News

Over 100 AFT Massachusetts members served as delegates at the AFT’s 89th biennial convention, with union delegates addressing critical issues in education and healthcare over the course of four days in Washington, D.C. 

AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang was re-elected to serve a two-year term on the AFT Executive Board, topping the ticket among the 43 elected Vice Presidents. This was her third election to the Executive Board and third time topping the ticket. President Tang was also re-appointed to the Board’s 10-member Executive Committee.  

Delegates debated and passed resolutions on a range of pressing issues—from reclaiming the promise of public education, to protecting immigrant communities, to rebuilding public health, to preparing for the age of artificial intelligence, to tackling the affordability and student debt crises. Dozens of breakout meetings and receptions covered rural issues, faith and religion, international solidarity and more.

A signature component of the Trump Administration’s agenda to dismantle public education is slated to take effect in 2027.

Tucked away in the reconciliation act signed in July 2025 was a hallmark of The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, a federal school voucher program that threatens to gravely undermine public education in the Commonwealth and across the United States.

The most recent iteration of this plan provides individuals who donate to scholarship granting organizations (SGOs) a dollar-for-dollar tax credit, up to $1,700. SGOs distribute the money as vouchers to students to pay for school tuition and fees. By comparison, taxpayers can only claim 35 per dollar donated to every other charitable cause, including food banks, disaster relief, and more. No other donation is eligible for a 100 percent tax credit. Governors, including Governor Healey, have until the end of the year to decide whether their state will opt-in.

Under this framework, states would be prohibited from issuing their own guardrails or holding SGOs to specific accountability or evaluation measures. The program is designed to help the wealthiest families the most. Unlike federal childcare assistance eligibility requirements, which are only available to those making 85% or less than the state median income, families earning up to 300% of their county’s median income are eligible for these vouchers.

The Summer Organizing Institute (SOI) is our union’s deep organizing space to build the skills we need to win for our members, students, and families in the classroom and beyond. From bargaining strong contracts, to building strong school-site union structures, to taking our movement to the streets in this critical time—we must be readyWhether you're a brand new building rep, an activist learning the building blocks of organizing, or a seasoned union leader looking to bargaining your strongest contract ever, these two days are for you. If you’re ready to build the cross-labor and community power to win elections and fight back attacks in our communities—these two days are for you.

This year’s SOI will feature workshop tracks for bargaining committees with the AFT Union Leadership Institute, along with tracks for building reps, elected leaders, and activists. We will also have plenaries with rank and file activists, AFT MA higher education union leaders, and more!

A signature component of the Trump Administration’s agenda to dismantle public education is slated to take effect in 2027.

Governors across the nation are now in the process of choosing whether to opt-in or opt-out of the federal school voucher program, which would siphon off $51 billion in federal education funding each year—that’s more than what the federal government spent on Title I Grants and IDEA Special Education State Grants, two critical programs to ensure low-income students and those with disabilities receive the quality public education they deserve.

As we have seen in states with existing programs, this harmful initiative would divert much-needed funds away from public schools to private education. It’s no surprise that this scheme is a hallmark of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 and threatens to gravely undermine public education in the Commonwealth and across the United States.

Join us in calling on Governor Maura Healey to publicly and unconditionally opt-out of this dangerous proposal.

Boston’s Pride for the People is coming up on Saturday, June 6. It’s always one of the most fun days of the year—so don’t miss out! March with Boston Teachers Union and AFT MA for our students, for our communities, and for each other!

The parade exists to commemorate the brave LGBTQ+ people who risked their safety to advocate for the lives and humanity of LGBTQ+ people, to celebrate the richness and complexity of LGBTQ+ community, and to continue to advocate for equity and inclusion for LGBTQ+ people, especially those who face intersecting forms of oppression. To make the parade more accessible for everyone, all groups are limited to 75 marchers. If more than 75 marchers register, priority will be given to BTU and AFT MA members who identify as LGBTQ+.

“All we asked for was equity. Billerica teachers and paraprofessionals deserve a contract that incorporates the same level of fairness and respect that their colleagues in neighboring communities receive and I’m proud to say, we achieved that,” said BFT President Dave Adams.

“This new contract means we don’t need to choose between the job we love and being able to take care of ourselves and our families,” said Donna Bijeol, a paraprofessional at Parker Elementary School. “Billerica paras are dedicated to our community and our union, and our fellow educators, who stood up for us during these tense negotiations.”

On the third official day of spring, many of us woke up to the sight of a sprinkling of snow on the ground.

Nevertheless, at AFT Massachusetts we’re manifesting the end of winter and the coming of spring—and that’s why we are sending out Save the Dates for our Spring Town Hall!

Join fellow AFT MA members from across the state to recap our 2026 Convention, celebrate and learn from locals’ recent wins, share updates on budget and legislative fights, dive deep on school safety, and get ready for an action-packed spring.

Together, we’ve turned out for bigger and bigger actions to defend our labor movement and our democracy, from Hands Off last April, to the first No Kings in June, to Labor Day 2025, to No Kings II last October.

As the snow *finally!* thaws, it’s time to take to the streets again on March 28th for No Kings III. Will you join us?

In the months since the last No Kings event, we’ve seen the ongoing dismantling of the US Dept. of Education, ICE occupation of Minnesota—including raids on schools and the detention of 5-year-old Liam Ramos on his way home from school—and a renewed effort to pass the SAVE Act, which would impose aggressive voter ID laws that would disenfranchise millions of Americans.

But we’re fighting back. For our community. For our students. For each other. And we hope you’ll join us on March 28th for No Kings III.