AFGE’s National Veterans Affairs Council (NVAC) went back to court last week to prevent the Department of Veterans Affairs from illegally terminating our collective bargaining agreement covering more than 320,000 VA employees.
The agency notified NVAC in May that it intended to renegotiate the master collective bargaining agreement that took effect in August 2023, and negotiations over ground rules began just three weeks ago. Nevertheless, the VA recently notified AFGE that it intends to terminate the master agreement on Aug. 8, which is the date that the current contract expires.
Like many union contracts, our CBA includes a continuance provision clearly stating that the contract will be “automatically extended until a new agreement is negotiated.”
“Instead of negotiating in good faith with NVAC over a successor CBA, VA now intends to ‘re-terminate’ the CBA. AFGE/NVAC will not tolerate it. No one is above the law,” AFGE National VA Council President M.J. Burke said.
On July 28, NVAC filed a motion asking U.S. District Court Judge Melissa DuBose to enforce her March preliminary injunction ordering the restoration of our contract pending resolution of a lawsuit filed by AFGE/NVAC challenging its termination by VA Secretary Doug Collins on Aug. 6, 2025. Judge DuBose’s order found that Secretary Collins and the VA likely violated the First Amendment and the Administrative Procedure Act by terminating the contract.
This is not the first time that the VA sought to “re-terminate” the master CBA in violation of Judge DuBose’s preliminary injunction. On March 27, Judge DuBose found that the VA’s March 26 attempt to re-terminate the master CBA violated the court’s orders. The VA later sought an emergency stay of these orders pending appeal, but a unanimous panel of the First Circuit Court of Appeals denied that request on May 16.
“The VA has tried time and time again to gut our contract, and time and time again the court has stepped in to prevent it. Now it’s again attempting to violate the court’s injunction and re-terminate our contract,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. “The VA’s callous disregard for the law and for their own workers’ well-being is beyond the pale, and we will continue fighting this administration’s anti-union and anti-worker policies at every step.”
What you can do
The only way to make sure you keep your union membership and benefits no matter what this administration attempts to do is to sign up today on AFGE E-Dues.
By switching from payroll deduction to AFGE E-Dues, you can safeguard your union membership and the benefits that come with being a union member, including popular supplemental insurance plans.
AFGE national organizers and leaders are visiting VA medical centers and clinics in cities across the country, encouraging current and prospective members to enroll in AFGE E-Dues.
Signing up for AFGE E-Dues is secure and confidential. You can conveniently pay by credit card or bank draft, making the process easier, faster, and more secure.
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