VA Finally Orders Hampton VAMC to Honor Your Union Contract

Twenty days after a federal judge ordered it — the Department of Veterans Affairs has told every VA facility in the country to comply with the Master Agreement.

On the evening of April 2, 2026, VA Central Office (VACO) issued formal guidance directing all facilities to return to the status quo under the VA-AFGE Master Agreement — the same contract that protects your pay, your schedule, your leave, and your rights on the job.

This means Hampton VA Medical Center (VAMC) management is now under orders from both a federal court and the Secretary’s own office to restore everything that was stripped from you when the agreement was unilaterally terminated on August 6, 2025.

What the Guidance Says

VA Central Office’s Labor-Management Relations (LMR) office delivered two memos to AFGE’s National VA Council (NVAC):

1. AFGE Local Union Preliminary Injunction Guidance — a direct instruction to local management on implementing the court’s order
2. OCHCO Bulletin EO 14251 REVISED — an updated directive from VA’s Human Capital office

The message from VA Central Office is unambiguous: return to the Master Agreement, immediately, for all covered employees.

What This Means for You

The Master Agreement — the contract that was “terminated” last year — is back in force. It covers:

• Official time for union representatives to do their jobs
• Weingarten rights — your right to have a union representative present during investigative meetings that could lead to discipline
• Grievance and arbitration procedures — your ability to fight back when management violates your rights
• Reasonable accommodation processes
• Leave procedures and scheduling protections
• Bargaining rights before management makes changes to your working conditions

If you have been told the union has no rights, or that your steward cannot help you, or that management does not have to bargain with us — that was never legal, and now even VA Central Office agrees.

Hampton VAMC: The Clock Is Ticking

AFGE Local 2328 has been documenting every violation at Hampton VAMC since August 2025. We have a formal grievance package ready. With VACO’s guidance now on record, any continued non-compliance by Hampton management is not just a contract violation — it is defiance of a federal court order and their own agency’s directives.

We are watching. We are documenting. And we are not going away.

What You Should Do Right Now

1. Know your rights. The Master Agreement is back. If management tells you otherwise, contact us immediately.
2. Report violations. If Hampton VAMC management is still refusing to provide official time, refusing Weingarten representation, or making unilateral changes without bargaining — contact your union and document everything in writing.
3. Not a member? This fight is why unions exist. Every protection you have at work was won through collective bargaining. Join AFGE Local 2328 today through e-dues — bank debit, no payroll deduction needed: Join here: join.afge.org/L2328

This Is What Solidarity Looks Like

This victory did not happen by accident. It happened because union members across the country stood together, filed grievances, showed up, and refused to accept the destruction of their rights.

The fight is not over. Hampton VAMC management must now actually comply — and we will hold them to it.

In solidarity, AFGE Local 2328 — Representing the employees of Hampton VA Medical Center

Sources: AFGE National VA Council communication, April 2, 2026. VACO-LMR memo transmitted to NVAC, April 2, 2026 at 6:30 PM ET.