VA employees rally in Philly: 'Save our jobs, save our vets'

Michelle Myers and Ariana Perez-Castells, The Philadelphia Inquirer on Jun 5, 2025

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Dozens of Philadelphia workers from the Department of Veterans Affairs gathered Thursday under an unyielding sun chanting: “Save our jobs, save our vets.”

Come lunchtime, allies and members of the American Federation of Government Employees arrived at Baltimore and University Avenues, outside the Cpl. Michael J. Crescenz Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, for a rally to protect the members’ union contract and benefits amid a shake-up of federal agencies by President Donald Trump’s administration.

“We have federal employees who have devoted their lives to take care of America and the thanks we get is … reductions, downsize on our pay, downgrading positions,” said Karen Ford Woods, president of AFGE Local 1793. “When you take away our jobs, you take away service to America.”

In March, Trump moved to end union representation for many federal agencies, including the VA. The VA stopped withholding union dues from worker paychecks in late April, and AFGE has lost dues-paying members as a result. Some have been transferring to an alternate payment system.

The VA is one of the largest government employers in Pennsylvania, with roughly 19,321 employees as of September. The majority work for the Veterans Health Administration, which provides health care to veterans.

AFGE Local 1793‘s members, who numbered 1,400 in April, include nurses, pharmacists, social workers, and other employees at the medical center in West Philly, community care-based clinics in the region, and administrative offices.

Since the dues deduction stopped, membership is down to 800, said Yul Owens Jr., executive vice president of AFGE Local 1793.

“Make no mistake about it, those executive orders aim to break our union; they aim to end our collective bargaining agreement and, most importantly, the workers’ rights that we have,” Owens said, as passing drivers honked in support.

VA employees have been among those affected by the Trump administration’s efforts to shrink and reshape the federal workforce. The administration has ordered agencies to make plans for significant reductions in force, and put forth a deferred resignation program offering employees the chance to leave their jobs and continue getting paid for several months.

Those plans include cutting 80,000 VA jobs. But mass layoffs appear to be on hold, blocked by the order of a federal judge in California.

Amid the uncertainty, Everett Kelley, AFGE national president, said the administration needs to realize what the cuts mean for federal workers.

“Programs like Social Security and collective bargaining agreements aren’t just paperwork,” Kelley said. “They are the lifeline for millions of Americans.”

AFGE has also expressed concerns about provisions included in the proposed federal budget bill that, union leaders say, would diminish federal workers’ rights. The bill passed in the House of Representatives and is now in the Senate.

A changing VA workplace in Philly

Amid the threat of layoffs and the possible departure of colleagues accepting the resignation offer, VA workers living within 50 miles of a federal office were ordered to return to in-person work by May 5, and those who live farther have until late July.

In the meantime, business must continue.

After 40 years of service, Theresa Heard, 60, said, she feels betrayed by Washington but she cannot let her veterans know it.

“There is a commitment from people to put a smile on their face and greet every veteran as if they matter most,” Heard said. “You have to stay focused on your job, you show up, and you pay attention to what work needs to be (done) for that day.”

As a mother helping her children pay student loans, she cannot afford to lose her job. But she is committed to fight alongside her union for both her and the veterans she serves.

“I don’t believe they actually know the work that we put in; I don’t think they understand the commitment that you get from federal employees not always having all the ideal circumstances but finding a way to get the work done for our veterans.”

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