Fired U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service employees and supporters come together in Bozeman to be heard

Jobs gone in a flash with no reason given. Livingston's Dale Sexton, Karrie Kahle, and Erica Lighthouser vow to help.

Federal Employee Arianna Knight speaks to a packed crowd at SHINE Beer Sanctuary in Bozeman, Montana. Knight lost her job as wilderness trails supervisor for the Custer-Gallatin National Forest’s Yellowstone Ranger District as part of a massive reduction by the U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service.

By: Jeff Schlapp

Imagine for a moment that you are at work, at a job where you have been commended for your work ethic and given glowing job performances when you open an email that states “Based on your performance, you have not demonstrated that your further employment would be in the company’s interest.” Then you are unceremoniously led from your office and told that you are fired.

The years of working to get that job, the education involved, the dreams abruptly cut short - all gone with a keystroke. It doesn’t matter what side of the aisle you claim politically, the fact that 3,400 U.S. Forest Service and 1,000 National Park Service employees were let go on February 14th, the St. Valentine Day Massacre, as some fired employees are calling it should have you sitting up and saying this isn’t right.

It’s estimated that some 360 Montana-based probational employees were among the 1,400. Probationary employees are mostly in their first year of work or a "probational period" with USFS, unless the probational employees are veterans, hired through the Veterans’ Recruitment Appointment, which requires a two-year probationary period.

On Tuesday night at SHINE Beer Sanctuary in Bozeman, about 17 terminated U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service employees along with many supporters and supporters came together to start fighting to get their jobs back.

Fired workers and supporters gather together at SHINE Beer Sanctuary in Bozeman to hear the stories of U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service employees who lost their jobs as a result of 3,400 jobs being cut - without notice or cause.