Trump’s Veterans Administration is refusing to fill 49,000 staff vacancies at the VA. AFGE, the federal union representing VA workers wants to know why.

AFGE President J. David Cox Sr. says VA Secretary Shulkin already has the money to hire workers for the 49,000 openings – and filling those vacancies would help deliver better health care to America’s veterans.

J. David Cox Sr. : “Secretary Shulkin by his own admission has stated that there are 49,000 vacant positions at the VA throughout the country – 49,000.

And this is 49,000 vacancies that Congress has already funded. This isn’t a wish list. The positions need to be filled.

The Secretary is choosing not to fill them even though he has acknowledged and proclaimed he has them and needs them filled.”

In light of these open vacancies, AFGE President Cox has another question for Trump’s VA.

J. David Cox Sr.: “Why is the Secretary telling every medical center director in the country give him a plan to cut back five to ten percent on all of their staffing and to get rid of more people, not fill vacancies, which is only going to compound these problems?

I tend to believe it’s because he wants to push more work to the private sector because that’s where the administration is wanting the work to go.”

The problem with privatizing the VA, Cox says, is that veterans want government VA health care, not private health care.

A poll by Veterans of Foreign Wars, Cox says, found that 97 percent of veterans want their health care at the VA.

J. David Cox Sr.: “They want the best care in this country. And the best care for veterans in this country is at VA medical centers by VA staff.”

 

http://workersindependentnews.com/2017/08/17/49000-jobs-unfilled-at-trum...

By Doug Cunningham