The Foreign Service Journal, January 2007

J A NU A R Y 2 0 0 7 / F OR E I GN S E R V I C E J OU R N A L 65 I n accordance with the AFSA bylaws, AFSAmembership dues have been raised for 2007 by 3.3 percent across all membership categories. This increase reflects the third-quarter Consumer Price Index pub- lished on Sept. 30, 2006, by the Department of Labor, used by the Social Security Administration to calculate the 2007 Cost of Living Adjust- ment increases. The new dues rates will take effect on Jan. 1, 2007. Members paying dues via payroll deduction and annuity deduction will see a small, auto- matic increase in the amount deducted from their paychecks and annu- ities. Members who pay annuallywill be billed the new rate on their reg- ularly scheduled renewal date. Membership dues account for approximately 75 percent of AFSA’s total income. This revenue provides the associationwith a stable andpre- dictable income source, which allows AFSA to continue offering excel- lent member services and benefits. The box to the right indicates the new dues rates for 2007. A F S A N E W S AFSA Urges State Not to Move Transportation Office AFSA, AAFSW and many Foreign Service employees are urging State Department management to review a recent decision to move the Transportation Office (A/LM/OPS/TTM) out of the corridor housing all the other travel and transfer services to make room for staff from the office of the director of foreign assistance, now called “F.” On Nov. 1, AFSA sent a letter to management requesting a review of the decision. AAFSW has also sent a letter with the same request. The director general expressed support for AFSA’s position and sent it on to Under Secretary for Management Henrietta Fore. Just about every Foreign Service employee would be directly affected in some way by this move. Some 4,000 employees and their families visit the Transportation Office annually as they transfer from one post to another, move overseas from Washington or return from overseas to Washington. With the growing number of one-year unaccom- panied postings, the number of visitors to these offices will only continue to rise. The east end of Corridor 2 has for decades been the established one-stop shopping area for a variety of services that employees need while in transit: the Employee Services Center, Carlson Wagonlit Travel, the Voucher Office, the Family Liaison Office and indeed AFSA. Moving this important piece of the jigsaw to another location (ultimately one outside the State Department building) makes little sense. There is real value in having the transportation branch co-located with a variety of other transfer-related services; thus, moving the branch elsewhere will complicate, rather than simplify, the process of moving Foreign Service members around the world. This principle was affirmed in 1995 in one of the recommendations of the Strategic Management Initiative. In a Department Notice dated April 11, 1995, Recommenda- tion 12b reads: “Cluster all aspects of foreign transfers and other employee services in a single ‘mall’ location.” Indeed, seven or eight years ago, a plan to move the Travel and Transportation Offices was discarded as undesirable for the very same reasons which apply now. AFSA will continue to urge a reversal of this decision. 2006 AAFSW/SOSA WINNERS CHOSEN Celebrating FS Volunteerism A FSAcongratulates thewinners of the Associates of theAmericanForeign Service Worldwide/Secretary of State’s Award for Outstanding Volun- teerismAbroad. Each year, one outstand- ing volunteer is selectedby each geograph- ic bureau. Thewinners of the 2006 awards were honored at a Dec. 5 ceremony at the State Department. Director General George M. Staples presented the awards. The awards recognizeU.S. government employees and family members at em- bassies and consulates who have given exceptional voluntary service to their com- munities or rendered outstanding service in emergencies. The 2006 winners: Steven Carroll, Kabul (NEA); KathyHansen,Seoul (EAP); Marian McGowan, Santo Domingo (WHA); NeldaVillines,Mbabane (AF);and Thomas Yazdgerdi, Athens (EUR). Jean Vance received the newly-estab- lished Ele Dodson Tragen Award, and the Lesley Dorman Award was presented to Dianne Bodeen. Please visit theAAFSWWeb site to read abouttheextraordinaryactivitiesofthisyear’s volunteer winners: www.aafsw/awards/ 2006awards.htm. AFSA NEWS BRIEFS Rates for Active Duty Members CATEGORY NEW ANNUAL NEW BIWEEKLY FS 7, 8, 9 $80.90 $3.10 FS 6, 5, 4 $152.95 $5.90 FS 1, 2, 3 $267.25 $10.30 SFS $345.65 $13.30 Rates for Retiree Members CATEGORY NEW ANNUAL NEW MONTHLY Annuity under $25,000 $62.25 $5.20 Annuity of $25-50,000 $93.25 $7.75 Annuity of $50-75,000 $124.60 $10.40 Annuity over $75,000 $155.95 $13.00 Retiree Spouse $50.00 No Change Retiree Associate $62.25 $5.20 Rates for Associate Members ASSOCIATE NEW ANNUAL $95.85 2007 AFSA Dues Rates