Rep. Mark Takano Introduces Legislation Granting VA Health Providers Collective Bargaining Rights
Washington DC – Earlier today, Rep. Mark Takano (D-CA) introduced the VA Employee Fairness Act of 2015, which would repeal the provision in existing law that prohibits Veterans Health Administration nurses and health care providers from being able to bargain collectively to improve staffing levels and compensation.
Currently, the VA places limitation on the ability of nurses and other frontline health care providers to collectively bargain on issues related to compensation or staffing. Such limitations make it challenging for nurses to raise grievances when staffing levels are too low to provide high quality care. The lack of collective bargaining rights can also make it difficult to attract more nurses if wages are too low.
“Thousands of VA nurses and health care practitioners are committed to taking care of our heroes,” says Rep. Mark Takano. “We know the toll that our veterans have paid serving and defending our country, and it’s important that we do all we can to take care of them – that includes giving the health practitioners in VA hospitals rights to negotiate their salaries and workplace conditions. Doing so would reduce turnover, increase staff levels, and create a more stable health care environment for veterans. The VA Employee Fairness Act does just that and I look forward to it making its way through Congress.”
The legislation is co-sponsored by Reps. Mark Pocan, Kathleen Rice, Adam Schiff, Jim Cooper, and Chris Van Hollen.
The legislation is supported by National Nurses United, the American Federation Government Employees (AFGE), and the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), all of whom represent VA nurses.