Directors Come and Go. Your Union Is Still Here.

Hampton VAMC is on its third acting director in recent months — while the VA searches for a permanent replacement nationwide. Here's what hasn't changed: your contract, your rights, and AFGE Local 2328.

If you attended this week’s town hall at Hampton VA Medical Center, you heard the announcement: Acting Medical Center Director Dr. Sharee Taylor’s detail has concluded, and she will return to her previous position. Stepping in temporarily is Joanna Weber, the Acting Deputy Network Director for VISN 6, while the VA conducts a search for a permanent Medical Center Director.

Let us translate that into plain English: Hampton VAMC has had no permanent director since at least last summer — and won’t have one for the foreseeable future.

This is not unique to Hampton. The VA posted urgent job listings this month seeking to replace executive directors at 17 VA medical centers simultaneously, with an application window of just two weeks (March 9–23). The nation’s largest health care system is scrambling to fill leadership vacancies it created through its own turbulence.

We wish Joanna Weber well. We also want to be direct with the employees of Hampton VAMC: the director’s name does not determine your rights. Your contract does.

What Changed — and What Didn’t

What changed:

  • Dr. Sharee Taylor’s detail as Acting MCD has ended; she returns to her prior role
  • Joanna Weber (VISN 6 Acting DND) serves as MCD in the interim
  • Dr. Won Han is also on detail; Dr. Goldberg from Durham HCS serves in an acting capacity
  • A permanent MCD search is underway; no timeline given

What did not change:

  • The March 13, 2026 federal court order restoring our Master Collective Bargaining Agreement
  • Your right to official time, union representation, and contract protections — all restored under that order
  • AFGE Local 2328’s commitment to enforcing those rights — including through the formal grievance process if necessary
  • Your right to Weingarten representation in any investigatory interview
  • Our commitment to every member of this bargaining unit

A Word About the Town Hall

The town hall message acknowledged something important: “retaliation against anyone who raises concerns in good faith will not be tolerated.” We take that at face value — and we will hold Hampton VAMC to it.

VISN and national teams have visited Hampton “since last summer” to address employee concerns. That’s not a coincidence — that’s what happens when a local union refuses to go quiet. Keep raising concerns. Keep documenting. Keep coming to us.

If you’ve experienced anything that looked like retaliation for speaking up — a schedule change, a sudden performance concern, a denied request — contact AFGE Local 2328 immediately. That’s exactly what we’re here for.

The Moment We’re In

A new acting director — one with no personal stake in the decisions made under the previous administration of this facility — represents a chance to reset. We are approaching Joanna Weber’s tenure in good faith. We have a court order. We have the law on our side.

We are reaching out to establish a working relationship and resume what the Master Agreement requires: official time honored, union participation in new employee orientation, the Labor-Management Relations Forum convened, and a good-faith conversation about the policy changes made while our contract was suspended.

That’s not a demand. It’s the law.

What You Can Do Right Now

  • ✅ Know your steward. If you don’t know who represents your department, email [email protected] or call (757) 750-9086.
  • ✅ Document everything. If management is operating as if the contract restoration hasn’t happened — write it down. Date, time, who said what, who was there. Send it to us.
  • ✅ Come to the membership meeting. Date and location coming soon. Watch your email and this page.
  • ✅ Join if you haven’t. Leadership transitions are exactly when membership matters most. join.afge.org/L2328

Sources

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

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