The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) has announced its opposition to a new interim rule from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that changes how veterans’ disabilities are evaluated when medication is involved.
According to the IAM Union, the new rule assesses disabilities based only on how veterans function while their symptoms are controlled by medication. The union argues that this approach overlooks flare-ups, worsening conditions, and the real limitations veterans experience both at work and in daily life. “This tells Veterans that if medication helps you get through the day, your disability doesn’t count as much,” the statement said.
The IAM Union represents hundreds of thousands of workers in industries such as aerospace, defense, shipbuilding, rail, and federal service—many of whom are military veterans working in physically demanding jobs. The union notes that many veterans rely on medication to remain employed but emphasizes that does not mean their service-connected disabilities have disappeared.
The union also stated that the interim rule undermines Ingram v. Collins (2025), a federal court decision which reaffirmed that the VA cannot base disability ratings solely on symptoms suppressed by medication. Instead of adhering to this legal precedent, the VA issued a regulation that IAM believes effectively nullifies it.
“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,” according to the statement.
IAM highlighted its role through the IAM Veterans Services Program as the first and only 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.
“Veterans earned these benefits through service and sacrifice. They deserve better,” said IAM in its call for the VA to withdraw or significantly revise the rule.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is one of North America’s largest industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members across various sectors in both the United States and Canada.
