Weekly Federal Labor Roundup — VA & AFGE News (August 14–20, 2026)

Here’s what happened in federal labor this week and what it means for those of us at the Hampton VA Medical Center. Two things stand out: a much bigger bet on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) electronic health record, and more quiet movement toward stripping job protections from career civil servants.

VA & Veterans

• The Department of Veterans Affairs added $17 billion to its Oracle electronic health record contract. Nextgov reports the ceiling on the modernization deal grew sharply as the new system continues rolling out to VA medical centers. Read more

Threats to Federal Workers’ Protections

• New federal job postings hint at which jobs get converted to at-will status next. Government Executive combed through listings for clues about the coming round of Schedule Policy/Career conversions, which take civil service protections away from career employees. Read more
• The Deferred Resignation Program left agencies scrambling to replace the people who took it. The Partnership for Public Service found that agencies pushed staff out the door without a real plan for the experience walking out with them. Read more
• The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is trying to recruit young workers with internet memes. Government Executive asks whether a social media push can undo years of cuts to the federal civil service. Read more
• The Department of Agriculture is relocating staff without checking how many will quit. Government Executive reports the agency downplayed the impact even as unions warned it will lose experienced employees the same way it did the last time. Read more
• A bill to expand paid leave for federal employees was scaled back in the Senate. Government Executive reports the pared-down version covers noticeably less than what was first proposed. Read more
• A union leader at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) asked the agency’s new director to repair the damage from workforce cuts and a deadly shooting. The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) reports that staff there are still working without the support they were promised. Read more

Union Wins & the Bigger Picture

• AFGE brought the fight over attacks on federal workers to the NAACP national conference. AFGE spoke to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People about how these cuts land hardest on Black federal employees, who make up a large share of the federal workforce. Read more
• AFGE leaders are getting trained up to fight workplace bias. AFGE describes how stewards and officers are learning to spot discrimination and stand up for members who are facing it. Read more
• AFGE is pressing Congress to invest in Social Security as the program turns 91. AFGE points out that the workers who administer the program have been cut thin at the same time the public is being told service is getting worse. Read more
• AFGE marked 94 years of fighting for government workers. AFGE looks back at nearly a century of winning protections that federal employees now have to defend all over again. Read more
• AFGE endorsed a slate of congressional candidates in Florida ahead of Tuesday’s primary. AFGE, the largest federal employee union, backed candidates it says will defend federal jobs and the services we provide. Read more

Have a question about how any of this affects your job, your leave, or your rights at Hampton VA Medical Center? Reach out to your steward or contact the local. That’s what we’re here for.

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