The Foreign Service Journal, March 2003

American Foreign Service Association • March 2003 AFSA NEWS W ith your continued support, AFSA made substantial progress during 2002 across a range of issues: LISTENING TO YOU AND PROMOTING YOUR INTERESTS: AFSAmade progress onnumer- ousbread-and-butter issuesduring2002 that served tomake the Foreign Service a better place inwhich towork and live. Asampling of those accomplishments is contained in the month-by-month listing that begins on the second page of this Annual Report. For example, we convinced the State Department to convene aworking group to seekways tomake service at hardshipposts lessof ahardship. AFSArepresentativeswere active participants in that working group which, at year’s end, forwarded 60 propos- als toseniormanagement (31ofwhichAFSA originally proposed and 14 of which addressed issues impactingnon-hardshipas well as hardship posts). OnCapitolHill,weover- cameWhiteHouse opposi- tion toconvinceCongress to approveVirtual LocalityPay andPITretirement buyback. We continued to lobby, so far without success, for OverseasComparabilityPay, for a repeal of the dual compensation cap faced by retirees, and to give retirees the sameabilityas activeduty employees topay their health insurancepre- miums with pre-tax dollars. At year’s end, we appeared to be within striking distance of amending the tax code concerning resi- dency requirements for the exclusionof cap- ital gains on the sale of a residence. At State, we persuadedmanagement to adopt over a dozen AFSA proposals aimed at reforming the personnel system. At USAID, we urgedmanagement to increase training and support resources and to strengthen workforce planning and career development. At FCS, we broke the logjam to secure approval of several long-pending agreements. At FAS, we finalized re-nego- tiation of AFSA’s contract. As we do each year, AFSA helped hun- dreds ofmemberswith inquiries andprob- lems concerning such things as allowances, assignments and transportation. AFSA’s attorneys assisted over 200 members with discipline cases, grievances, security clear- ances and investigations. Weworked tokeep you informed via weekly update messages reporting on developments impacting member’s careers and lives. SEEKINGADDITIONALRESOURCESFORDIPLO- MATICREADINESS. AFSAworked to support the president’s budget request to increase funding for staffing, security, information technologyand facilities. We submittedcon- gressional testimony,met withmembers of Congress and their staffs, and placedop-edarticles inmajor daily newspapers. In our second annual Day on theHill effort, we led 60 Foreign Service retirees, AFSAstaff, andAFSAofficers to Capitol Hill urging fund- ing for diplomatic readiness. During the year, AFSA formed our own political action committee, AFSA- PAC, to raiseour profilewith the senior lawmakers who play the key role in setting our agencies’ funding levels. AFSA’s speakers programarranged 252 appearances in 33 states by retired Foreign Servicemembers to explain to public audi- ences the importance of funding diplo- macy. AFSA retirees led 16 one-week adult-education programs on the Foreign Service under the auspices of the Elderhostel organization, reaching an audience of over 800 retired professionals from all over the U.S. When the year ended without Congress passing any appropriations, we rededicated ourselves to continuing the fight in 2003. DEFENDINGTHEFOREIGNSERVICEANDTELLING OURSTORY: We rushed to the defense of our consular colleagueswhen some in themedia andCongressunfairlycriticized themfor fail- ures largely attributed to inadequate infor- mation sharing by the intelligence com- munity and tounderstaffing forcedby bud- get cuts during the 1990s. AFSA placed 31 articles explaining the Foreign Service to the American people in media outlets such as the Washington Post , Wall Street Journal , Los Angeles Times , and HoustonChronicle . Inaddition, AFSAstate- ments were carried on CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, Fox News, BBC, NPR, and several regional talk-radio programs. INSTITUTION BUILDING: As highlighted above, AFSA expanded and strengthened its lobbying and outreach efforts. AFSA’s Foreign Service Journal, completing its first full year under Editor StevenAlanHonley, received widespread compliments for its responsiveness to readers’ interests. We expanded AFSANews , adding new features including “Retirees inAction” and “Family Member Matters,” and posting it on the AFSA Web site each month. Responding to AFSA’s activist agenda, 990 new-hire employees became dues-pay- ing members in 2002. At years end, total membership stood at 11,674 passing its previous record set in 1995 on the eve of the dramatic downsizing of the Foreign Service at State and USAID. CONCLUSION: AFSA is only as good as itsmost recent accomplishments, sowewill continue to work hard in 2003 to active- ly promote the interests of our members around the world. As always, we will look to our members for ideas, support, and encouragement. A Message from AFSA President John K. Naland Annual Report 2002