Local union rep for civilian Tinker Air Force Base employees responds to potential layoff concerns

Workers at one of Oklahoma’s largest employers have faced an uncertain week. Civilian employees at Tinker Air Force Base braced for potential layoffs as the Department of Government Efficiany continued to cut the federal workforce this week.

During uncertain times, Tinker employees turn to the American Federation of Government Employees Local 916 union office when they need answers about their jobs. AFGE leaders said on Friday that they have not been given official word of any layoffs.

Rumors of layoffs at Tinker started last week, and then over the weekend federal employees received emails from Elon Musk asking, "what they did last week". Musk said to respond to the email meant they were resigning their positions.

“To wake up and not know if you’re going to have a job tomorrow,” said Brenda Williams, AFGE Local 916 Treasurer. “We know is causing havoc.”

The local AFGE union represents 18,000 civilian base workers. Willaims said the local AFGE President Jeremy Ross would be among the first to know if layoffs were imminent.

"We would like it to come down from the base commander or General Hawkins or General Moore,” said Williams. “Sometimes, he gets the information from our labor relations office.”

Williams said the rumors of 600 layoffs of probationary employees were not official.

“Everything is word of mouth,” said Williams. “Nothing from anyone with any type of authority.”

Tinker falls in Congressman Tom Cole's district. He responded to the concerns with a statement on Friday by saying he was monitoring the situation and "I will always fight for Tinker Air Force base and the critical role the base and its civilian employees play to safeguard our nation."

AFGE local representatives said they would post official and updated information about layoffs on their website and on social media.

Representative Stephanie Bice also chimed in on layoff concerns in a statement saying, "Tinker plays a vital and necessary national security role that we must protect."