Weekly Federal Labor Roundup — VA & AFGE News (August 21–28, 2026)

Here is your weekly roundup from American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 2328 — the federal labor news that touches our work at the Hampton VA Medical Center. It was a heavy week for workplace rights, with two agencies moving to narrow how federal employees can challenge discipline and discrimination.

VA & Veterans

• The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) added $17 billion to its Oracle electronic health record contract. Washington Technology reports on the expansion of the department’s long-running records modernization deal — the system that will eventually replace the charting tools many of us use every day. Read more
• Three more VA medical facilities in Indiana went live on the new electronic health record. Nextgov covers the latest deployment wave, which is the best preview we have of what the rollout will look like when it reaches our facility. Read more
• VA is renewing the paperwork behind Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act records requests. The Federal Register notice puts those request forms under Office of Management and Budget (OMB) review — worth knowing if you ever need to request your own records for a grievance or an appeal. Read more

Threats to Federal Workers’ Protections

• The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) voted to propose a rule stripping federal employees of hearing rights and class complaints. Government Executive reports the proposal would end a fed’s right to a hearing before an administrative judge and bar class action discrimination complaints. Read more
• The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is claiming “plenary” authority over firing federal employees. Unions told Government Executive that OPM’s rewritten suitability and performance management rules would let the government remove people outside normal civil service procedures. Read more
• The administration opened another round of attacks on federal workers’ job protections. People’s World walks through the latest moves, including Schedule F-style reclassification that would strip career employees of due process. Read more
• Unions accused the federal mediation agency of “doublespeak” in an updated lawsuit. Government Executive reports unions amended their suit against the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, arguing its public explanations do not match what it actually did to its dispute-resolution services. Read more
• The Department of Justice moved to undercut a State Department board that hears employee challenges to firings. Government Executive reports the legal position weakens an appeals body State employees rely on to contest removals — the same kind of independent review feds everywhere depend on. Read more
• The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) sued over the Internal Revenue Service’s move to end advanced leave. Government Executive reports the union argues the order should be “null and void” — advanced leave is what many federal employees fall back on after a serious illness or family emergency. Read more
• A watchdog found the National Security Agency’s nondisclosure agreements do not comply with whistleblower law. Government Executive reports the agreements left out the required language telling employees they can still report wrongdoing to Congress and inspectors general. Read more

Union Wins & the Bigger Picture

• Agencies have quietly backfilled 20,600 of the jobs emptied by the deferred resignation programs. Government Executive covers an analysis showing the work never went away — agencies simply rehired for it after the buyouts. Read more
• A new Republican majority was installed at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). People’s World reports on the shift at the board that governs private-sector union rights, which sets the legal weather for the whole labor movement. Read more
• Transit workers in Jackson won their strike and saved Saturday bus service. Labor Notes reports on a win where the workers and the riding public came out ahead together. Read more

Have a question about how any of this affects your job, your leave, or your rights here at the Hampton VA Medical Center? Reach out to your union representative — that is what we are here for.

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