#northcarolina

The Burke County Board of Education revoked "special media access" for The Paper, a local newspaper. This action followed a Dec. 6 article about a projected $4.5 million budget deficit and potential layoffs. Superintendent Mike Swan stated the article caused staff uproar and denied layoff discussions. The newspaper's reporter and editor, Jacob Christopher and Angela Copeland, stand by their reporting. Legal counsel for The Paper views the revocation as potential retaliation against free press rights.

https://carolinapublicpress.org/74286/burke-county-schools-announce-revocation-of-special-media-access-for-newspaper/

Supposedly some former and current managers in North Carolina have spilled the beans on the best of belk awards which usually transpires in March or April. Of course the specific qualifications for the award are still unclear to most associates, and it appears the awards are based on politics and favoritism, which is illegal and can be construed as workplace discrimination. Of course Belk corporate claimed the awards were no different than ‘employee of the month’ but some claim that extra discounts, gratis and other small perks that are given only to select associates are discriminatory and possibly illegal.

UNC-Chapel Hill Seeks $25 Million in Administrative Cuts

UNC-Chapel Hill leaders are requesting budget changes. They target $25 million in administrative cuts. These cuts should be implemented by summer. Layoffs are still a potential outcome. This decision impacts university administration.

https://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2026/01/23/unc-chapel-hill-budget-cuts-administrative-staff.html

https://www.axios.com/local/charlotte/2026/01/16/bank-america-wells-fargo-ai-job-cuts

AAR Corp has confirmed layoffs in its operations, though it hasn’t said how many workers were affected. The job cuts are tied to the Triad region in North Carolina.

Union has agreed to drop maintenance manning to zero this is not good for the future of the plant

Any word on North Carolina employees and what departments are getting hit?

Company: Tryon Palace
Source: WITN

State confirms layoffs at Tryon Palace
Summary: North Carolina’s Department of Natural and Cultural Resources confirmed that around 20 part-time historic interpreters at Tryon Palace were laid off in October due to budget constraints. Leadership said holiday programming would continue despite staffing changes.
City: New Bern
State: North Carolina
https://www.witn.com/2025/11/08/state-confirms-layoffs-tryon-palace/

Laying off 300

• RTI International cut 120 jobs Thursday, including 75 in North Carolina.
• Federal funding declines dropped NIH grants from $397M in 2024 to $59M in 2025.
• RTI workforce shrank 35% in 2025, affecting over 400 North Carolina employees.

https://www.newsobserver.com/news/business/article312166964.html

Lots of folks have heard rumors that the folks in the Wooten bldg are moving to the Forest Hills bldg. They have even gotten rid of their daytime cleaning crew. I thought they were revamping that bldg. what happened? They certainly haven’t done anything to the Forest Hills one. Slap some purple paint on a wall and call it a day. Will they revamp the Forest Hills bldg if we are all under one roof?

Any update on the remaining 200+ employees at the West End Center?