Who we are

For the people
who care for veterans.

AFGE Local 17 is the union of frontline federal employees at VA Central Office (VACO) in Washington, D.C., and part of a movement 750,000 federal workers strong.

Home/Who We Are

Our mission

Hold management accountable. Lift every member up.

Local 17 exists for one reason: so the people who serve veterans and the public at VA Central Office never have to face management alone. As the sole contractual representative for bargaining unit employees at VACO, we enforce the VA Master Agreement, represent members in every grievance and arbitration, advocate before the EEOC, MSPB, and OSC, and give frontline employees a real voice in the decisions that shape their work.

We represent a broad bargaining unit at VA Central Office: the administrative, clerical, technical, professional, and program staff who carry out the Department's national mission from its Washington, D.C. headquarters.

What ties us together isn't a job title. It's the belief that working people are stronger together, and that public service is only as strong as the people who carry it out.

"We are a movement, not a memo."

— AFGE Local 17

What AFGE is

The American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO, is the largest federal employee union in the country, representing some 750,000 workers across the federal government and D.C. government. Founded in 1932, AFGE has spent more than nine decades defending public servants: their pay, their rights, and the public services they provide.

What the National VA Council is

Local 17 belongs to the National VA Council (NVAC), AFGE Council 53, the body that coordinates AFGE locals across the Department of Veterans Affairs and negotiates the national Master Agreement that covers our members. When we sit across from VA management at Central Office, the full weight of that national contract sits with us.

Who we represent

One unit, many hands

ADM

Administrative

Clerical, administrative, and support staff who keep Central Office running day to day.

PRG

Program & policy

Program analysts, specialists, and policy staff who carry out the Department's national mission.

TECH

Technical

Technical and IT staff who run the systems VA depends on every day.

PRO

Professional

Professional and administrative employees across VACO's headquarters offices.

FIN

Finance & budget

Financial management, budget, and acquisition staff who steward the Department's resources.

And more

If you're in the bargaining unit, you belong here, whatever your role.

1932

Standing up since

AFGE has fought for public servants since 1932. Local 17 carries that fight to VA Central Office every single day.

For the people who care for veterans.