The Congress finds that—

(1) experience in both private and public employment indicates that the statutory protection of the right of workers to organize, bargain collectively, and participate through labor organizations of their own choosing in decisions which affect them—

(A) safeguards the public interest,

(B) contributes to the effective conduct of public business, and

(C) facilitates and encourages the amicable settlement of disputes between workers and their employers involving conditions of employment;


(2) the public interest demands the highest standards of performance by members of the Service and the continuous development and implementation of modern and progressive work practices to facilitate improved performance and efficiency; and

(3) the unique conditions of Foreign Service employment require a distinct framework for the development and implementation of modern, constructive, and cooperative relationships between management officials and organizations representing members of the Service.


Therefore, labor organizations and collective bargaining in the Service are in the public interest and are consistent with the requirement of an effective and efficient Government. The provisions of this subchapter should be interpreted in a manner consistent with the requirement of an effective and efficient Government.

Terms Used In 22 USC 4101

  • collective bargaining: means the performance of the mutual obligation of the management representative of the Department and of the exclusive representative of employees to meet at reasonable times and to consult and bargain in a good-faith effort to reach agreement with respect to the conditions of employment affecting employees, and to execute, if requested by either party, a written document incorporating any collective bargaining agreement reached, but this obligation does not compel either party to agree to a proposal or to make a concession. See 22 USC 4102
  • conditions of employment: means personnel policies, practices, and matters, whether established by regulation or otherwise, affecting working conditions, but does not include policies, practices, and matters&mdash. See 22 USC 4102
  • Foreign Service: means the Foreign Service of the United States. See 22 USC 3902
  • Government: means the Government of the United States. See 22 USC 3902
  • Settlement: Parties to a lawsuit resolve their difference without having a trial. Settlements often involve the payment of compensation by one party in satisfaction of the other party's claims.