AFGE Local 3197 provides representation for bargaining unit members of VA Puget Sound Health Care Service (PSHCS), Seattle Division and Veterans Affairs Regional Office (VARO).

AFGE is the largest federal employee union representing 600,000 federal and D.C. government workers across the nation and overseas.

The headquarters of AFGE is located in Washington, D.C. AFGE is divided into 12 districts, Local 3197 is in District 11 and the National President is John Gage.

Local 3197's office is located at the Seattle Division of the VA Puget Sound Health Care System.

VA Regional Office (VARO) is located at 915 2nd Avenue Room 1050, Seattle, WA 98174 220-6718 x2781 (fax 220-6240)

Despite Backlog, VA Vows To Process All GI-Bill Tuition Payments By January. The AP (12/23, Hefling) reports on the angst of some 5,000 veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan who are "panicked that they'll be unable to return to class in January" because the VA has yet to remit GI Bill tuition benefits to their colleges. The AP notes that VA officials "promise to get them back into the classroom" by processing all applications by the end of the year, and say "the number of veterans with claims unprocessed is now fewer than 5,000 - down from tens of thousands. ... 'We continue to work on a daily basis with schools to make sure that no student is denied attending class as a result of delayed tuition payments,' Katie Roberts, a VA spokeswoman, said Tuesday." The piece reports that despite these assurances, many veterans have struggled to meet their tuition obligations along with books and other living expenses while waiting for the VA to come through. The AP notes parenthetically, "Last month, Reps. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin, D-S.D., chairwoman of the House Veterans subcommittee on economic opportunity, and John Boozman, R-Ark., the subcommittee's ranking member, wrote Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki suggesting ways the agency could better communicate with veterans so there's less confusion."
Impact: Working down VBA backlog in GI Bill claims

VA Seen As Rushing To Implement Fichtner's Idea. Federal News Radio (12/23, Miller) reports that the VA "is wasting little time in implementing Nancy Fichtner's idea to save money. The fiscal program support clerk at the VA hospital in Grand Junction, Colo., won the first annual Securing Americans Value and Efficiency (SAVE) Award...for her suggestion to let veterans take home the medication they receive at the VA hospital instead of throwing it away. ... VA expects to run four-to-six pilots starting in the spring and lasting about six months, says Katie Roberts, an agency spokeswoman."
Impact: Efficiency initiative based on VA employee’s suggestion to White House

VA Offering Free GI-Bill LEED Exams For Veterans Houses. The Seattle Daily Journal of Commerce (12/23) reports that the VA "in accordance with the G.I. Bill, has agreed to reimburse veterans, eligible dependents and reservists for the cost of any of the LEED professional exams administered by the Green Building Certification Institute. Under this agreement, the VA will cover up to $2,000 per exam for those who took a LEED professional exam after Dec. 3, 2008."
Impact: VA assistance in paying for professional certifications