“Systemic racism” at the VA?

The American Federation of Government Employees National VA Council – the union representing 265,000 workers at the Department of Veterans Affairs – recently obtained hiring data that show white VA employees who applied for management positions were selected at double the rate of Black applicants. AFGE National President Everett Kelley said that “These troubling statistics point to an underlying bias at the VA against Black workers and validate the complaints our members have shared regarding the systemic racism they face every day while simply trying to serve our nation’s veterans and war heroes.” In a major victory for VA workers across the nation,
the Government Accountability Office decided to investigate systemic racism at VA, in response to the survey. The investigation – which comes at the request of Sens. Brian Schatz and Elizabeth Warren – will look into the culture, policies and practices of the VA and will determine the extent to which systemic racism impacts VA employees, veterans’ benefits, and the quality of care given at VA facilities. Read more here 

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