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Over the past two weeks, we met with VA officials in Orlando, FL for our third bargaining session to negotiate over the largest union contract in the federal government! Securing a strong Master Agreement is at the height of importance, and we’re proud to fight for your rights at the table. Read below on what happened during this round of negotiations:

To further improve communication lines and respond to the concerns between the National VA Council and you, our members, I have established a National VA Council Briefing. This NVAC Briefing will bring you the latest news and developments within DVA and provide you with the current status of issues this Council is currently addressing. This NVAC Briefing will significantly enhance how we communicate and how we share new information, keeping you better informed. Alma L. Lee National VA Council, President Legal Notes The NVAC Legal Team is pleased to announce a favorable decision from the FLRA upholding a 2018 arbitration award finding that the VA unlawfully and unilaterally implemented a policy requiring union representatives to request and receive preapproval for official time in VATAS. While AFGE representatives have been complying with this directive for more than four years under the principle of “obey now, grieve later,” the FLRA decision affirms that union officials are not required to request and receive preapproval for official time in VATAS. DOWNLOAD the FLRA decision Background In March 2018, the VA provided notice to the NVAC that Union officials would be required to request, record, and track official time via the VA Time and Attendance System (VATAS). The Union responded that the tracking of official time was already covered by MCBA and that it would reserve negotiations over the tracking of official time to term negotiations, as the VA had already opened the 2011 Master Agreement for bargaining under the Trump Administration. The Union noted that any attempt by the VA to unilaterally implement the tracking of official time by Union officials would violate federal law, past practice, and the Master Agreement. At the time, the VA was solely responsible for tracking national and local official time through its timekeepers. Despite the Union’s warning, the […]

We are honored to be a union of public servants. From the D.C. government to countless agencies inside the federal government, we are proud to represent 700,000 workers in the public sector. This week, and every week of the year, we uplift your great work and advocate alongside you for better pay, working conditions, and a voice on the job. During Public Service Recognition Week, please join government workers across the country in wearing red on Wednesday, May 4 in support of the amazing work public sector employees do for the American public every day. Be sure to post your photos on social media and use the hashtags #RedForFeds and #ProudToBeAFGE. Since 2018 we have been building our #RedForFeds movement, and Public Service Recognition Week is the perfect time to show our pride! We applaud you and the incredible work you do on behalf of the American people. AFGE is proud to be your union! In Solidarity, AFGE

To further improve communication lines and respond to the concerns between the National VA Council and you, our members, I have established a National VA Council Briefing. This NVAC Briefing will bring you the latest news and developments within DVA and provide you with the current status of issues this Council is currently addressing. This NVAC Briefing will significantly enhance how we communicate and how we share new information, keeping you better informed. Alma L. Lee National VA Council, President As April 28th and Workers Memorial Day approaches, we’re reminded of the sacrifices VA healthcare workers make each day. Help us honor those who have been injured or lost their lives while on the job. Help us call attention to the preventable, unsafe working conditions. We encourage you to take the time and download these Workers’ Memorial Day tools. You may also find them on our afgenvac.org website under Communication Resources HERE.

Articles Left to Negotiate   Article 12: Details and Temporary Promotions Article 14: Discipline and Adverse Action Article 16: Employee Awards and Recognition Article 22: Investigations Article 23: Merit Promotion Article 27: Performance Appraisal Article 29: Safety, Health, and Environment Article 39: Upward Mobility Article 46: Local Supplement Article 47: Mid-term Bargaining Article 48: Official Time Article 66: Technology for Administering, Tracking, and Measuring VBA Work   Geddes —   Everyday, VA workers nationwide work around the clock to care for our nation’s heroes. And while you care for our veterans, your NVAC Negotiating Team is fighting for you. We‘re committed to ensuring all 283,000 VA workers we represent have the tools, resources, and benefits necessary to fulfill America’s promise to our women & men in uniform.   Our NVAC Negotiating Team and representatives from the VA met in Washington, DC from March 29 to April 7 to hold the second bargaining session of many. During this round of negotiations, we continued to discuss Article 12 (Details and Temporary Promotions) and Article 14 (Discipline and Adverse Action). On these items alone, we have already provided more than 10 counter offers with the VA. Additionally, these discussions included the start of conversations on Article 16 (Employee Awards and Recognition) and Article 46 (Local Supplement).   What’s on the negotiating table right now? Article 12 (Details and Temporary Promotions): Governs situations where workers are temporarily reassigned or promoted based on VA needs. NVAC wants to install stronger guardrails for the use of Article 12 by giving locals more advanced notice to give workers proper training and resources to perform their new job. Article 14 (Discipline and Adverse Action): Provide due process rights to workers and describes the procedures used by the VA when issuing discipline. NVAC wants to maintain a set of […]

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