A federal appeals court is keeping in place the collective-bargaining agreement covering roughly 300,000 Department of Veterans Affairs employees while a lawsuit over a March 2025 executive order continues, according to Federal News Network.
- Court action: A federal appeals court declined to pause the VA union contract as litigation proceeds, leaving the agreement in effect for now, Federal News Network reported.
- Workforce affected: The contract covers about 300,000 VA employees, according to Federal News Network.
- What’s being challenged: The case centers on a March 2025 executive order that sought to eliminate collective bargaining across more than 20 federal agencies, including the VA, Federal News Network reported.
- Status: The ruling is procedural, focused on whether the contract stays in place during the case—not a final decision on the executive order’s legality, according to Federal News Network’s account of the litigation.
- Labor relations impact: With the contract remaining effective, existing negotiated provisions governing workplace policies, dispute resolution, and other labor-management processes at VA remain operative pending further court action, based on Federal News Network’s reporting.
Brief context: The lawsuit stems from the Biden-era collective bargaining framework being challenged by a later executive action. Federal News Network reported the March 2025 executive order aimed to end collective bargaining governmentwide at more than 20 agencies, setting up legal conflict over whether and how such an order can override existing bargaining obligations and negotiated agreements. The appeals court’s decision keeps the status quo at VA while the underlying claims are litigated.
What it means for you
For VA bargaining-unit employees covered by the agreement, the decision means current contract terms remain in force during the litigation. Practically, that can affect:
- Grievance and arbitration procedures and timelines
- Union representation rights in covered matters
- Local labor-management processes tied to the negotiated agreement
Employees should continue to follow existing workplace procedures and consult their local HR office or union representatives for contract-specific questions while the case moves forward. For background on how federal labor policy changes can affect workplace rules and timelines, see FedBrief’s explainer resources: https://fedbrief.org (one link).
Source: Federal News Network, “Federal appeals court keeps union contract for 300K VA employees in place amid lawsuit” (May 2026), https://federalnewsnetwork.com/unions/2026/05/federal-appeals-court-keeps-union-contract-for-300k-va-employees-in-place-amid-lawsuit/