The Foreign Service Journal, January 2007

f you think the Dilbert cartoons are nonsense, don’t read any further. If you think management is always right, don’t read any further. If you think insurance is not smart, don’t read any further. If you are still reading this, you have a healthy sense of skep- ticism. You understand that Congress controls your benefits and the State Department administers them. You also under- stand that they can err in the performance of their duties. But what you may not have recognized is that AFSA, as the col- lective voice for Foreign Service retirees from all the foreign affairs agencies, is your only insurance policy when manage- ment threatens to jump the tracks. AFSAperforms a vital over- sight role on your behalf and deserves your support. We all know of the State Department’s discovery in 2004 that it overpaid some retiree annuities. Since State cannot be sued for negligence and the regulations clearly state that the employee is responsible for the proper calculation of annuity benefits, retirees were caught in a nightmare. Dozens of elder- ly (some frail) retirees received dunning notices for payment and, in some instances, were required tomake repayments that robbed themof financial security in retirement. AFSA and sym- pathetic members of Congress and their staffs tried to help. Stung by this fiasco, and by criticism from AFSA and its allies on the Hill, the Retirement Office made major improve- ments, primarily in instituting informational systems—such as the Workload Management System and the Web-based “RNet” — under former director David Dlouhy. However, the office is still struggling. Most recently, in October 2006, a group in the Job Search Seminar signed a petition complain- ing about the Retirement Office’s inadequate briefing and slow issuance of annuity calculations. This is the very issue that was the bedrock of the overpayment outrage! In recent discussions under the rubric of improvingHR/RET, the idea was floated among State, OMB and Treasury offices to use the Foreign Service pension fund to pay the expenses of HR/RET. AFSA, among others, expressed concern. At the moment, such an idea is no longer under active consideration, but such ideas will resur- face eventually. Mindful of that, AFSA is your eyes and ears. Say you’re far from Washington, happily retired in Arizona, Texas or North Carolina. Without being a member of AFSA and signed up for its printed and electronic products, you wouldn’t even know the annuity overpayment or other issues are bubbling to the surface. And even if you did know, it’s you alone against the interests of State, Treasury and OMB. What do you think your chances of success will be when you write them a letter to protect your pension? On the other hand, if you are an AFSA member, you are not alone. AFSA may not always be successful with State or Congress, but the squeakywheel of collective action is far prefer- able to the lone individual, andAFSA is themajor squeakywheel in State’s feedback loop on retiree issues. That’s why AFSA membership is a good insurance policy for retirees—the ben- efits to retiree members are significant. First, nomatter where you are, if you are signed up for AFSA mailed and electronic products, you will receive a wealth of information on trends within the department and Congress that have a direct impact on you. As anAFSAmember, your dues pay for a public affairs programthat explains the professionalismof the Foreign Service community to the American public. Finally, your member- ship also funds a successful programof building andmaintain- ing alliances withmembers of Congress and their staffs. AFSA membership is your insurance policy, but insurance only works if you buy it before you need it. AFSA is your voice, your advo- cate. Retirees, do you think the department terminated your membership inAFSA? If youwant to carry your payroll deduc- tionmembership into retirement, you have to negotiate a hur- dle. The payroll deduction for AFSAmembership doesn’t auto- matically transfer. State has two payroll offices, one for active- duty personnel and one for retirees. You have to separately file a new form for automatic deduction from your annuity. For forms, go to www.afsa.org , and hit the Retirees tab, or call Retiree Coordinator Bonnie Brown or Membership Director Janet Hedrick, toll-free at 1 (800) 704-2372. 60 F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L / J A NU A R Y 2 0 0 7 A F S A N E W S V.P. VOICE: RETIREES BY DAVID REUTHER I AFSA Is Your Insurance Policy AFSA is the major squeaky wheel in State’s feedback loop on retiree issues. That’s why AFSA membership is a good insurance policy for retirees — the benefits to retiree members are significant.