Court Orders Restoration of AFGE VA Collective Bargaining Agreement

A federal judge has ordered the Department of Veterans Affairs to restore AFGE/NVAC’s master collective bargaining agreement, along with local supplements and memoranda that were terminated on August 6, 2025. This is a major legal win for VA employees and their union rights.

What Changed

• Court: U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island
• Judge: Melissa R. DuBose
• Date: March 13, 2026
• Case: American Federation of Government Employees Local 2305 and AFGE National VA Council v. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Secretary Douglas Collins (C.A. No. 25-cv-583-MRD-PAS)
• Relief granted: Plaintiffs’ Motion for Preliminary Injunction was granted
• Order: VA must reinstate the Master CBA and all amendments, local supplemental agreements, and MOUs subsidiary to it for the remainder of the agreed term

What This Means for Hampton VA Medical Center

• ✅ Contract rights and procedures are restored while the case proceeds
• ✅ Local and mid-term agreements are back in effect under the court order
• ✅ Management actions that ignored contract protections should now be reviewed for compliance

What You Can Do

1. Document issues now. If your service is still operating as if contract protections were terminated, write down specifics (date, unit, manager, action taken).
2. Contact your steward or local rep. Bring compliance concerns to AFGE Local 2328 immediately so patterns can be tracked and escalated.
3. Use the grievance intake process. If rights are still being denied, submit an intake so we can enforce the restored agreement.

Caution / Limits

• This is a preliminary injunction, not a final judgment on the entire case.
• Litigation continues, but this order is enforceable now.

Sources

• Court order PDF
• AFGE release

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