AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT FIRST STUDENT

Cincinnati, Ohio-based First Student, a leading provider of school bus transportation to public and private schools, has announced its plans to close its Olympic Hills office in Lake City, Washington, following the loss of contracts with Seattle Public Schools.

The contract loss will affect 111 employees, including 99 bus drivers, 4 technicians, 4 supervisors, 3 dispatchers, and 1 clerk.

According to a company statement, "First Student will permanently discontinue approximately 60% of operations at 8250 5th Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108, and 13525 Lake City Way, Seattle, WA 98125 on August 17, 2026. It is anticipated that 111 employees will be laid off at these locations on that date. The entire facility will not be closed. The office located at 13525 Lake City Way, Seattle, WA, will close, and the remaining employees will operate out of the office located at 8250 5th Ave. S: Seattle, WA. This layoff is expected to be permanent. The layoff will not result in the relocation or contracting out of the Company’s operations or the employees’ positions."

Change is constant, and it's coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT TRI-COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION - OREGON

Portland, Oregon-based Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation District of Oregon, the municipal transit agency known as TriMet, serves most of the Portland metropolitan area. has announced service cuts and a major reduction in force due to a structural budget deficit resulting from rising costs and reduced ridership.

The reduction will impact 400 employees, with spending cuts and staff reductions taking effect on July 1, 2026.

According to TriMet General Manager Sam Desue Jr., “These administrative cuts are part of a broader recovery plan to stabilize TriMet’s finances and ensure long-term sustainability so we can continue providing the public transit service our region needs for decades to come. Layoffs are always a last resort. We’ve worked hard to limit them as much as possible, but the financial realities we face made some layoffs unavoidable. No leader wants to lay off employees, especially during a regional economic downturn and high unemployment, and no public transit agency wants to cut service.”

Change is constant, and it's coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?

AM I NEXT? NO LOVE AT ALAN RITCHEY

Valley View, Texas-based Alan Ritchey, a logistics and trucking company contracted to operate the U.S. Postal Service's Denver Regional Transfer Hub, has announced the closure of the U.S. Postal Service’s Denver Regional Transfer Hub.

The closure will impact 729 employees commencing on February 28, 2026.

CEO Robby Ritchey noted, "We regret that we could not provide more notice of this layoff. The United States Postal Service notified the Company by letter late in the day on December 29, 2025, that, effective February 28, 2026, it is terminating the performance period of the Company’s contract with it. This was not expected or foreseeable. The performance period has been continuously extended over the last year.

Further, the Company could not foresee that the USPS would provide such short notice of termination, since we had previously been informed that USPS would modify and transition the facility to a USPS facility, a process that would take more than 61 days.

On Monday, January 5, 2026, we spoke with the USPS by phone and requested an extension of the performance period. USPS declined. The Company is left with no other options."

In July, USPS Deputy Assistant Inspector General Mary Lloyd released a critical audit of the Denver mail hub, finding that the facility lacked sufficient security to safeguard registered mail and recommending termination of its management contract at the end of 2025.

An April inspection revealed numerous packages that had been cut open, with labels and contents missing. Damaged mail was not turned over to USPS staff as required, and the volume of compromised packages far exceeded that of comparable USPS-run facilities.

The audit concluded that these deficiencies exposed mail to theft and unauthorized handling. USPS management also raised concerns that contract employees were opening Priority Mail Open and Distribute (PMOD) sacks to selectively steal medications.

Change is constant, and it's coming. There will always be a tomorrow, no matter how much you may try to ignore it. There are no guarantees in life, nor promises of a bright future. We see good people being laid off through no fault of their own. Just because something terrible hasn't happened yet doesn't mean it won't. It can happen to anyone, at any time, anywhere. No one is guaranteed to wake up tomorrow and still have a job by evening. While many employees can read the writing on the wall, why do most assume it’s targeted at someone else? Are you now wondering, Am I Next?