WASHINGTON — Delivering world-class care and benefits to veterans.
That's what both sides say will be the result of a landmark collective bargaining agreement reached between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the union that represents nearly 300,000 VA workers.
They take care of the nation's military heroes. They're the nurses, doctors, dentists, physician assistants, and other frontline health care providers -- nearly one-third of whom are veterans themselves -- who care for the more than nine million vets at 172 Department of Veterans Affairs medical centers and more than 1,100 VA outpatient sites across the country.
Back in the summer of 2019, members of the nation’s largest federal employee union. The American Federation of Government Employees Local 2328 rallied outside the Hampton VA Medical Center.
Now, after more than five years of negotiations, the AFGE and the VA have signed off on an agreement on a new contract that preserves and expands critical protections for nearly 300,000 VA workers and aims to expand access to care for veterans.
The deal streamlines the VA's hiring process as the department needs to add 52,000 new hires in FY 2023, thanks in large part to the passage of the PACT Act.
"A big benefit of the contract is going to be easing the process by which we can fill vacancies," said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Denis McDonough. AFGE National President Dr. Everette Kelley said he is "proud" of the contract.
He added: "It is going to be better for employees, better for the agency, and better for our communities."