to the union that represents them.
“Well, we were shocked because it wasn’t a normal process for a probationary employee to be removed. Probationary employees are normally removed for non-performance of their duties, and that wasn’t the case,” said American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 1647 President Ned George.
“These people were, one of them had a high-performance rating. You know, he almost had a perfect five out of five,” AFGE Local 1647 Secretary-Treasurer Lou Refice explained.
Among the five that were cut, three worked in the maintenance department.
Now operations at the site remain uncertain.
“There’s a lot that goes on here. I mean, depending on the positions that were let go, three in the maintenance area, that’s from a shop that only has five to begin with, so over 50% of their shop is gone right now,” George continued.
“We’re concerned because these people were critical to the operation of the park here. Most of them were involved with clean up and keeping the place nice. That’s not going to be possible now. This place is open seven days a week,” Refice added.
Steamtown’s signature events, like Railfest and the North Pole Limited Train Ride, have traditionally brought thousands to Scranton.
Advocates are concerned that reducing Steamtown’s operations could also reduce the flow of tourists.
“If they are not able to offer everything that they currently have, what does that impact mean for the Scranton community? A lot of the people that come here to visit Steamtown from other areas, they stay in local hotels, they visit local businesses, so what does that mean for Scranton as a whole and our local economy?” Steamtown advocate Danielle Chesek stated.
Steamtown is not only a tourist destination, but an essential educational resource on the area’s history.
“With the park rangers, they go into the school and teach them about that history, about steam in Scranton, you know. Coal mining, all that kind of stuff, and you know, if this can’t continue, it worries me about what future generations are going to know about Scranton’s history,” Chesek continued.
28/22 News reached out to the Steamtown Historic Site for a comment but has not heard back.
There will be a peaceful protest in support of Steamtown and federal workers this Saturday at 12:00 p.m. on the Square in Downtown Scranton.
