Since January, a wave of executive orders has systematically rolled back labor rights across the federal government. History shows that attacks on labor protections are often among the first warning signs of a democracy at risk.

Join us on Thursday, November 20, at 1:00 p.m. ET for a candid discussion on what these changes mean for federal employees, organized labor, and American democracy itself.

The conversation will feature Sharon L. Papp (AFSA), Thomas Dargon Jr. (AFGE), and Professor Joseph A. McCartin (Georgetown University).

This event is open to the public. There will be opportunity for Q&A.

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Questions? Contact us at ServiceDisrupted@afsa.org.

About the Guests

Sharon L. Papp, as General Counsel at the American Foreign Service Association (AFSA), oversees the activities of all staff members in AFSA's Office of the General Counsel and provides legal guidance and assistance to AFSA's elected officials and committees. She also represents AFSA in implementation disputes before the Foreign Service Grievance Board, and unfair labor practices, negotiability disputes and appeals before the Foreign Service Labor Relations Board. Over the years, she has assisted thousands of members with investigations, proposals for discipline, grievances, and security clearance cases.

Joseph A. McCartin is a professor at Georgetown University and an expert on U.S. labor, social, and political history. He has taught at Georgetown University since 1999, where he has offered courses in U.S. Labor History, Recent U.S. Political Economy, U.S. Since 1945, America Between the Wars, Modern U.S. State and Society, and 20th-21st Century U.S. Social History. Read more.

Thomas Dargon, Jr. serves as the Deputy General Counsel at the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union representing 820,000 federal and D.C. government workers across the United States and the world. Prior to joining AFGE in 2016, Thomas worked as an Associate at Maurer & Associates PC from July 2014 to April 2016. Thomas holds a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from the University of Connecticut School of Law and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Connecticut.

About the Series

This event is part of AFSA’s new Service Disrupted virtual series, spotlighting the accelerating institutional challenges facing the Foreign Service.

The events are free and open to the public.