As you know, AFGE National and other federal unions have sued the Trump Administration over the unlawful, retaliatory executive order that attempts to strip collective bargaining rights from more than 1 million federal workers under the guise of “national security.” This includes bargaining unit employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs, with the exception of police officers, firefighters, and security guards.
VA Secretary Doug Collins was delegated authority in Executive Order 14251, Exclusions from Federal Labor-Management Relations Programs, allowing him to identify VA subdivisions that did not perform “national security” work, thereby permitting employees to retain collective bargaining rights under the coverage of the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute. Secretary Collins had until April 11, 2025, to exercise this authority by publishing an order in the Federal Register.
Earlier today, VA published the order in the Federal Register. Secretary Collins continued the anti-union crusade of the Trump Administration and used his authority to only permit collective bargaining by non-AFGE unions, including:
- Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA);
- Western Federation of Nurses and Health Professionals (WFNHP);
- Veterans Affairs Staff Nurse Council (VASNC) Local 5032 at the VA Medical Center Milwaukee, WI;
- International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF-99) at the VA Medical Center, Little Rock, AR;
- United Nurses Association of California/Union of Healthcare Professionals (UNAC/UHCP) at the VA Medical Center, Loma Linda, CA;
- Teamsters Union Local 115 at the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Coatesville, PA;
- International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 2168 at the Cheyenne WY VA Medical Center;
- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, (IAMAW) Local 1998 at the VA National Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu, HI.
Obviously, it makes no sense whatsoever that VA employees represented by AFGE are supposedly engaged in national security work, while those same employees represented by other unions are not. Nurses represented by AFGE perform the same patient care duties as nurses represented by other unions. The same logic applies to cemetery workers, electricians, and more. None of these employees perform “national security work.” Secretary Collins’ order is indefensible and unlawful.
AFGE and NVAC will fight this order and take swift action to defend our rights. In recent weeks, bipartisan groups in the House of Representatives and the Senate have called on President Trump to rescind EO 14251. Bipartisan legislation aimed at restoring collective bargaining rights for unionized federal employees has also been introduced. Please click here to urge your Member of Congress to support H.R. 2550, the “Protect America’s Workforce Act.”
IMPORTANT: VA Locals should continue to enforce the Master Agreement and file grievances or unfair labor practices, as appropriate. Lastly, please encourage all members to join eDues https://join.afge.org/L1061