The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) has voiced opposition to a new Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) rule regarding the evaluation of veterans’ disabilities when medication is involved.
According to the IAM Union, the interim rule bases disability ratings solely on how veterans function while their symptoms are managed by medication. The union argues that this approach overlooks flare-ups, worsening conditions, and real-life limitations faced by veterans in their jobs and daily activities. “In effect, this tells Veterans that if medication helps you get through the day, your disability doesn’t count as much,” stated the IAM Union.
The organization represents hundreds of thousands of workers across industries such as aerospace, defense, shipbuilding, rail, and federal service. Many members are military veterans working in physically demanding and safety-critical roles. The union points out that many veterans rely on medication to remain employed but maintain that this does not mean their service-connected disabilities have been resolved.
The IAM Union also contends that the interim rule undermines Ingram v. Collins (2025), a federal court decision which held that the VA cannot assess disabilities based only on symptoms suppressed by medication. Instead of following this legal precedent, “the VA issued a regulation designed to render it meaningless,” according to the union.
“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 Union.
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 within the system.
“We are calling on the VA to withdraw or substantially revise this rule,” urged the union.
The IAM Union is one of North America’s largest industrial trade unions with approximately 600,000 active and retired members in multiple sectors throughout the United States and Canada.
