U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer says rumored 40 percent cuts at the Watervliet Arsenal will not be moving forward.
Schumer says the rumored cuts directed by the Pentagon and DOGE, the non-governmental Department of Government Efficiency, would have eliminated some 300 jobs. Spanning 143 acres, the Arsenal in Albany County manufactures artillery weapon system components.
The Democrat said Monday he was assured by the Secretary of the Army that the layoffs will not be happening. Schumer wrote to Secretary Daniel Driscoll last month detailing his concerns over the impact of potential cuts. The Arsenal employs 795 people.
National Federation of Federal Employees Local 2109 president Guy Belcher says union workers were “ecstatic” to hear the news.
"They were kind of walking on eggshells, not knowing if they're going to lose their job. Probationary employees more specifically were definitely worried because they just got hired. They were definitely worried. We have a lot of employees there that were considered term positions, or temp positions, that usually run from three to five years. And they seem like they're on the chopping block as well. So everyone was nervous, and a lot of people on the first round of the fork in the road, which is named, the Delayed Resignation Program. We had 40 people sign up, and I think 32 approved. And then Secretary Hegseth just did another round of it that started on the 7th of April and closed out on the 14th. So this Monday it closed out. And I haven't seen those numbers yet about how many are taking it, but I'm sure it's going to be a lot more than the first round, just because of the uncertainty of what's going on," said Belcher.
Mayor Charles Patricelli has been following the news. The second-term Democrat tells WAMC that he too is relieved.
"The Arsenal has become a more of a staple here in the community in itself. The people that come in, in and out of there, there's a lot more residents that I know that work at the arsenal. I know that the restaurants and some of the businesses are usually pretty well frequented by the arsenal. We just had another Little Trolley taco truck that moved in there, and he's doing excellent business. I think it always has a has an impact on the economy, and I think it has a lot of morale, you know they're such a great organization to work with," Patricelli said.
Belcher commended Schumer for his advocacy on behalf of the Arsenal.
"It's just proof that you know that you got to get, you got to get out ahead of things and see, see the value in something," said Belcher. "The Arsenal has a huge value to our nation. So the workforce there, you know, just like I was quoted yesterday and saying, they're true blooded patriotic Americans that love doing their job and defending the war fighter. And you know, to have them walking around stressful every day, not knowing if they're going to lose their job is not good for anybody. And there's a big sigh of relief at the Arsenal today."
Schumer says keeping the Arsenal workers in the Capital Region is essential to advancing America’s national security and support for troops in the field.
