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4d ago

VA Ends Collective Bargaining Agreements With Major Federal Unions

Following a federal appeals court’s lifting of an injunction, the agency moved to reshape workforce management under Secretary Doug Collins’s directive.

A plaque is displayed outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs' headquarters on June 22, 2025 in Washington, DC.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) union, representing members of the TSA, holds a picket outside Norfolk International Airport in Norfolk, United States, on March 25, 2025, to protest anti-union actions by the Trump administration.
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Overview

  • On August 6–7, the VA formally terminated contracts with AFGE, NAGE, NFFE, NNOC/NNU and SEIU, affecting roughly 80% of its 450,000 employees.
  • Contracts covering about 4,000 VA police officers, firefighters and security guards remain in place under exemptions in President Trump’s March executive order.
  • Secretary Doug Collins said removing collective bargaining restrictions will enable promotion of high-performing staff, accountability for poor performers and better focus on veteran care.
  • Affected unions—including AFGE and National Nurses United—denounced the move as retaliatory and plan to mount legal challenges.
  • The agency’s action follows a federal appeals court’s decision to lift a preliminary injunction that had delayed enforcement of Trump’s order ending collective bargaining rights for certain federal workers.