Minnesota AFL-CIO President Bernie Burnham & Secretary-Treasurer Brad Lehto made the following statement in response to the Department of Veterans Affairs unilaterally terminating collective bargaining agreements for workers at the VA, including more than 4,000 Minnesotans:
“We are outraged but not surprised by the Trump Administration’s latest attack on working people.
“From the very first day of this administration, Donald Trump and his appointees have done everything they can to take away workers’ freedom to join together and negotiate a fair return on their work through their unions.
“Today’s decision isn’t just a slap in the face to working Americans, it shows that Donald Trump doesn’t care about veterans or the people who put in long hours to care for them, many who are veterans themselves.
“What Donald Trump doesn’t understand is that even if he tries to tear up every single union contract in the nation, he cannot stop workers from coming together and standing in solidarity with one another.
“The Minnesota AFL-CIO stands in full solidarity with VA workers and their union, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), in whatever action they take to restore their fundamental right to organize and collectively bargain.”