WASHINGTON — The union representing U.S. diplomats is urging the incoming Congress to make restoring federal employees’ collective bargaining rights one of its first orders of business in January.
The American Foreign Service Association, the labor union and professional association for members of the Foreign Service, issued the call Nov. 5, two days after the midterm elections. The group said lawmakers should also confront the dismantling of the U.S. Agency for International Development and reductions in force at the State Department, 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 union pointed to the Protect America’s Workforce Act, which it said would reverse executive orders that stripped bargaining rights from federal workers. According to AFSA, the bill passed the current House with bipartisan support, and the group asked that it be reintroduced quickly and passed by both chambers.
AFSA said Foreign Service families are facing upheaval both at work and at posts overseas, particularly 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. He said families who accept the risks of serving abroad should be able to rely on their government.
The union also asked Congress to conduct oversight of the USAID shutdown and the State Department cuts, to create paths back to service for affected employees, to protect career staff from political retaliation and to ensure adequate staffing and resources.
“Imagine being told your service is no longer needed while watching the need for your work grow,” Dinkelman said. He said the expertise of State and USAID staff reflects years of service and taxpayer investment, and that Congress should help put it back to work.
This report is based on information from the American Foreign Service Association.
Source: American Foreign Service Association
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