Lisa Murkowski cosponsors a bill to restore the cancelled VA union contracts
Lisa MurkowskiU.S. senator from Alaska (Republican)
Murkowski, a Republican, joins Democratic Senators Richard Blumenthal and Chuck Schumer as an original cosponsor of a bill to restore the cancelled VA union contracts and nullify the executive orders behind them. She says upholding the right to bargain lets VA staff focus on supporting veterans.
“Action: Became an original cosponsor of S. 3174, the VA Care and Benefits Accountability Act, a bill to restore the VA union contracts cancelled in August 2025 and nullify Executive Orders 14251 and 14343, on November 10, 2025.”
Official statement
Original text
Where this statement fits
VA ends most union contracts, then treats AFGE's as expired; Collins cites veterans' care and unions call it retaliation
On August 6, 2025, the Department of Veterans Affairs terminated its collective bargaining agreements with five unions for most of its bargaining-unit employees. It cited Executive Order 14251, which President Trump signed in March 2025 to exclude the VA and other agencies from federal collective bargaining on national security grounds. Contracts for about 4,000 VA police officers, firefighters and security guards stayed in place. Secretary Doug Collins said unions that represent VA employees too often fight against veterans' best interests while protecting bad workers. The American Federation of Government Employees, whose master agreement covered about 300,000 VA employees, sued in federal court in Rhode Island in November 2025, arguing the termination was retaliation for its public opposition to VA policies. On March 13, 2026, U.S. District Judge Melissa DuBose ordered the contract restored, finding the union likely to succeed on its First Amendment and Administrative Procedure Act claims. Collins terminated it again on March 26 on national security grounds, and the judge ruled the next day that the re-termination did not comply with her order. In May the First Circuit left her injunction in place. The VA then said the contract would end with its three-year term on August 8, 2026. AFGE says the VA's request to renegotiate triggered a clause that keeps the contract in force until a new one is agreed. Judge DuBose agreed in August, but on October 2 the First Circuit stayed that order, finding it went beyond the original injunction, without deciding the contract question. The VA told AFGE on October 10 that it considers the agreement expired for everyone except police officers, firefighters and security guards. AFGE has asked the judge to modify her injunction, and we did not find a ruling on that request as of November 12, 2026.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Release announcing that Senators Lisa Murkowski, Richard Blumenthal and Chuck Schumer and Representative Delia Ramirez introduced the VA Care and Benefits Accountability Act, which would restore cancelled VA union contracts and nullify Executive Orders 14251 and 14343, with statements by Murkowski, Blumenthal, Alaska AFL-CIO President Joelle Hall and NFFE President Randy Erwin.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Original text
About this source
Congress.gov record for S. 3174, introduced November 10, 2025 by Senator Richard Blumenthal and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. It lists Senators Lisa Murkowski and Chuck Schumer as original cosponsors as of that date.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Her office says the bill responds to the Trump administration's cancellation of union contracts for 80 percent of VA employees.
After the quotation
In the same release Murkowski says the bill will defend VA employees who speak up about waste, fraud and abuse. The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is the Department of Veterans Affairs' termination of most of its union contracts on August 6, 2025, and its later treatment of the AFGE master agreement as expired in October 2026. Murkowski cosponsors legislation to restore the contracts the VA terminated and says bargaining rights help VA staff serve veterans, which condemns the terminations.
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More from this case
Read the full caseAFGE says the appeals court did not let the VA re-terminate its contract and calls the move an attack on federal workers
American Federation of Government Employees
“Notably, the First Circuit did not sanction the VA's interpretation of the Duration of Agreement article, nor did it give the VA permission to re-terminate the CBA. ... AFGE vehemently opposes the VA's latest attack on federal workers, a third of whom are veterans themselves.”Read statement
VA tells employees that without the expired AFGE contract, staff and managers can communicate more freely
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
“Employees and managers can more freely engage in open communications to improve the organization ... You may also see changes to some of the processes and procedures that were previously contained in the now-expired AFGE collective bargaining agreement.”Read statement
Doug Collins tells AFGE the VA is terminating its contract again, on national security grounds
“The President is aware of both the important national security role VA performs and how collective bargaining affects VA's ability to perform that mission. ... VA is accordingly terminating this CBA on national security grounds.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Lisa Murkowski cosponsors a bill to restore the cancelled VA union contracts". First published: 2026-11-13. Last updated: 2026-11-13. https://disputeindex.com/events/8711-murkowski-a-republican-joins-democratic-senators-richard-blumenthal