FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: VA Staffing Cuts Are a Direct Attack on Veteran Healthcare

Union Veterans Council Demands Full Staffing, Not Cuts, at the Department of Veterans Affairs

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Union Veterans Council (UVC), AFL-CIO, today issued a forceful condemnation of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) plans to eliminate up to 35,000 vacant healthcare positions, warning that this reduction—combined with previous staff losses—is a direct, dangerous attack on the quality and accessibility of care for our nation's veterans.

“The VA’s announcement to slash tens of thousands of healthcare jobs, even if currently vacant, is nothing less than a deliberate act of sabotage against the very veterans the department is mandated to serve,” said Craig Romanovich, Executive Director of the Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO. “These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet; they are the doctors, nurses, mental health specialists, and support staff that our veterans are waiting for right now. To eliminate these critical roles at a time of record-high demand is inexcusable.”

The UVC points to the severe negative impacts these staffing cuts will have on veteran care, especially following the expansion of benefits under the PACT Act:

• Longer Wait Times and Reduced Access: Eliminating thousands of open clinical positions—including those for doctors and nurses—will inevitably exacerbate existing shortages, leading to dramatically longer appointment wait times for veterans seeking crucial care, from primary health to specialized mental health services.
• Strain on Remaining Staff: The loss of staff places an unsustainable burden on existing VA employees, many of whom are union members and veterans themselves. This increased workload leads to burnout, higher turnover, and a reduced capacity to provide the personalized, high-quality care veterans deserve.
• Betraying the PACT Act Promise: The PACT Act expanded eligibility for over a million toxic-exposed veterans. Cutting the clinical workforce now undermines the promise made by Congress to provide these heroes with the specialized, long-term care they need, especially for complex conditions.

“Every veteran who raised their hand and served this nation deserves a fully staffed, fully funded, and fully functioning VA,” Romanovich stated. “The administration’s claim that these cuts will have 'zero impact' on veteran care is blatantly dishonest. Unfilled positions are unmet needs. Locking in these shortages is an act of institutional cruelty that risks pushing veterans into a fragmented private-care system that is not equipped to handle the complexities of military-related health conditions.”

The Union Veterans Council, AFL-CIO, calls on the Department of Veterans Affairs and the administration to immediately:

1. Reverse Course: Abolish the plan to eliminate up to 35,000 healthcare positions.
2. Launch a National Recruitment Surge: Actively and aggressively recruit and hire into every vacant clinical and support position to achieve full staffing levels across the Veterans Health Administration.
3. Invest in the VA Workforce: Honor the VA’s dedicated public servants by respecting their collective bargaining rights and ensuring a stable, supportive working environment.

“The labor movement, which proudly represents hundreds of thousands of VA workers, will not stand idly by while the benefits and healthcare our veterans have earned are cut for the sake of an arbitrary budget reduction,” Romanovich concluded. “Our veterans kept their oath. It is time for the United States government to keep its promise. Staff the VA fully, or be held accountable for the harm this reckless policy inflicts.”