WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, will ensure that all VA health care workers have a voice in the workplace and are free to advocate. I submitted a bill. Assists patients without fear of retaliation.of VA Employee Fairness Act of 2024 This would make VA Title 38 health care professionals, including nurses, physicians, dentists, and physician assistants who serve veterans, the same as is currently recognized for other VA clinicians and federal employees. It will ensure your rights at work. By giving these health care professionals full collective bargaining rights, VA will ensure that VA retains and recruits top-class staff to care for our nation's veterans, and that VA employees are informed of patient safety concerns. They will be better equipped to speak out.
“All VA health care workers should have a voice in the workplace and the freedom to advocate on behalf of their patients. That's good for workers and good for veterans.” said Brown. “This legislation will allow the VA to recruit the most qualified employees, empower these critical employees to advocate for patient safety and health care improvements, and ensure that the VA serves us.” It will ensure that we can do our work to serve those who have sacrificed so much for us.”
VA employees have had collective bargaining rights since 1991, but health care providers are exempt from collective bargaining over matters such as professional conduct and performance, peer review, or changes in employee compensation. As a result, they are unable to raise complaints about staffing shortages that compromise patient care or negotiate competitive salaries that attract health care workers to the Department of Veterans Affairs.of VA Employee Fairness Act Remove this exemption and grant full collective bargaining rights to front-line health care providers.
In addition to Brown, U.S. Sens. Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Raphael Warnock (D-Georgia), Maisie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-Hawaii) (D-RI), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), LaFonza Butler (D-CA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Peter Walch (D-VT), and Ed. – Markey (D-Mass.).
Brown's bill is supported by the National Nurses United (NNU), the American Federation of Public Employees (AFGE), the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), and the National Union of Public Employees and Public Employees International (NAGE-SEIU).
“National Nurses United applauds Senator Brown for reintroducing the Veterans Affairs Employee Fairness Act, which will give those of us who care about our nation’s heroes more control over issues that directly impact VA hospital patient care. Being able to negotiate.” Being able to help veteran patients receive the highest quality of care possible is an important part of our job as nurses caring for patients who have sacrificed so much. . ” Irma Westmoreland, RN and NNOC/NNU VA department chair and NNU vice provost, said:
“For decades, our union has shown how a lack of collective bargaining rights and fair working conditions has forced thousands of VA health care providers (one-third of whom are veterans) into the private sector. We have been sounding the alarm about how we are relegating this to the department.” said Alma Lee, president of the AFGE National Veterans Council. “On behalf of the 304,000 Veterans Affairs employees our union represents, 75,000 of whom will be affected by this law, those who work day and night to provide the highest quality care. I commend Sen. Sherrod Brown for introducing important legislation that will give voice to our nation's veterans.”
“The dedicated nurses, physicians, physician assistants, dentists, and other clinicians who work within the VA deserve the same rights as their fellow health care workers in the civil service. The inability to collectively bargain on issues prevents VA facilities from fulfilling their important mission of providing the highest standards of care to our nation's heroes. Negotiating issues that affect veteran health care Without a way to bring veterans to the table and discuss them, the quality of care that veterans receive will decline. The VA Employee Equity Act will not only help fill thousands of vacancies within the VA; , it will also strengthen health care coverage for veterans.” said Randy Irwin, national president of the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM).
The body of the invoice is here.
The summary document of the bill is here.
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