Budzinski Slams VA Secretary’s Termination of VA Employee Rights

SPRINGFIELD, IL — Today, Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), a member of the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and Congressional Labor Caucus, sent a letter to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins expressing outrage over the Department’s decision to terminate collective bargaining agreements for the majority of VA bargaining-unit employees. To view the letter, click HERE.

In her letter, Congresswoman Budzinski questioned the rationale behind the decision and emphasized its potential consequences on both the VA workforce and the quality of care and services provided to our nation’s veterans. Budzinski is requesting data on all employee departures from January 1, 2025 through August 8, 2025 within the VA Iliana and St. Louis Health Care Systems, as well as the VBA and NCA facilities serving Illinois’s 13th district. 

The Congresswoman wrote, “Your announcement on August 6, 2025, that VA is terminating most collective bargaining agreements, in apparent retaliation against members of the American Federation of Government Employees and other unions, undercuts not just the VA workforce but also veteran care. Unions don’t just ensure fair work hours and safe staffing minimums; they are also an essential channel to address patient safety issues and improve care. 

Budzinski continued, “I am deeply concerned that in the wake of this decision, even more employees will choose to leave the VA, and fewer prospective employees will choose VA as an employer. This will impact veterans’ access to benefits and care.” 

Budzinski has served on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs since her first term in Congress. She has been a leading advocate for veterans in Central and Southern Illinois – in recent months pushing back against the current administration’s decisions and insisting that VA’s quality of care must never be compromised.

###