The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) has expressed strong opposition to a new Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) interim rule that changes how veterans’ disabilities are evaluated when medication is involved.
According to the IAM Union, the rule rates disabilities based only on how veterans function while their symptoms are masked by medication. The union argues that this approach fails to account for flare-ups, worsening conditions, and the actual limitations veterans face both at work and in daily life. In a statement, the union said: “This approach would ignore flare-ups, worsening conditions, and the real-world limitations Veterans face on the job 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.”
The IAM Union represents hundreds of thousands of workers in aerospace, defense, shipbuilding, rail, and federal service sectors—many of whom are military veterans working in physically demanding and safety-critical roles. The union emphasized that many veterans rely on medication to remain employed but stated this reliance does not mean their service-connected disabilities have disappeared.
The interim rule also comes after Ingram v. Collins (2025), a federal court decision which reaffirmed that the VA cannot rate disabilities based solely on symptoms suppressed by medication. The union criticized the VA’s action: “Rather than following that ruling, the VA issued a regulation designed to render it meaningless.”
The IAM called for withdrawal or substantial revision of the rule. The statement noted: “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.” It added: “Veterans earned these benefits through service and sacrifice. They deserve better.”
Through its IAM Veterans Services Program, the union became recognized by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs as a national Veterans Service Organization (VSO). This recognition provides IAM military veterans and their families with direct access to benefits and representation.
IAM represents approximately 600,000 active and retired members across various industries throughout North America.
