Solidarity Alert: Stand with VA Employees!

Here's what you need to know this week:

Employees of the VA Healthcare System, 1 of 3  which are veterans themselves, are fighting against a contract that threatens to significantly strip away their collective bargaining rights. In workplaces that are already understaffed due a lack of action by the agency to fill thousands of vacancies nationwide, these union rights are critical not only to the employees, but also to the quality of care that veterans receive.

According to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union that represents these employees, this contract could limit grievance filing, ban certain issues in collective bargaining, scrap harassment and retaliation protections, and strip away union time from over a million hours every year to a staggeringly low 10,000. Lawmakers are expressing their concerns, as well. In a bipartisan letter to Robert Wilkie, the VA Secretary, 128 members of congress expressed concerns that this anti-union contract's rippling effects through the agency would cause veterans relying on the VA to suffer.

Around the United States, VA Employees are rallying to against this contract. In Tampa, our sisters and brothers from AFGE Local 547, employees of the James A. Haley VA Hospital, will rally outside the hospital on Saturday, June 29th from 11AM - 1PM. The local will be providing lunch. We hope that you can make it to stand in solidarity with them against this horrible contract.

Here's what's coming up:

- On the fourth Wednesday of every month, the Florida AFL-CIO hosts a statewide call at 6PM for union activists from around Florida to join and share news and events from their area. Everyone is invited to join the call on Wednesday, 6/26. The dial-in information is as follows:

Number: 877-336-1274
Access Code: 964-7066

Keep in Mind:

Elections are only the beginning. After candidates win, they begin the full-time job of representing us. Most of the action happens during legislative session, but the time between can always be spent organizing around issues and holding our elected officials accountable. To help us do this, we can look to their performance during legislative session. To make the process of sorting through legislation easier, check out the recently released People First Report Card, courtesy of Progress Florida, and the Florida AFL-CIO's own Legislative Session Debrief.

That's all for this week! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for more updates. If you would like to receive text message alerts from the Florida AFL-CIO (Msg & data rates may apply), text FLUNION to 235246!

In Solidarity,

West Central Florida Labor Council

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