Federal Judge Blocks VA’s Latest Attempt to Terminate Union Contract
A federal judge blocked the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) latest attempt to terminate its collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), keeping the contract in place for roughly 320,000 VA employees.
The ruling is the latest development in a yearlong legal fight over the VA’s efforts to end collective bargaining at the agency. The VA first terminated its AFGE agreement in August 2025, citing national security grounds under a Trump administration executive order directing agencies to end certain collective bargaining agreements.
Latest Ruling
The latest dispute centered on the contract’s August 8 expiration date.
AFGE argued that the contract calls for an automatic, temporary extension of the existing contract while new contract negotiations proceed. The VA argued that the contract should be cancelled because AFGE failed to provide the 30-days required notice of its intent to negotiate.
Federal Judge Melissa R. DuBose– a Biden appointee in Rhode Island– rejected the VA’s argument and granted AFGE’s request to enforce an earlier preliminary injunction blocking termination of the contract.
In her ruling, Judge DuBose stated, “The defendants’ assertion that the plaintiffs failed to comply with the 30-day clock to begin negotiations and that this purported failure is a lawful basis on which to terminate the agreement, is not well-taken.”
Ongoing Saga
It’s the latest chapter in a more than one year long saga.
The legal battle began after the VA terminated the contract in August 2025. In March 2026, Judge DuBose issued a preliminary injunction ordering the department to restore it.
The VA then started to reimplement the contract, before reversing course and trying to terminate it again. After Judge DuBose said the department was defying her orders, the VA restored the contract again in early April.
Then on July 24, VA sent a letter to AFGE saying it would terminate the contract on its expiration date August 8.
The judge closed her decision stating that the preliminary injunction “is in full force and effect pending the Circuit Court’s resolution of the merits of Defendants’ appeal.”
