WASHINGTON — The union representing U.S. Foreign Service officers is urging the incoming Congress to make restoring collective bargaining rights for federal workers a top priority when lawmakers convene in January.
The American Foreign Service Association, a professional association and labor union for the nation’s diplomats, said in a Nov. 5 statement following this week’s midterm elections that the new Congress should also take on 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 called for the Protect America’s Workforce Act to be reintroduced promptly and passed by both chambers. AFSA said the bill would reverse executive orders that stripped federal employees of collective bargaining rights, and it pointed to the measure’s bipartisan passage in the current House as evidence of support across party lines. President Donald Trump issued those orders in 2025.
AFSA also asked lawmakers to conduct rigorous oversight of the USAID shutdown and the State Department job cuts, including their effect on the country’s ability to respond to crises. The union said that oversight should lead to meaningful remedies for affected workers and pathways back into government service that recognize their experience.
“Imagine being told your service is no longer needed while watching the need for your work grow,” Dinkelman said.
The association said Foreign Service families are facing upheaval both on the job and overseas, particularly since the outbreak of war with Iran, and that some families face another evacuation shortly after resettling their children in school.
Among its other requests, AFSA urged Congress to protect career employees from political retaliation and to provide foreign affairs agencies with adequate staffing and resources. The group said it is pressing lawmakers in both parties to adopt those priorities at the start of the new Congress.
This report is based on information from the American Foreign Service Association.
Source: American Foreign Service Association
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