The issues facing veterans and those facing the working class aren't independent of each other — a lack of good jobs, attacks on health care and fading dreams of a better life impact each one of us.
VA Secretary Wilkie should be ashamed for attacking veteran, AFGE leaders say
WASHINGTON – Leaders with the American Federation of Government Employees are calling out Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie for disparaging a disabled combat veteran who shared his firsthand accounts of veterans who are suffering extreme financial hardships under this unprecedented government shutdown.
Statement from AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council Executive Director Will Attig on Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie criticizing the notion that the ongoing partial government shutdown may lead to suicides among veterans:
The Union Veterans Council is astonished by VA Secretary Wilke’s statement that goes against supporting data, research studies and the majority of mental health experts specializing in veterans health. This is an outrageous attempt to distract from the very serious crisis that tens of thousands of veterans have been hurled into with no end in sight.
The National Union Veterans Council is calling on all local Union Veterans and supporters to stand side-by-side with the nearly quarter of a million veterans that work for the federal government and are currently furloughed or working without pay.
Financial Instability Is Major Cause of Veterans’ Suicides
Statement from AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council Executive Director Will Attig on the government shutdown:
It is disgraceful that an estimated 248,400 veterans across the country are not receiving paychecks because of dysfunction in Washington, D.C. Our veterans who continue to serve by protecting our borders, guarding prisoners and stopping terrorist attacks at airports do not deserve to be used as political pawns.
