The Foreign Service Journal, March 2020

70 MARCH 2020 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS Remembering Anthony Bishop, AFGE State Vice President AFSA mourns the loss of Anthony Bishop, the State vice president for the Ameri- can Federation of Govern- ment Employees Local 1534. Mr. Bishop died on Jan. 20. He was 59. Mr. Bishop joined the State Department as a fiscal techni- cian in the Foreign Service Institute’s budget office in 1998, after a lengthy military career that began in 1979. He became the interim State first vice president for AFGE Local 1534 and was elected into that position in 2006. He was reelected six times, becoming the longest-serving AFGE State vice president. “Toney believed in the power of collective bar- gaining, and working with other federal government employee unions—including AFSA—on matters of mutual interest,” said AFSA Presi- dent Eric Rubin. “His advo- cacy will be deeply missed.” AFGE is the Civil Service equivalent of AFSA, repre- senting Civil Servants in many of the foreign affairs agencies. “This is a legacy that we suspect will not be sur- passed,” the State Depart- ment shared in a depart- ment notice. “Anthony was very much respected and loved by his constitu- ency, and the management officials that dealt with him appreciated his ability to collaborate with the intent to reach resolution.” “Toney stood tall as a labor leader interested in finding common ground amongst all employees—whether Foreign Service or Civil Service,” said former AFSA State Vice President Matthew Asada. “As leaders of our respective AFGE and AFSA bargaining units, he and I partnered together on initiatives such as the new employee leave bank, co-hosting a USIA film screening to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the March on Washington, and building stronger ties amongst the department’s labor unions. “I got to know him during my term (2013-2015) and remained in touch after I left,” Mr. Asada added. “The AFGE and AFSA offices were then located next to each another in the 2nd corridor, and our individual offices within the suites were back-to-back, so I would stop by and chat with him often. What I most appre- ciated about Toney is that he was willing to take stands and positions that were not politically required, but he did so out of solidarity and a true belief that collective bargain- ing and employee representa- tion made the department a better place to serve.” n