What will be in the next contract now that the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the AFGE National VA Council (NVAC) have returned to the negotiating table?
The negotiation teams met on March 1 in Phoenix to begin renegotiating 12 of the 67 total articles in the master agreement. The rest will be rolled over. The teams will be on a two-week on, two-week off schedule. They are currently in Phoenix for two weeks and will be off for two weeks before resuming negotiations in other cities. Besides Phoenix, they will be in Washington, D.C, Orlando, Loma Linda, New Orleans, Long Beach, Boston, Dallas, San Antonio, Houston, Charleston, San Francisco, and Pittsburgh.
The AFGE NVAC negotiation team represents hundreds of thousands of VA employees who rely on the union to make sure all VA workers can care for our nation’s veterans in a safe, dignified workplace that celebrates their commitment to our nation’s heroes.
“Our contract provides vital protections for the hundreds of thousands of VA employees who are working around the clock to deliver world-class healthcare and services to veterans during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said NVAC President Alma Lee. “It is the best line of defense for those who are wrongfully accused and targeted by VA managers, allowing workers and union representatives to hold the VA accountable for providing a safe workplace centered on the dignity, fairness, and respect both our veterans and employees deserve.”
“In the months ahead, NVAC looks forward to negotiating in good faith with VA over a limited reopener of the 2011 Master Agreement,” she added. “We expect their negotiators to come to the table ready to make VA a ‘model employer’ that best serves veterans, employees, and the American public.”
On Wednesday, March 2, AFGE VA members from more than 50 locals across the country showed up to work in red to show support for their NVAC bargaining team. They also posted their pictures on Facebook and Twitter with a hashtag #RedForFeds.
Here are the 12 articles that will be discussed:
AFGE President Everett Kelley pushed back on the incoming administration’s plan to drastically cut the federal workforce and agencies.
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Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s plan to end telework in the federal government will likely backfire.
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It’s that time of year to nominate local Legislative Political Coordinators (LPCs) for AFGE’s Fred McDuff LPC of the Year Award!
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