--- title: VA recommends closing hundreds of VA clinics in privatization move description: Darryll Bell, President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 31, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed recently released Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recommendations to close hundreds of VA clinics and at least three … Continue reading → image: https://awf.labortools.com/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/Imported_Blog_Media/awf-blog-featured-image-v2-1-Apr-29-2022-03-08-56-82-PM.jpg --- 1 min read Season 3, Episode 51 # VA recommends closing hundreds of VA clinics in privatization move [ awfblog ](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/author/awfblog) March 16, 2022 [America's Work Force Union Podcast](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/americas-work-force-union-podcast) [AWF](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/awf) [American Federation of Government Employees](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/tag/american-federation-of-government-employees) ![AFGE-Logo-Square@2x](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AFGE-Logo-Square@2x.png?width=804&name=AFGE-Logo-Square@2x.png)   Guest Name: --- Darryll Bell Guest Website: --- [www.afge.org](https://www.afge.org/) Guest Social Media: --- [ Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/afgeunion) [ Twitter](https://twitter.com/@AFGENational) [ Twitter (Personal)](https://twitter.com/@DarryllBell) [ LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/afge) Supportive Documents: --- Darryll Bell, President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) Local 31, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed recently released Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recommendations to close hundreds of VA clinics and at least three medical centers in an effort to privatize veterans’ healthcare. Bell said the recommendations are based on outdated information and will adversely affect hundreds of other VA facilities. He claimed the closure of VA facilities will force veterans to rely on uncoordinated, private, for-profit care facilities. Veterans will face longer wait times and be without the unique and specialized care VA clinics provide, he added. Bell then explained the merits of a class-action lawsuit, which seeks hazard pay for federal employees exposed to COVID-19. Any federal employee exposed to COVID-19 when performing their duties is eligible to participate. To be part of the lawsuit, federal employees must sign up online at HazardPayLawsuit.com. Lastly, Bell discussed current contract negotiations for VA employees. He said he is optimistic talks will be fruitful, given the pro-labor outlook of the Biden Administration. Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics: --- America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues. America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers. - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ##### SUBSCRIBE ON: --- [![Group 342](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/Apple%20Podcasts%20Button-Dark.png?width=171&name=Apple%20Podcasts%20Button-Dark.png)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/id1511224946) [![Group 341](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/AmericasWorkForce/podcast%20logos/Spotify%20Button-Dark.png?width=100&name=Spotify%20Button-Dark.png)](https://open.spotify.com/show/0GzkHxFSBxiXvuX0lZpQBn) [![Group 343](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20343.png?width=135&name=Group%20343.png)](https://www.iheart.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast-62567752/) [![Group 339](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20339.png?width=110&name=Group%20339.png)](https://www.pandora.com/podcast/americas-work-force-union-podcast/PC:47979) [![Group 397](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Group%20397.png?width=125&name=Group%20397.png)](https://americasworkforceradiopodcast.podbean.com/) [![Group 397](https://awf.labortools.com/hs-fs/hubfs/YouTube_button.png?width=125&name=YouTube_button.png)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuQo1PAtRAel1_tS7-PQOkA)   #### [Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen on the Union Pacific Merger Threat](https://awf.labortools.com/listen/brotherhood-of-railroad-signalmen-on-the-union-pacific-merger-threat) : July 6, 2026 # Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen on the Union Pacific Merger Threat Brandon Elvey, Secretary-Treasurer of the [Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen](https://www.brs.org/),... 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