Union Protesting Possible Cuts At Northport VA: Reports

NORTHPORT, NY — Union officials from the American Federation of Government Employees met to protest potential cutbacks at the Northport VA Medical Center on Friday, according to a post on X by @Protest_NYC, which provides "pro-bono journalism on demos, policing, community events."

Veterans Affairs officials state that veterans will not be negatively impacted by any potential cuts.

Protestors at the Northport VA fear services and care for thousands of Long Island veterans could be negatively impacted, Newsday reported. Dozens gathered in their bid to save jobs at the hospital, according to @Protest_NYC.

Workforce reductions across the nation are in President Donald Trump's general plans to minimize the federal government. Elon Musk, a White House adviser, is leading the effort along with the Department of Government Efficiency. The White House said Musk is not technically part of the Department of Government Efficiency team, The Associated Press reported.

Veterans are protesting potential cuts to Veterans Affairs across the nation, as people are gathering at every state's capitol and the National Mall in Washington, D.C., Penn Live Patriot News reported.

Robert Dennis, union president of the American Federation of Government Employees' Local 1843, told Newsday that federal cuts to services could cause burnout among employees and affect care for veterans. The Northport VA Medical Center employs approximately 1,700 people — roughly 600 belong to the American Federation of Government Employees, according to Dennis.

The Northport VA Medical Center, when asked for a comment, referred Patch to a statement by Veterans Affairs press secretary Pete Kasperowicz.

"We want to reform the department so we can serve Veterans better than ever before," he said. "VA is already redirecting billions of dollars from non-mission critical efforts to Veteran-facing services, which will result in massive improvements without cutting health care or benefits. We have an obligation to make VA work better for the Veterans, families, caregivers, and survivors we are charged with serving, and that is exactly what we will do."

Doug Collins, the United States secretary of veterans affairs, told Fox & Friends the VA agency's goal is to reduce the current 470K workforce by 15 percent to 2019 levels, or to 398K employees — 72K employees. Collins said changes will not impact health care or benefits for veterans.

The American Federation of Government Employees represents 800K federal and D.C. government workers across the United States and the world, according to the federation's website. Members include nurses, correctional officers, doctors, Social Security professionals, TSA agents, law enforcement officers, park rangers, and others.

"While we represent almost every type of federal employee, the agencies with the highest memberships are the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Social Security Administration, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security," the federation stated on its site. "Together, we fight for dignity, safety, and fairness on the job so government can more effectively serve the American people."

The federation provides legal representation, technical expertise, and informational services for the hundreds of thousands of federal and D.C. government workers who are members. Members are trained to become activists at their workplace and in their communities so their voices can be heard on local, regional and national levels, according to the federation.

The Northport VA Medical Center serves 100K veterans in the region, Newsday previously reported.