Trump Administration Ends VA Union Contracts Covering 400,000 Employees

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs has terminated collective-bargaining agreements covering roughly 400,000 employees after a federal appeals court lifted an injunction that had blocked President Donald Trump’s March executive order restricting union rights for federal workers. The agency told five unions—including the American Federation of Government Employees, National Association of Government Employees and National Nurses Organizing Committee—that their contracts for bargaining-unit staff were nullified as of last week. VA Secretary Doug Collins said the move will allow staff to spend more time serving veterans, citing figures that about 2,000 union representatives spent 750,000 hours on paid union activities in 2024 and used 187,000 square feet of office and clinical space at no cost to the government. The department added that ending the contracts will give managers greater ability to hire, promote and discipline employees. Union leaders condemned the decision as retaliation against workers who have challenged administration policies. AFGE President Everett Kelley called the action “another clear example of retaliation” and said the organization is weighing legal options. The AFL-CIO said it is mobilizing congressional support for the Protect America’s Workforce Act, which would reverse the executive order. Several Democratic lawmakers said they are gathering bipartisan signatures for a discharge petition to force a vote. Members of Congress and labor groups also warned that the administration’s strategy could spread beyond the VA, pointing to recent cancellations of collective-bargaining agreements at the Environmental Protection Agency. They argued that rolling back union protections will undermine veterans’ care and environmental oversight, setting the stage for an escalating confrontation between federal employee unions and the White House.