The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) has voiced strong opposition to a new Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rule that changes how veterans’ disabilities are assessed when medication is involved.
According to the IAM, the interim rule evaluates disabilities based only on how veterans function while their symptoms are controlled by medication. The union argues this approach overlooks flare-ups, worsening conditions, and actual limitations veterans experience at work and in daily life. “In effect, this tells Veterans that if medication helps you get through the day, your disability doesn’t count as much,” stated the IAM.
The IAM represents workers in sectors such as aerospace, defense, shipbuilding, rail, and federal service—many of whom are military veterans performing physically demanding and safety-critical jobs. The union points out that many veterans rely on medication to remain employed but emphasizes that reliance on medication does not mean their service-connected disabilities have disappeared.
The union also noted that the new rule undermines a 2025 federal court decision in Ingram v. Collins, which reaffirmed that the VA cannot use medication-suppressed symptoms as the basis for rating disabilities. According to the IAM: “Rather than following that ruling, the VA issued a regulation designed to render it meaningless.”
“Veterans should not lose hard-won legal protections because an agency finds them inconvenient. Disability compensation exists to reflect lost earning capacity and functional impairment, not how well medication masks pain during a brief exam,” said the IAM.
Through its Veterans Services Program, the IAM became the first labor union officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a national Veterans Service Organization (VSO). This designation allows IAM military veterans and their families direct access to benefits and representation.
“We are calling on the VA to withdraw or substantially revise this rule,” said the union in its statement.
The IAM Union represents about 600,000 active and retired members across various industries in North America.
