Murkowski and Colleagues Introduce Bill to Restore VA Employees’ Collective Bargaining Rights
Washington, DC — U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Charles Schumer (D-NY), and U.S. Representative Delia Ramirez (D-IL) introduced bipartisan legislation to restore and protect Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees’ collective bargaining rights in response to the Trump Administration’s cancellation of union contracts for 80% of VA employees.
“Our country made a promise to care for those who have served — and that promise is upheld by ensuring that our Veterans Affairs workforce is able to provide the best possible care to our former servicemembers. That includes upholding their right to collectively bargain so they have access to working conditions that allow them to focus on supporting our veterans,” said Senator Murkowski. “This legislation will defend those who speak up about waste, fraud, and abuse within the Department. When we protect this workforce, we protect veterans’ access to the high-quality care and benefits they’ve earned.”
“We must erase Trump’s unlawful executive orders restricting VA workers’ rights to collective bargaining,” said Senator Blumenthal. “VA worker rights are essential to imposing proper oversight and scrutiny and providing veterans the care and compensation they deserve. As this Administration broadly cuts federal employees and their pay, collective bargaining rights are more important than ever.”
The lawmakers’ VA Care and Benefits Accountability (VA CBA) Act will restore cancelled union contracts and nullify Executive Order 14251 (90 Fed. Reg. 14553) and Executive Order 14343 (90 Fed. Reg. 42683). This will restore union bargaining rights and protections for nearly 400,000 VA employees, among which almost 25% are veterans.
In August, Trump VA Secretary Doug Collins terminated union contracts for most of VA’s bargaining-unit employees—enforcing the executive orders despite ongoing litigation and the Office of Personnel Management’s recommendation to wait until court proceedings had been fully resolved. This decision impacts nearly 80% of VA’s workforce, including mission-critical positions like mental health providers, nurses, and claims processors. This action stripped employees of certain essential rights that help protect whistleblowers who advocate for accountable leadership and increased support and resources to provide quality, effective, and efficient services to all Americans.
The unions impacted by the Trump VA’s policy are 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).
The lawmakers’ legislation is supported by key labor partners and veterans’ advocates.
“As a former servicemember, I am deeply appreciative of Senator Murkowski's support for the hard-working professionals who care for our veterans and their basic right to collectively bargain,” said Alaska’s AFL-CIO President, Joelle Hall. “The stripping of collective bargaining rights from America's civil service is bad for safety, bad for morale, and bad for the American public. The Alaska AFL-CIO urges Congress to pass this bill quickly and send a message that we respect the men and women who have served our country and the devoted workers who serve our veterans.”
“NFFE strongly supports H.R. 6015/S. 3174, the VA CBA Act of 2025, and urges its swift passage,” said National Federation of Federal Employees’ (NFFE-IAM) National President Randy Erwin. “This legislation is essential to restoring collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of VA employees—many of them veterans—so they can speak out about fraud, waste, abuse, or management failures without fear of retaliation. At a time when outside interests increasingly pressure the VA to prioritize private profit over patient care, these protections are more critical than ever. Collective bargaining is not just about supporting employees; it ensures they have the confidence and security to hold management accountable to the promises we make to veterans every day.”
###
