The Department of Veterans Affairs canceled its contracts with most unions on Wednesday, saying the unions fight against the best interests of veterans.
VA said the move follows President Donald Trump’s executive order from March to do away with public employee unions at the federal level. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals lifted a preliminary injunction Friday that previously stopped 21 agencies from implementing the executive order.
The American Federation of Government Employees, the largest federal employee union, objected to the move.
“Secretary Collins’ decision to rip up the negotiated union contract for [the] majority of its workforce is another clear example of retaliation against AFGE members for speaking out against the illegal, anti-worker, and anti-veteran policies of this administration,” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said.
The federal agency charged with caring for veterans said the move will make it easier for VA leaders to promote high-performing employees and hold poor performers accountable.
In April, VA stopped withholding union dues from most employees’ paychecks.
VA leaders notified the unions on Wednesday that their contracts were terminated. This includes employees who belonged to the American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO (AFGE), National Association of Government Employees (NAGE), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU), and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).
