“Just as these employees go to work every day on behalf of those who served and continue to serve our country, LIUNA will fight on their behalf”

Washington, D.C. (Dec. 18, 2025) — Local chapters of the Laborers’ International Union of North America filed suit today in the U.S. District Court of Rhode Island, alleging that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and President Donald Trump acted illegally in terminating collective bargaining agreements covering several thousand employees who provide services for veterans.

LIUNA General President Brent Booker made the following statement regarding the lawsuit:

Through their collective bargaining agreements, thousands of Veterans Administration employees have for nearly half a century had a voice on the job and the power to speak up for themselves and those they serve.

 

We believe the right of those workers to have a union was violated by Trump Administration executive action and VA Secretary Douglas Collins when their collective bargaining agreements were unilaterally terminated earlier this year.

 

Just as these employees go to work every day on behalf of those who served our country, LIUNA will fight on their behalf and for the legal rights of all our members to be part of an effective union.

 

We are proud that LIUNA Locals 1322, 1029, and 572 are joined in this suit by the United Nurses Association of California, the Wisconsin Federation of Nurses, IBEW Local 415, and Machinists Local 1998.

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The half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build the U.S. and Canada.