About a dozen workers rallied Monday outside Salt Lake City’s George E. Walhlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, wearing blue shirts and holding signs that read: “VA vacancies go up. Vet care goes down.” Passing cars honked to show their support.
Shortages can be found across a range of job titles at the Salt Lake City VA, from housekeepers to medical staff in the intensive care unit, according to Clayton McDaniel, local president of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the union that represents many VA workers.
AFGE says there are about 49,000 vacant positions nationwide, based off statements made by Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin this spring.