TOMAH, WI (WSAU) There was a rally Wednesday outside the Tomah VA medical center to call attention to understaffing problems there. Several union employees and veterans took part. They say low staffing levels are a problem throughout the Veterans Administration.
Organizers for the American Federation of Government Employees union (AFGE) say the problems have caused increased risks to patients and a hazardous work environment for employees. At one point demonstrators were chanting, “Staff the VA… keep the promise.” There are 49,000 open positions within the Veterans Administration.
Many veterans have complained about very long wait lists to get care, especially for appointments with specialists.
The Tomah VA has a staff-vacancy rate of about 10-percent, which is below the national average.
The MetroSource newswire contributed to this report.
