Vets Protest Downgrades at VHA

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)Veterans Administration workers, many of them vets themselves, rallied and marched Wednesday to protest the downgrading of the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) lowest-paid employees (AFGE Rallies for Disabled Vets & Other VHA Workers, UC 6/13/2012). More than 500 massed on the sidewalk outside the VA building at Vermont and H Streets NW, chanting, cheering and brandishing signs reading “Downgrades Hurt Veterans and Employees” and “Downgrades = Rip Offs” before heading over to Lafayette Park for a rally.  The impacted employees are disproportionately veterans, disabled veterans, women, and minorities and the workers and their union, AFGE, say the downgrades are part of the ongoing right-wing attack on public sector workers.  “I’m here to support veterans, and the veterans who support veterans” said AFGE District 14 President and Metro Council Executive Board member Dwight Bowman. “I’m a veteran, too.” VHA workers, cheered on by their coworkers, spoke about how the downgrades would affect their families, while workers from other VA offices across the country held signs and chanted alongside folks from other AFGE locals, the AFL-CIO, AFSCME, CLUW, LiUNA, SEIU, Working America, and more. AFGE National Secretary-Treasurer J. David Cox told Union City the cuts, aimed at lowest-paid workers, are forcing “a constant spiral to the bottom. It’s the Walmart syndrome.” Speaking to the crowd a few minutes later, Cox was even more blunt. “Hey Obama!” he said, turning to face the White House, “you hired Selpuvida (Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration for the Department of Veterans Affairs), you can fire him!” – report by Julia Kann; photos by Julia Kann (above) and Chris Garlock (below)