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.

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.

Message from our President

A word from Douglas Massey

Dear Members,

As President of AFGE Local 17, I welcome you to our website. AFGE Local 17 values each of its members and strives to provide outstanding representation, advice, and support in furtherance of a fair and equitable workplace.

AFGE Local 17 is staffed with committed officers and stewards who negotiate most aspects of your working conditions, enforce our collective bargaining agreement through the grievance process, and resolve issues through informal dispute resolution. AFGE Local 17 also handles arbitrations and has a strong track record in fighting adverse personnel actions. Additionally, AFGE Local 17 may represent employees before the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) as well as the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB) and the Office of Special Counsel (OSC).

Above all, AFGE Local 17 is dedicated to fostering involvement and inclusion. We value our diversity, and gain strength from the contributions of our members. I invite you to visit us at the Union office at 811 Vermont Ave., Room 1038, and to join our monthly meetings on the first Tuesday of each month. At these meetings, you can meet other members, learn about Union activities and benefits, and influence Union decisions through the democratic process.

I encourage you to contact me with any concern small or large.

Very best regards,

Douglas Massey
President, AFGE Local 17

Email Douglas

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.