The Foreign Service Journal, December 2013

42 DECEMBER 2013 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL AFSA NEWS FAS VP VOICE | BY DAVID MERGEN AFSA NEWS Views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the AFSA FAS VP. Contact: david.mergen@fas.usda.gov or (202) 720-3650 The Foreign Agricultural Service was one of the agen- cies hardest hit agencies by the shutdown, with most of its employees furloughed from the first day. Unlike our counterparts at State and the U.S. Agency for Interna- tional Development, FAS did not have a source of money free of fiscal year restrictions, funds that could be used to delay shutting down the agency. During this uncertain time, AFSA’s leadership and pro- fessional staff worked with other government unions and allies in Congress to ensure that furloughed employees would receive retroactive pay for the time the government was closed. While Congress approved back pay during the last shutdowns in 1995 and 1996, this time there was no guar- Surviving the Shutdown (On Back-Pay) antee that this would be the case. Furloughed employees had serious concerns about how they would pay their bills in the event of an extended shutdown. Among the questions I received from colleagues overseas was how to apply for unemployment compen- sation. Although the agency sent the necessary forms to posts, employees were faced with the daunting prospect of having to apply in person at their state’s employment office back in the States. AFSA’s leadership and its advocacy team were at the forefront of the effort by the Federal-Postal Coalition (representing nearly five million federal and postal employees) in addressing the issue of back-pay. The coali- tion quickly mobilized behind the bipartisan proposal to provide retroactive pay, intro- duced by Representatives James Moran, D-Va., and Frank Wolf, R-Va. On Oct. 5, the House passed the back- pay legislation unanimously, greatly easing the anxiety of furloughed employees and virtually ensuring that it would be included in the final agreement to end the shutdown. Likewise, AFSA was instru- mental in mobilizing support for the legislation’s Senate companion bill, introduced by Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md. In the end, the proposal was included in Congress’s shut- down compromise. Getting the message to members of Congress in a rapid, well- coordinated way was critical to securing retroactive pay for federal employees. Although FAS represents a relatively small part of the Foreign Service community, AFSA and its professional staff are looking out for the interests of all Foreign Service employees. This is increasingly important as we endure attacks on federal salaries and benefits, and face the possibility of a sec- ond shutdown at the start of 2014. n Although FAS represents a relatively small part of the Foreign Service community, AFSA and its professional staff are looking out for the interests of all Foreign Service employees. Please Join Us at AFSA’s Holiday Open House December 13, 3 to 5 p.m. AFSA Labor/Management Office Harry S Truman Building Room 1251 HS Essay Contest in its 16th Year AFSA is pleased to announce the 2014 National High School Essay Contest. Now entering its six- teenth year, the contest is one of the prime contests of its kind in the United States, with remarkable opportunities for young people interested in foreign affairs and the Foreign Service. Students who are U.S. citizens and whose parents are not in the Foreign Service are eligible to participate if they are in grades nine through twelve in any of the fifty states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. territories, or if they are attending high school overseas. Deadline is 11:59 pm EST on March 15, 2014. Details at www.afsa.org/essaycontest. NEWS BRIEF DONNAAYERST