The Foreign Service Journal, September 2003

A s I look over the letters I signed during my first term as the AFSAVice President for State, I thought you’d like to know some of the issues on which manage- ment agreed with AFSA (those in the “win” column) and those wheremanagement didn’t agree (the “lose” column). Some of the letters we wrote were written on behalf of individuals who needed help cutting through the bureau- cratic Gordian knot, while others were on behalf of whole classes of employees. • Management agreed to pay a bigger share of professional liability insurance after AFSA pointed out that premiums had risen. • Management agreed with AFSA to pay for the storage of DS agents’ HHE for longer than 90 days. (DS agents haven’t even finished their required training at the law enforcement training center when the 90 days expire.) • Many good things have come out of the hardship working groups manage- ment set up in response to an AFSA suggestion. Management not only agreed to set them up, but has also followed through on the recommendations. Here are some of the issues that ended up in the “lose” column. • Declining per diem works a real hardship on employees assigned to long- term training at FSI. Two years ago, trainees received 100 percent per diem for only one month, then 50 percent per diem for two months and then only 25 per- cent per diem for the remaining months of training. When Ruth Davis came from FSI to become the new director general two years ago, she knew of the financial hardship firsthand and doubled the number of days at full per diem to 60. This helped, but many employees have asked if — for the purposes of household man- agement and budgeting— they could spread that 100 percent payment over four months; i.e., getting 50 percent per diem for 120 days. Management refused. Every new class of trainees at FSI asks this question, but the answer to AFSA’s letters is still no. • Certain new hires do not receive per diemwhile in training, and AFSA has writ- ten many letters requesting justice for them. When new hires’ first assignment is a domestic position in Washington, they do not receive any per diem whatsoever. Sometimes, these employees learn their first assignment is Washington only hours before arriving, while others find out only after the three-week orientation has begun. AFSA has heard tales of employees sleeping in their cars. Many have to double and triple up to afford their temporary lodgings and live off bologna sandwiches. AFSA has writtenmany times suggesting that all employees receive their assignments after their three-week orientation course, not before, so that they would all be eligible for per diem during those first few weeks when expenses are highest. One issue that ASFA both won and lost concerns laundry. When management decided to cease paying laundry and dry cleaning expenses for employees at FSI, AFSAwrote to protest the decision. (Management correctly noted that these expens- es were not allowed under FS travel regs.) We pointed out that federal travel reg- ulations permit these payments and suggested the department amend the FS trav- el regs to conform to the federal ones. Management agreed, so students resubmitted their receipts. It appears that not all of management had agreed to paying these expenses. Part of management told AFSA these costs would be reimbursed, but another part posted a sign on a door at FSI saying, “Laundry and dry cleaning have been disallowed for the time being.” ▫ V.P. VOICE: STATE ■ BY LOUISE CRANE You Win Some; You Lose Some 6 AFSA NEWS • SEPTEMBER 2003 Board, I did not fully appreciate just how great a force for good AFSA is. But now I do. Day in and day out, AFSA’s profes- sional staffmembers, electedofficials, and post representatives fight for the interests of our members, both active-duty and retired. They negotiate improvements in our conditions of service, lobby for legis- lation to improve our quality of life, respond to thosewhounfairly criticize our profession, and speak up for employees whohave been let downby the system. In so doing, they help to make the Foreign Service a better supported, more respect- ed, and more satisfying place in which to spend a career and raise a family. That makes our agenciesmore effective and thus improvesournation’sdiplomatic readiness. “One of the best things about working inAFSAhas been the opportunity towork alongside our 26 fantasticprofessional staff members. It is theywhodo the bulkof the work for our 12,000 members. “AFSA has been the voice of the Foreign Service since 1924 when the Service itself was created. As happens every two years, the time has now come for a newGoverning Board to assume the responsibility for fighting the good fight for the benefit of our members. My suc- cessor, Ambassador JohnW. Limbert, will head up a very strong team that includes long-time AFSA activists as well as new- comers bringing fresh perspectives. “Give the new AFSA board the same support that you gave to the outgoing board. Send themyour suggestions, your kudos, and your constructive criticism. In so doing, we will be continuing the proud tradition of mutual support dating back nearly eight decades. And the Foreign Service will be the better for it. Thank you for the opportunity to serve.” ▫ Board • Continued from page 1 “AFSA has been the voice of the Foreign Service since 1924 when the Service itself was created.”