HARTFORD—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) on Thursday reintroduced the VA Employee Fairness Act, legislation that would help right a long-standing wrong by expanding collective bargaining rights for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health care professionals. The bill would ensure that nurses, physicians, and other VA clinicians have the same rights as their counterparts in the private sector and other parts of the VA, empowering them to speak up on critical issues like staffing ratios, patient care, and compensation.

Currently, Title 38 of the United States Code restricts these workers from negotiating over matters of professional conduct or competence, employee pay, and other key workplace issues. As a result, they are often unable to meaningfully advocate for improvements that would help address staffing shortages, enhance patient care, or recruit and retain qualified health care professionals.

“Our veterans deserve the best care possible, and that starts with treating VA health care workers with dignity and respect,” said Murphy. “This bill gives nurses and doctors the tools they need to advocate for safe staffing and provide better care, just like their colleagues in the private sector.”

“It has never been more important to give VA healthcare workers the opportunity to fight for better working conditions in order to provide the best possible care for veterans. With the entire VA workforce under attack from the Trump Administration, recruiting and retaining the very best doctors, nurses, and health care support staff is a challenge – but one we can meet with better, stronger workplace protections,” said Blumenthal. “Simply put: VA healthcare workers who have chosen to serve our nation’s veterans deserve the same opportunity to organize and collectively bargain for better pay, benefits, and working conditions that their VA colleagues have.”

U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) also cosponsored the legislation.

The legislation is endorsed by National Nurses United (NNU), the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), American Federation of Labor (AFL), American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), National Association of Government Employees (NAGE), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), VoteVets and Union Veterans Council of AFL-CIO.

Full text of the legislation can be found HERE.

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