The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced a significant shift in its use of taxpayer funds, redirecting tens of millions of dollars previously allocated to federal union activities back toward services for Veterans and their families.
On August 6, the VA ended union contracts for most bargaining-unit employees. This move reduced the number of VA bargaining unit employees from about 375,000 to roughly 7,000. As a result, the department is redirecting nearly $45 million annually from union-related expenditures to direct support for Veterans.
A major part of this change involves curtailing taxpayer-funded union time. In 2024, nearly $39.75 million was spent allowing almost 2,000 VA employees to dedicate close to 750,000 hours to government union work instead of serving VA beneficiaries. Most of these employees have now returned full-time to their original positions at the VA, including more than 1,000 staff members in direct patient-care roles.
The department has also reclaimed over 180,000 square feet of office space—previously provided free-of-charge to unions—valued at approximately $5.4 million. The reclaimed space will be repurposed for administrative and clinical services across several facilities nationwide.
Additionally, since August 6, the VA has recovered more than 2,000 pieces of IT equipment worth about $600,000 that had been supplied without charge to union representatives.
The agency highlighted examples from fiscal year 2024 where skilled personnel were assigned full-time to union business instead of serving Veterans. These included over 1,000 direct patient-care staff; six registered nurses earning a combined total nearing $1.2 million per year; five attorneys with collective earnings totaling $1.25 million per year; four pharmacists making more than $700,000 collectively; one physician’s assistant earning $225,000; and one Veterans claims examiner with a salary of $190,000 per year.
Under President Trump’s administration, thousands of employees are being brought back into offices with increased workspace availability following these changes. Notable facilities regaining office space include the Salem VA Medical Center—which regained a wing spanning 7,500 square feet—the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center in Tennessee with an additional 3,800 square feet available after relinquishment by union leadership—and eleven other medical centers each reclaiming spaces larger than 2,000 square feet.
“VA staff will now get to spend more time with Veterans, VA facilities can focus on treating Veterans, and VA can manage its staff according to Veterans’ needs and national security requirements, not union demands,” said VA secretary Doug Collins.
