WASHINGTON — The union representing U.S. Foreign Service members on Nov. 5 called on the Congress elected this week to make restoring collective bargaining rights for federal employees a priority when it convenes in January.
The American Foreign Service Association, the professional association and labor union for the Foreign Service, also urged incoming lawmakers to address the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and the State Department’s reductions in force, including remedies for employees who lost their jobs.
“Restoring workers’ rights belongs at the top of the new Congressional agenda,” AFSA President John Dinkelman said. “America’s diplomats negotiate for our country every day. They deserve a voice in their own workplace.”
The group pointed to the Protect America’s Workforce Act, which it said would reverse executive orders that stripped federal employees of collective bargaining rights. AFSA said the bill’s bipartisan passage in the current House shows support across party lines, and it called for the measure to be reintroduced and passed by both chambers in the new Congress.
The union said Foreign Service employees and their families face upheaval at work and overseas, especially since the outbreak of war with Iran.
“Some of our families face another evacuation just as they get their children settled back in school. They don’t know what financial support they can count on,” Dinkelman said. “These families accept the risks of serving abroad. They should be able to count on their own government to have their backs.”
AFSA called for rigorous congressional oversight of the USAID shutdown and the State Department layoffs, including their effect on the nation’s ability to respond to crises. The group said that oversight should lead to remedies for affected workers and pathways back to government service, and that Congress should protect career employees from political retaliation and give foreign affairs agencies the staff and resources they need.
“Imagine being told your service is no longer needed while watching the need for your work grow,” Dinkelman said. “That is what State and USAID professionals face. Their expertise represents years of service and a substantial investment by American taxpayers. Congress should help put it back to work.”
The union said it is pressing lawmakers in both parties to take up the priorities from the start of the new session.
This report is based on information from the American Foreign Service Association.
Source: American Foreign Service Association
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