AFSA State Accomplishments

July 2005
-- Wrote to the Department concerning Home Leave and/or passage via the United States following an assignment to a one-year unaccompanied post.
-- Protested to the House Committee on International Relations concerning a proposal to require all Government employees serving overseas to waive their right to challenge investigations of official misconduct.
-- Agreed to amend the requirement for generalists' eligibility to cross the SFS threshold to have served at a 15% differential post, rather than a 5% one, for those promoted to FS-01 in 2005 and later.

June 2005
-- Protested the Department proposal to include a complete copy of the grievance decision in an employee's Official Personnel File. The Department agreed to discuss this matter.
-- Protested the inclusion of invalid security incidents in employees' Official Performance Files.
-- Wrote asking that the Department find a way of compensating employees on TDY orders in the DC area for the penalties incurred by early termination of a lease for the needs of the service.
-- Agreed on changes to the Decision Criteria for Tenure and Promotion ("The Core Precepts") to include greater emphasis on specialist requirements, public outreach, and customer service.
-- Sought help for employees in Kirkuk, Iraq who are concerned at the arrangements for carrying out preventive maintenance on their vehicles.

May 2005
-- Successfully intervened on behalf of an employee when a B & F Officer at post declined to follow the policy allowing acceptance of promotional benefits - in this case a free rental car included in the cost of a hotel room.
-- Successfully intervened on behalf of two retiring OMSs to ensure they received waivers for, in one case repayment of R & R costs, and in the other case, repayment of HSTA.
-- Suggested that the Department make a greater effort to ensure that employee called up for military reserve duty are aware of their rights, particularly with regard to inclusion of military evaluations in their Official Performance Files if desired. The Department agreed to do so.
-- Protested the selection of three mid-level officers as Deputy Assistant Secretaries in the Bureau of European Affairs.
-- Negotiated and agreed the 2005 Procedural Precepts for Promotion, to include removing the 5% low-ranking quota for certain groups of employees, new language concerning class-wide competition and career development, a statement that ensures that low-ranking should not be solely based on disciplinary letters, and further information concerning employees' rights under USERRA

April 2005
-- Successfully intervened to ensure that three new entry specialists received the entry step level to which their qualifications and experience entitled them.
-- Asked the Department to review their requirements for the inclusion of minor children on the OF-126 and orders when the employee's divorce decree has granted him or her sole custody.
-- Intervened on behalf of several employees whose FEHBP premiums had been either underpaid or not paid at all, proposing a supportable repayment schedule in all cases.
-- Successfully intervened to ensure that a dependent spouse, in an FMA position in the Embassy at an unaccompanied post, could remain at post to deliver their baby.
-- Wrote to the Department concerning the crime/security situation at the five Mexico border posts, noting that RSOs are assigned at only two of them.

March 2005
-- Successfully intervened on behalf 16 members of the 82 nd Foreign Service Specialist Class to ensure payment of per diem for the day they arrived in the DC area.
-- Wrote on behalf of Diplomatic Couriers carrying pouches into Baghdad to seek better safety arrangements in cargo aircraft.
-- Proposed that some FS positions might merit seeking an exemption from military reserve call-up. Particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan, some FS employees might better serve US interests by remaining in their State jobs. The Department stated that, as a matter of policy, it did not intend to seek any deferments.
-- Wrote to the Department noting that none of the OMSs who cross-walked from USIA in 1999 have been promoted above the rank at which they transferred. Proposed the inclusion of a senior PD officer on the S-V Board to ensure a better understanding of OMS duties in USIA.
-- Made comments to OPM on the proposed rules for granting Compensatory Time Off for Travel, asking for FS Officers to be included, and for comp time to be granted for travel in business class.

February 2005
-- Protested, again, at the protracted and opaque procedure for vetting employees for assignments to critical threat countries.
-- Successfully intervened to avert the abolishment of an FS-01 supervisory position in OBO.
-- Wrote to TSP Headquarters to protest TSP's refusal to honor a court order on the apportionment of a TSP account.
-- Worked with employees in Georgetown, Guyana, to preserve their rights following an evacuation in the wake of severe flooding at post
-- Assisted employees in Belize to ameliorate the effects of mold exposure in parts of the Embassy and post housing.

January 2005
-- Intervened with Citibank and the Charleston Financial Center on behalf of members whose bank accounts had been emptied by criminal elements. Citibank refunded all their losses.
-- Wrote to the Department concerning the provision of cash awards to those awarded MSIs but who had reached the highest step in their class. The Department instituted a policy of paying a cash award of $2500 in these cases.
-- Successfully intervened on behalf of three entry-level officers who spent six months in Baghdad before reporting to their first post. Their Baghdad time will now count towards Home Leave accrual and Home Leave eligibility.

December 2004
-- Wrote to the Department protesting the proposal to allow two Senior Officers' spouses to accompany them to unaccompanied posts.
-- Wrote to the Department concerning the arrangements for reconstituted promotion boards for those employees omitted from consideration by administrative error.
-- Wrote to the Chief Financial Officer concerning the Department's directions to posts on check cashing facilities overseas. Termination of this "accommodation exchange" benefit will place employee's personal finances at risk, as had already happened in Zambia.
-- Urged the Courier service to carefully monitor their contract with FedEx in the light of lax security documentary practices and unacceptable conditions of service imposed on Foreign Service couriers escorting diplomatic pouches on FedEx aircraft.
-- Met with HR/OE to discuss employment of eligible family members overseas

November 2004
-- Wrote to the Chairman of the Foreign Service Grievance Board concerning USAID's refusal to abide the FSGB's final decisions in two cases.
-- Wrote to all regional Assistant Secretaries urging that they include the issue of overseas comparability pay in their briefings for incoming Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.
-- Wrote concerning reconstituted promotion boards for two Foreign Service employees who had spent substantial periods on active reserve military duty.
-- Met with the Management officials of the Courier Service to discuss conditions of service for couriers and management practices in the Courier service.
-- Intervened with Kabul post management to ensure that the winner of the OMS of the Year for 2004 could attend the Department award ceremony on 11/8.

October 2004
-- Opened discussions with HR on their proposals for a Career Development model for generalist officers, that would require the fulfillment of certain conditions in order to cross the Senior Threshold.
-- Wrote to the Department with suggestions for changes in the Home Leave legislation for those serving at one-year posts.
-- Reiterated the need to reconsider the deadline for the Student Loan Repayment Program.
-- Protested the Department's practice of paying $0 for a pay period when RM cannot ascertain where an employee is located.
-- Met with members of RSO Course 04-06 to discuss administrative problems and made follow-up suggestions to DS.

September 2004
-- Met with HR and agreed on changes to the promotion precepts resulting from the decision to abolish the multifunctional skill code and replace it with class-wide consideration for promotion for all mid-level generalists.
-- AFSA State VP Louise Crane, and AFSA Staff went on Federal News Radio's "FedTalk" to discuss Foreign Service Issues.
-- AFSA State VP Louise Crane spoke to CDA Assignment Officers and Career Development Officers on "Assignments from the point of view of the Client", as part of the briefing for in-coming CDA Staff members.
-- Wrote to the Department concerning the deadline for the Student Loan Repayment Program, and urged reconsideration in the case of four individuals who missed the deadline through no fault of their own.
-- Proposed changes to allow employees to claim the Lease Penalty portion of the Foreign Transfer Allowance when they are assigned to training in advance of the termination of their tour.
-- Proposed that newly-entered employees be offered the option of being assigned to FSI for periods of between 6 months and one year in order that, if not entitled to per diem, they may receive locality pay.
-- Wrote to Senate and House Committee Staff members to explain the importance of the FSGB's prescriptive relief authority, and the need to restore it as soon as possible.

August 2004
-- Met with members of the Generalist threshold promotion board to discuss the impact of the new EER form for FS-01s and above.
-- Met with the Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security, General Francis X. Taylor, and staff and discussed, among other topics, assignments, contact reporting, and DS's procedures for suspension of security clearances and the subsequent investigations.
-- Continued discussions with HR on the procedures for implementing the new pay procedures for the Senior Foreign Service.
-- Agreed on the requirement for all personnel to have served at a 5% hardship post in order to cross the Senior Threshold and agreed on waiver conditions.
-- Wrote to all the Executive Directors of regional bureaus to remind them of the requirement to pay overtime to untenured officers and specialists.

July 2004
-- Met with all regional bureau Executive Officers and Assignment Officers to emphasize the need for flexibility and creative thought to make available 400 one-year unaccompanied assignments every year, as well as follow-on assignments.
-- Wrote to the Department concerning Home Leave accrual for new entry personnel deploying to Iraq before arrival at their first post
-- Made suggestions to DS regarding administrative support and voucher processing for DS agents during their Basic Special Agent Course at Dunn Loring
-- Completed negotiations on the Assignment Procedures for the 2005 assignment cycle, included changes for "stretch" assignments.
-- Proposed that all specialists should receive a "certificate", signed by the Secretary of State, upon tenure.

June 2004
-- Met with DS to discuss their preparations to provide security for Embassy staff in Baghdad.
-- Wrote to the Department asking that DCMs be tasked with ensuring entry level specialists are properly mentored and supervised, in addition to their responsibility for generalist entry-level officers.
-- Made suggestions to improve and update the regulations for involuntary Separate Maintenance Allowance
-- Successfully intervened on behalf of two newly-joined DS Agents who had been entered on duty at the wrong step level.
-- Wrote to the Department concerning employee responsibility for payment for overweight HHE shipments, protesting that employees should not be charged when they do not know of the overweight or have any opportunity to take items out of the shipment.
-- Negotiated new proposals on promotion boards that are reconstituted owing to an administrative error

May 2004
-- Completed negotiations on the 2004 Promotion Precepts. New provisions include removing Time-in-Grade requirements for tenured generalists seeking promotion from FO-04 to FO-03, giving cash awards to those who awarded MSIs but who cannot receive them since they have reached the highest step in their class, and requiring leadership and management training as a pre-requisite for promotion by 2007.
-- Wrote to Secretary Powell and USAA protesting USAA's decision to exclude from membership Foreign Service officers from USAID, Commerce and Agriculture.
-- Wrote to DS concerning the interrelation of service in dangerous and hostile areas, stress (including PTSD, depression and other mental health problems), and an officer's security clearance.
-- Wrote to Deputy Secretary Armitage in support of United States Diplomacy Center, to be opened in 2007.

April 2004
-- Urged the Department to establish a website that retirees can access to take care of annuity matters on-line.
-- Met with Mr. Christopher Burnham, Assistant Secretary for Resource Management, to discuss the operations of the Retirement Accounts Division in Charleston.
-- Successfully intervened on behalf of an officer seeking reimbursement for health-related costs.
-- Wrote to M/Med concerning a large number of late settlements of bills for costs incurred during pre-entry physicals. M/Med has instituted revised procedures that should help alleviate these problems
-- Sought changes in the treatment of LWOP, as well as documentation in performance files, for military reservists.

March 2004
-- Proposed a solution to the problem concerning the employment status of EFMs at AIT Taiwan. The Department has implemented a procedure for including them in the FMA program.
-- Wrote to the Department on two issues affecting retiree annuities, causing changes to take place in customer service and annuity calculation procedures.
-- Wrote to the Department concerning the new housing complex in Nairobi.
-- Wrote to Courier Management concerning needed improvements in the wake of the courier employee satisfaction

February 2004
-- Proposed a change to the Standardized regulations to allow payment of HSTA to families returning to the USA when the employee is assigned to an unaccompanied post.
-- Protested shortcoming in HR/PE's record-keeping that has resulted in delays of tenuring and administrative promotions.
-- Protested Embassy Ottawa's policy of disregarding HPR and SQR in assessing the initial salary of EFMs, and sought a FAM change to prevent this.
-- Wrote in relation to updating the TIC/TIS rules – prior to receiving the Department's proposals to AFSA

January 2004
-- Wrote to the Department concerning the inclusion of elderly parents on orders. The Department is convening a Working Group to consider the whole question of designating family members and unmarried partners as EFMs.
-- Protested on two occasions concerning incorrect application of the fair-share bidding rules.
-- Again wrote to the Department concerning notations in the performance files of those called-up for reserve military duty.
-- Sought to re-open negotiations on the 7,200 lbs HHE limit for limited shipment posts.
-- Opened negotiations on the procedural precepts for promotion by raising six important issues by letter in advance of formal negotiations.

December 2003
-- Proposed changes to the Time-in-Service/Time-in-Class rules for generalists who convert from specialist at the mid-level
-- Proposed changes to HR records to take account of the special circumstances affecting employees who are called up for military service.
-- Successfully contested HR/EX's decision in two TQSE extension requests.
-- Met with Department financial management officials concerning arrangements for voucher payments and indebtedness, and received assurances on improvements to procedures.
--Discussed proposed changes to the Mustang and Functional Specialization Programs. We did not agree to the Mustang program changes and they did not occur.
-- Assisted numerous employees from State, USAID, FCS, FAS, and IBB with administrative issues, grievances, discipline cases, security investigations and security clearance matters.
-- Proposed that USDA management revisit the way that pay for promotees into the Senior Foreign Service was calculated in order to bring it into parity with State.

November 2003
-- Continued a dialogue with Embassy Abuja concerning the high incidence of fires at post, receiving assurances
-- Met with the Department's legal, retirement and financial staff concerning measures to prevent overpayments to annuitants and measures to ameliorate the effects of such overpayment.

October 2003
-- Met with Mr. Donald Reid, Senior Coordinator for Diplomatic Security concerning the handling of security clearances and other related issues.
-- Concluded agreement on the requirement for hardship service in order to qualify for promotion to the Senior Foreign Service, with waivers in certain medical circumstances.
-- Agreed to the Department's proposed incentive packages for service in Iraq and Afghanistan
-- Reviewed the Diplomatic Courier Service's employee survey and discussed the implications of the results with Courier management.

September 2003
-- Agreed to the Department's proposed Dress guidelines.
-- Interceded on behalf of several employees whose EERs had not been written or submitted in a timely manner.
-- Reached final agreement on changes to the Foreign Affairs Manual section on Discipline Regulations.
-- Met with management officials in the Diplomatic Courier Service on ongoing matters affecting traveling couriers.
-- Signed Memorandum of Agreement with FCS on promotion precepts and MPPAS

August 2003
-- Made proposals to simplify the rules under which Post Differential ceases on departure from post on leave. The Department is conducting a study on this.
-- After several negotiating sessions with State Department Management, agreed on a pilot program for a new EER form for FS-01s and above.
-- Informed the State Department of the error they had committed in calculating the lump-sum for annual leave on retirement, leading to several recalculations for annuitants who had been underpaid.
-- Met with the National Treasury Employees Union to discuss arrangements for their employees serving in border posts and ports overseas as inspectors.

July 2003
-- Drew Courier Service's attention to the safety report of the Safety, Health and Environmental Management office in the Overseas Buildings Office, and sought a progress report on the implementation of corrective measures.
-- Again sought a change in the per diem regulations for Foreign Service personnel in Long Term Training at FSI.
-- AFSA State VP addressed the DCM and Principal Officer Course at FSI.