US Rep. Kelly Morrison Condemns Trump Administration’s Gutting of VA Workers’ Rights

PLYMOUTH, MN - Today, U.S. Representative Kelly Morrison (MN-03), Minnesota's only member of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, joined fellow committee members in condemning the Department of Veterans' Affairs (VA) decision to terminate collective bargaining agreements for most VA bargaining-unit employees.

This decision will impact hundreds of thousands of its employees, including those represented by the American Federation of Government, 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).

Rep. Morrison joined House Committee on Veterans' Affairs Members Mark Takano (CA-39), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Chris Pappas (NH-01), Sheila-Cherfilus McCormick (FL-20), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Tim Kennedy (NY-26), Maxine Dexter, M.D. (OR-03), and Herb Conaway, Jr., M.D. (NJ-03) in issuing the following statement:

"While Secretary Collins tries to spin this horrific VA decision to terminate union contracts for most bargaining-unit VA employees, we see it for what it is - a politically motivated attack on VA employees'rights, power, and autonomy.

"This Administration is showing once again that it is anti-worker, anti-veteran, and anti-VA. They are outright violating the law to retaliate against workers and their unions who have dared exercise their First Amendment right to oppose this Administration's actions that harm workers. This Administration fears unions because they know that there is strength and power in unions.

"At a time when VA employees are leaving the agency in droves due to the toxic work environment created by Secretary Collins,it is more important than ever that we work together to protect VA employees' rights. We remain committed to ensuring VA employees have all the tools they need, including collective bargaining rights, to do their job and to improve the care and benefits veterans receive at VA.

"We stand with the hardworking union members who serve our nation's veterans, and we call on Secretary Collins to end these naked political attacks at the expense of veterans and to support the fundamental American principle that Americans have the right to join unions and to collectively bargain. Violating that principle is unpatriotic."

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