Veterans Affairs axes most of its union contracts: ‘Singularly focused on the job'
'Too often, unions that represent VA employees fight against the best interests of Veterans while protecting and rewarding bad workers,' VA Secretary Doug Collins said in a statement.
'We're making sure VA resources and employees are singularly focused on the job we were sent here to do: providing top-notch care and service to those who wore the uniform.'
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Last year, the VA had some 1,900 bargaining-unit employees who spent about 750,000 hours of their taxpayer-funded work time on union-related activities.
Termination of those union contracts for most units comes in response to President Trump's executive order in March, which moved to prohibit certain federal agencies from labor relations programs.
3 VA Secretary Doug Collins argued that the move will ensure the department puts more of its focus on veterans.
Bonnie Cash/UPI/Shutterstock
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3 President Trump took executive action in March to curtail federal union activities.
AP
Back in 2016, the VA spent more than any other federal agency on taxpayer-funded union time — $49 million, according to US Office of Personnel Management data. The VA is generally considered the second-largest federal agency.
In 2019, the last time full data was available, the VA spent $21 million on taxpayer-funded union time.
Under the Federal Service Labor Management Relations Statute, federal unions are prohibited from negotiating over benefits and pay. That law does not cover contract workers, which the VA utilizes.
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Federal unions, however, can still negotiate workplace conditions.
The VA already stopped withholding union fees from most of its payroll back in April in response to Trump's March executive order.
3 The Department of Veterans Affairs was previously the top spender of taxpayer-funded union time.
Christopher Sadowski
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On Wednesday, the VA notified the American Federation of Government Employees, National Association of Government Employees, National Federation of Federal Employees, National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United, and the Service Employees International Union that their contracts have been terminated.
The terminations do not cover about 4,000 security guards, police officers, or firefighters associated with the VA. Those occupations were not included in Trump's executive order.
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The Hill
a minute ago
- The Hill
Trump versus the District of Columbia
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The Hill
a minute ago
- The Hill
Trump hosts leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan for peace accord signing
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Axios
a minute ago
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Modi vows to "deepen partnership" with Putin after Trump's tariffs
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