Department of Veterans Affairs Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Seattle Veterans Affairs staffer alleges whistleblower retaliation

By Lauren Gallup October 29, 2024

Douglas Galuszka, along with colleague Cortez Hopkins, sent in a tip to NWPB about deteriorating conditions at a building on the Seattle VA Campus, including a broken HVAC system documented as far back as 2017. Galuszka is now alleging whistleblower retaliation after he was suspended twice. (Credit: Caroline Walker Evans for Cascade PBS)

A staffer for the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System has alleged retaliation after he spoke out about the deteriorating conditions of a building on the south Seattle campus that housed specialty clinics and office space. Douglas Galuszka, chief of logistics, was issued two suspensions totaling three weeks of unpaid leave this year. He said VA administrators Read More

Seattle veterans clinic faces complaints over leaks, ventilation

By Lauren Gallup June 5, 2024

Cortez Hopkins and Doug Galuszka, who reported deteriorating conditions at a building on the Veterans Affairs campus in Seattle, allege they faced whistleblower retaliation in response to their complaints. (Caroline Walker Evans for Cascade PBS)

A loud whoosh brought Cortez Hopkins out of his office. Two ceiling tiles had crashed down where moments before a staffer had sat packing up records. Water trickled down as Hopkins snapped pictures of the damage. Hopkins and others were working overtime in the logistics office of the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System campus in South Seattle as nearly an Read More

Will The Passes Get Plowed? Impact Of Vaccine Mandate Firings On State Services Not Yet Clear

By Austin Jenkins October 25, 2021

The Washington State Patrol and Department of Transportation closed I-5 near Tukwila and re-routed traffic off the freeway after a semi crash on Wednesday, October 20, 2021. Combined, the two agencies lost more than 550 workers as a result of Gov. Jay Inslee's COVID-19 vaccine mandate.

Roughly nine in 10 employees of the state of Washington are now vaccinated against COVID-19. Gov. Jay Inslee considers that a huge success and a win for public health. But his vaccine mandate has also led to the departure of hundreds of state employees. Now there are questions about the implications for some state services.Read More

Veterans Affairs Secretary Evicts Members Of Congress From Offices In VA Hospitals

By NPR News September 25, 2019

Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., and other members of Congress are appealing a decision by the Department of Veterans Affairs to evict them from office spaces at VA hospitals. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The lawmakers have been using the offices to meet with veterans. At least one believes the eviction is payback for his tough questioning of VA Secretary Robert Wilkie in April.Read More