The Foreign Service Journal, June 2003

The Final Battle: Bringing Agencies to the Bargaining Table By late 1972 it was clear to the AFSA Governing Board that we would soon win the representation elections and therefore needed to be ready to negotiate. Accordingly, in November the board established a “State Negotiations Committee,” which I was elected to chair. We organized ourselves into six subcommittees: Organization (chaired by Bob Pelletreau); Framework (Rick Melton); Grievance (Tex Harris); Personnel (Jack Miklos and Bruce Hirshorn); Staff Corps (JimHolmes and Barbara Good); and Members’ Interests (Hank Cohen). In retrospect I feel sorry for management. Our team resembled the 1927 Yankees in firepower. By the time talks began in March 1973, AFSA was able to table well over 50 proposals on subjects ranging from office space for the union to promotion precepts — our version of shock and awe. Some senior administrative officials at State were in denial and simply ignored our proposals, hoping we would go away. So AFSA brought Unfair Labor Practices charges against the department for its failure to negotiate in good faith. It then became apparent that State was neither orga- nized nor staffed to meet our challenges. A period of paralysis ensued, but we were clearly defining the agenda. At this point Foreign Service realities caught up with the AFSA board. From late spring through the early sum- mer of 1973, AFSA Chairman Bill Harrop, Treasurer David Loving, USIA representative Bill Lenderking and Staff Corps co-chair Jim Holmes were transferred to Canberra, Bukavu, Bologna and Tel Aviv respectively. As reported in the July 1973 Journal , Tom Boyatt, Tex Harris, and Rick Melton were unanimously elected AFSA Governing Board chairman, vice chairman and chairman of the Negotiating Committee. Furthermore, Tex Harris, who had been on leave with- out pay working as the full-time counselor to AFSA, in addition to all his other work in many areas, particularly grievances, rejoined the FSO corps and was replaced as counselor by Rick Williamson. Our season of change was F O C U S J U N E 2 0 0 3 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 33 2000 N. 14th Street ■ Suite 500 Arlington, VA 22201 Telephone (703) 797-3259 Fax (703) 524-7559 Tollfree (800) 424-9500