Nikki Budzinski tells Collins that backing the order on VA employees' labor rights devalues their work
Nikki BudzinskiU.S. representative from Illinois and member of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs, at a committee hearing with Secretary Collins
At a May 2025 committee hearing, Budzinski tells Secretary Collins that collective bargaining helps VA employees and veterans, and that by endorsing the executive order stripping VA employees of their labor rights he devalues their work.
“Almost four in five VA employees are members of unions and collective bargaining rights give them a process to address their concerns in the workplace and ensure sound working conditions. I believe this helps both the employee and the veteran being served. Mr. Secretary, when you endorse President Trump's executive order stripping VA employees of their labor rights, I believe you devalue their work.”
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
Original text
About this source
The printed record of the May 15, 2025 hearing at which Secretary Doug Collins testified on the VA budget request, published by the Government Publishing Office. It includes Representative Nikki Budzinski's remarks to Collins on VA employees' collective bargaining rights.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Budzinski spoke during her questioning time at the hearing on the VA budget request, after saying that VA employees had stepped up to deliver the PACT Act expansion of care and now faced more staffing cuts.
After the quotation
She said constituents who work at the VA in her district report fear, stress and low morale, and that changes at the VA should be thoughtful, legal and based on input from stakeholders, including Congress.
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' exclusion from collective bargaining under Executive Order 14251, its 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. Speaking months before the terminations, Budzinski says that endorsing the order's removal of VA employees' labor rights devalues their work, which condemns the exclusion.
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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. "Nikki Budzinski tells Collins that backing the order on VA employees' labor rights devalues their work". First published: 2026-11-13. Last updated: 2026-11-13. https://disputeindex.com/events/8744-at-a-may-2025-committee-hearing-budzinski-tells