AFGE EAGER TO WORK WITH OBAMA VA SECRETARY NOMINEE RETIRED ARMY GENERAL ERIC K. SHINSEKI

VA Employee Union Believes Obama Nominee Represents New Beginning for Agency

(WASHINGTON) – In response to President Elect Barack Obama’s nomination of retired Army General Eric K. Shinseki, for the post of Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary, the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 150,000 employees within the agency released the following statement:

AFGE, which represents employees throughout the agency, is pleased that President-elect Obama has chosen an individual with a record of tremendous leadership who recognizes that it is the people in the organization who are called upon to deliver high quality care and service to our nation’s veterans.

President-elect Obama’s choice of retired Army General Eric K. Shinseki represents a clear break from the past eight years in which the Bush Administration sought to dismantle the VA through the use of fee-basis contract care and undercut the agency by continually understaffing and underfunding the agency.

We believe that as a veteran, retired Army General Shinseki understands the tremendous sacrifice of servicemen and women and that of their families and that we can work together to make sure that our veterans receive the world-class care they deserve.

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The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) is the largest federal employee union, representing 600,000 workers in the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia.