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President Trump’s executive orders have eviscerated collective bargaining rights for federal employees, particularly at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). NFFE-IAM National President Randy Erwin details the union’s efforts to challenge these orders, including a lawsuit and legislative action, emphasizing the negative impact on veterans’ care and employee morale.
A letter from several unions to Secretary of Veterans Affairs Douglas Collins urges him to utilize a provision in a recent executive order that allows him to restore collective bargaining rights for VA employees by certifying that such actions are consistent with national security. The unions argue that the initial exclusion of VA employees was an overreach, that their work does not primarily involve national security, and that the loss of these rights has significantly contributed to staffing shortages and plummeting morale. Erwin highlights the urgency of restoring these rights, with the union providing a deadline to Secretary Collins and underscoring the legal and ethical imperative to uphold employees’ First Amendment rights.
