A federal judge intervened late last week to prevent the Department of Veterans Affairs from illegally terminating the labor contract covering 320,000 employees represented by AFGE and our National Veterans Affairs Council.
Less than 24 hours before the VA intended to cancel our contract, U.S. District Court Judge Melissa DuBose issued an order on Aug. 7 granting AFGE/NVAC’s motion to enforce the preliminary injunction she issued in March reinstating the contract.
This was the VA’s third attempt to terminate our contract, which is the largest representing federal employees. Most recently, the VA issued a written notice on July 24 informing AFGE/NVAC that it intended to “re-terminate” the union’s contract – a clear violation of the March preliminary injunction and contrary to the plain language of the agreement signed by both the union and agency that provides for an automatic extension of the contract pending renegotiation efforts. The union and agency are currently renegotiating a successor agreement to the contract, which took effect in August 2023 with an initial three-year term.
“Unions that represent federal employees have long been under attack. Why? Because we are the roadblock preventing the privatization of the agencies we swore to protect,” AFGE National VA Council President Mary Jean “MJ” Burke said in a statement following the ruling. “No matter how many times we are kicked while we are down, we get back up, brush off the dirt, and get right back in the fight because we believe in the VA’s mission to serve our nation’s veterans. Today’s victory is proof that the law sides with AFGE/NVAC because we fight for what is right.”
AFGE/NVAC looks forward to continuing to litigate the case on the merits.
“It is shameful that the VA is hellbent on taking union rights away from the hardworking men and women who provide care to America’s veterans, a third of whom are veterans themselves,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. “We are grateful for Judge DuBose’s swift action forcing the VA to recognize our collective bargaining agreement which guarantees these rights, and vow to continue protecting the 320,000 VA employees AFGE proudly represents.”
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.
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