Veterans Affairs Bureau’s Stance on Management and Unions

Doug Collins, the Director of the Veterans Affairs Bureau (VA), stated on Thursday that he will not hand over management and resources to public sector unions or private contractors attempting to operate his agency.

In an exclusive interview, Collins shared his intention to eliminate what he views as bureaucratic inefficiencies and to address issues of employee misconduct within the VA. He pointed to management contracts as examples of unnecessary private sector involvement that the VA has had to maintain, resulting in wasted resources.

“We’ve established a department in Virginia with our staff, but we still ended up signing on another company to run it,” Collins explained. “It raises the question: do we need both?”

Collins mentioned that unnamed companies were brought in to offer management capabilities and other services that he believes are redundant. He questioned the necessity of having certain employees in place under these circumstances.

Collins noted that since he took on his role, the number of inquiries to the Whistleblower Protection Agency has increased. The VA is now processing more reports related to fraud and potentially recommending disciplinary action.

“Many inquiries were dismissed because some people seem to use it to vent,” he observed, referencing the uptick in reports amid the current administration.

He commented on the significant influence public sector unions have within the VA, revealing that approximately 80% of the workforce are union members. Despite this, he insisted that the VA continues to be accountable for any fraud allegations.

“We’re currently navigating through union contracts established by the previous administration,” Collins remarked. “There were no contracts signed during President Trump’s time.” He expressed that while unions are a constraint, they must ensure that veterans are not being harmed.

Collins also conveyed optimism about the President’s Executive Order on Accountability, asserting that it set higher standards from his first day in office.

He discussed a recent Presidential Order directing the VA to address and “fix” issues related to rehiring employees previously dismissed over fraud suspicions.

“We’ve lacked accountability for many years, resulting in what we term muscle memory loss within our system,” Collins explained. “It’s essential that we maintain a high standard.” He concluded with a firm message about performance expectations, stating, “You will either do your job well, or you will be removed.”