Protesting Job Cuts for Vets: Unions and Advocacy Organizations Sound the Alarm on Potential Secondary Effects

Headline: Hundreds of Veterans and Supporters Protest Proposed Staffing Cuts at the Veterans Affairs Department

Sub-headline: Union leaders and veterans voice concerns over potential impact on services and employee morale

In a rally on the National Mall, hundreds of veterans and their supporters gathered to voice their concerns over proposed staffing cuts at the Veterans Affairs Department (VA). The rally was prompted by a proposal from VA Secretary Doug Collins to cut around 80,000 employees from the agency's workforce, which would reduce the VA's workforce to fiscal 2019 levels.

Irma Westmoreland, a registered nurse at a VA in Georgia and secretary-treasurer of the union National Nurses United, expressed her concerns about the potential impact of the staffing cuts on the VA's services. She predicts that staffing cuts will force nurses to perform non-medical tasks, which could compromise the quality of care provided to veterans.

Everett Kelley, an Army veteran and national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, emphasized that veterans make up a sizable percentage of employees for the federal government and VA specifically. He stated that the proposed cuts could have a significant impact on the services provided to veterans and could lead to increased wait times and backlogs.

Shernice Mundell, an Air Force veteran who lost her job at the Office of Personnel Management in February 2025, also attended the rally. She protested the staffing cuts on June 10 and is considering running for office. Mundell expressed concern that staff cuts would lead to decreased benefits and medical care for veterans.

VA Press Secretary Peter Kasperowicz stated that if the VA's critics cared as much about fixing the department as they do about protecting its broken bureaucracy, veterans would be much better off. However, he acknowledged that the Biden administration has been criticized for failing to address rising health care wait times, growing backlogs of veterans waiting for disability compensation, and major issues with survivor benefits.

Kasperowitz also stated that frontline employees aren't being consulted on the changes, a concern shared by Irma Westmoreland. Westmoreland asserted that all positions in the VA are mission-critical and that the proposed cuts could have a devastating impact on the services provided to veterans.

An unnamed protestor, a Homeland Security Department employee and Army veteran, attended the rally because the union has helped him navigate Trump's government overhauls and characterized his agency's leadership as exhibiting a "grim silence." He expressed his concern that staff cuts would lead to decreased benefits and medical care for veterans.

This story has been updated with a statement from the VA, which asserts that the proposed cuts are necessary to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the department. The VA has already fired 2,400 probationary workers, and the proposed cuts would represent a reduction of about 15% of the department's workforce. The VA states that it will continue to consult with employees and unions to ensure that any changes are made in a way that is fair and equitable to all parties involved.