U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Secretary Robert Wilkie recently clarified that unions can no longer use collective bargaining rights when it comes to professional conduct and patient care by VA providers. Specifically, Secretary Wilkie has taken back rights the VA gave away under the previous Administration to preclude collective bargaining on issues indirectly related to VA providers' professional conduct or competence (patient care). Wilkie rescinded a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that VA entered into in 2010. As a result, unions will no longer be able to use collective bargaining when it comes to VA providers on issues indirectly related to their professional conduct.
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