The Foreign Service Journal, July-August 2015

70 JULY-AUGUST 2015 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL Farewell as State Vice President STATE VP VOICE | BY MATTHEW ASADA AFSA NEWS Views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the AFSA State VP. Contact: asadam@state.gov | (202) 647-8160 | @matthewasada When I began my term as AFSA vice president, a col- league asked me to explain some basic facts on what AFSA is, whom it represents and how it works. From that conversation, it became clear that raising awareness of the association among its own membership (not to mention Congress and other partners) would need to be a priority. Now, as I complete my term two years later, I want to reflect on those basic— yet critical—questions, and specifically on the people of AFSA, the policies it advocates and the programs it runs. People: AFSA is under- pinned by a long history of democratic union governance (See the November 2013 AFSANews). A professional associa- tion and union with 16,500 dues-paying members, AFSA is led by an elected Governing Board comprised of active- duty and retired Foreign Service members. The board sets policy, approves the budget and selects an execu- tive director who manages the association’s 36-person professional staff. The president chairs the Governing Board and autho- rizes AFSA post representa- tives, elected by members at post, to interact with post management on employees’ behalf. The vice presidents negotiate with agency management; in my case, I engaged with the Department of State. The president and vice presidents are full-time Foreign Service members detailed to AFSA. One measure of an organi- zation’s health is the number of members running for board positions or serving as post representatives. In my four years on the Governing Board, AFSA has seen an increase in the number and diversity of members running for election or applying for board vacan- cies. This trend is indicative of increased member awareness and a growing interest in mak- ing AFSA service part of one’s career. Policies: Last year, AFSA celebrated 90 years as a professional association, and this year marks its 42nd as a union. Although members of the Service, per the Foreign Service Act, are unable to strike, the most important tool at AFSA’s disposal is the right to collectively bargain. AFSA regularly exercises this right on policies and prac- tices affecting performance management (e.g., core and procedural precepts), public speaking and social media, and danger pay, among others. In instances when we are unable to reach agreement with management, or feel it has violated a negotiated labor agreement, we may take the issue to the impasse panel or appeal to the Foreign Service Grievance Board. Such was the case with 2013 and 2014 Meritorious Service Increases, 2014 Overseas Comparability Pay collection payments and the depart- ment’s improper implementa- tion of a post policy without AFSA consent. In addition, we recom- mended and saw through new appointments to the Foreign Service Impasse Disputes Panel and the Foreign Service Grievance Board during my term. We are developing a new Foreign Service Institute course to better educate the department’s leaders, manag- ers and employees about FS labor relations. And we ensured that the department transmitted AFSA’s “State of the Foreign ServiceWork- force” Section 326 report to Congress for the first time in 15 years (see the June AFSA News). I am especially proud of the organization’s work on diversity, including starting a discussion on reform of the assignment restriction and pass-through programs. Our proposal to introduce an inde- pendent appeals mechanism would ensure that all mem- bers of the Service have an equal opportunity to serve. Programs: AFSA serves its members frommultiple locations. Most professional staff sit at AFSA headquarters; however, the 10-person labor management office is at Main State. Two staff members work out of USAID. In the last two years, we’ve hosted numerous events from these locations, including breakfasts for chiefs of mis- sion, a mid-termmembers’ meeting, skill-code themed lunchtime conversations and holiday receptions. We connected virtually through webinars with post representatives and skill-code cohorts, and launched a new website to better interact with all of our members. Finally, we visited members in the field, domestically and overseas, to hear their concerns directly. Today, increased member interest in AFSA is enhancing the Foreign Service experi- ence around the world. It has been an honor to serve as your vice president these last two years and as a member of the board for the last four. Thank you for your support as we worked to make the department a better, safer and more rewarding place to serve. I look forward to continuing my involvement and affiliation with AFSA—our voice for the Foreign Service. n Today, increased member interest in AFSA is enhancing the Foreign Service experience around the world.