Who they are...
AFSA is a professional organization, with chapters in most countries and informal groups in many bureaus
and offices.
These groups are led by Post Representatives, active duty Foreign Service employees who donate their time
to assist fellow employees with management-related problems and professional concerns. They serve as a
liaison with AFSA and pass on the views of its members in all the Foreign Affairs agencies.
The AFSA Post Rep represents both the collective and individual interests of the Foreign Service personnel
at post in dealing with post management.
What is a Post Representative (Post Rep)?
AFSA is an international organization, with chapters in most countries and informal groups in many bureaus
and offices. These groups are led by Post Representatives, active duty Foreign Service employees who
donate their time to assist fellow employees with management-related problems and professional concerns,
and to pass on to AFSA the views of its members in all the Foreign Affairs agencies.
The AFSA Post Rep represents both the collective and individual interests of the Foreign Service personnel
at post in dealing with post management.
You may do that by:
- Acting as the AFSA point of initial contact for post members experiencing particular difficulties which
may lead to a grievance action.
- Distributing throughout the bargaining unit any information of general interest that AFSA Headquarters
sends to post.
- Forwarding to AFSA any proposals, complaints, or criticisms originating with the bargaining unit members
at your post.
- Representing the members of the AFSA bargaining unit in dealing with post management on matters of
general interest.
- Building AFSA's membership and raise AFSA's profile at post.
- Maintaining current membership lists and periodically forwarding it to AFSA Headquarters.
Typical Chapter Activities
Here are just some of the issues AFSA chapters and representatives have been engaged in:
- Housing: orderly and just allocation, and housing board policy.
- Overtime: this may vary as legislation and regulations change. Rosters for duty officers,
duty secretaries and duty communicators.
- Security Problems: especially physical security and protection against terrorist
attacks.
- Commissary associations and commissary management.
- Job descriptions and greater responsibilities for secretaries.
Ineligibility: Who Cannot Serve as an AFSA Representative
Employees currently serving in positions designated as "management officials" or "confidential employees" are
excluded from the bargaining units in the Department of State, AID, FAS, FCS and IBB for which AFSA is the
exclusive representative. Also excluded from the bargaining units are employees engaged in personnel work in
other than a purely clerical capacity. Those employees therefore cannot serve as the designated AFSA Post
Representative. However, they are free to belong to AFSA, to vote in AFSA elections, and to participate in
AFSA activities, except to the extent that such participation would create conflict of interest with their
official duties.
The Foreign Service Act (Section 1002(6)) defines "confidential employees" as employees who act in a
confidential capacity with respect to an individual who formulates or effectuates management policies in
the field of labor-management relations. "Management official" (Section 1002(12) is defined as an individual
who:
- Is a chief of mission or principal officer
- Is serving in a position to which appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the
Senate, or by the President alone
- Occupies a position which in the sole judgement of the Secretary [the AID or FAS Administrator, the
Director General of the FCS, or the Director of the IBB] is of comparable importance to the offices mentioned in (A) or (B), above;
- Is serving as a deputy to any individual described in (A), (B), or (C);
- Is assigned to carry out functions of the Inspector General of the Department of State and the Foreign
Service [AID, FAS, FCS or IBB] under Section 209;
- Is engaged in the administration of [the Foreign Service labor-management relations program] or in the
formulation of personnel policies of [AID, FAS, FCS, IBB or] the Department.
In practical terms this means that those excluded are the Chief Of Mission, the DCM, the Management Counselor
or Management Officer, the Human Resources Officer, the RSO and the OMSs who work in the front office or for
the Management Counselor.
However, there may be exceptions to these positions, so posts should contact AFSA/Washington if questions arise
as to whether a specific employee is in the bargaining unit.