About Us

AFT Mission Statement

The American Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for our students, their families and our communities. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through the work our members do.

Executive Board

The AFT Massachusetts Executive Board is responsible for carrying out the programs and policies approved by the convention delegates. The 29-member board consists of two officers — the president, secretary-treasurer and twenty-seven vice presidents. All are elected to two-year terms by delegates to the AFT Massachusetts Convention.

The Elected President and Secretary-Treasurer along with Federation staff are charged with running the day to day running the day-to-day operations of the State Federation.

The following vice-presidents were elected on May 7, 2022 to two-year terms by the

Campaigns Department

The mission of the AFT Massachusetts Campaigns and Member Engagement Department is to further advance the educational equity and workplace justice agenda of AFT Massachusetts.

That agenda has two main goals:

Increasing opportunities for students of all backgrounds to access high-quality and enriching learning experiences, pre-K to college.
Creating safe and supportive work environments for our members that enable them to succeed at and derive satisfaction from their jobs.

Field Representatives

AFT Massachusetts field representatives serve a dynamic role supporting our members and advancing the issues important to our locals through organizing and collective bargaining.

From contract negotiations and enforcement to member engagement in support of contract and other local campaigns — field representatives are our experts and advisors supporting our teachers and paraprofessionals standing up for adequate funding for public education; state and local government employees fighting for essential public services; college faculty and adjunct instructors campaigning for fair compensation, student debt relief and affordable higher education for all; and nurses and health professionals calling for safe patient care practices and access to affordable quality healthcare for all.

Legal Department

The AFT Massachusetts Legal Department provides legal services and advice to locals and members by advising local Presidents and their AFT Massachusetts field representatives on collective bargaining and grievance matters, by enforcing contract and member rights through grievance arbitration and by enforcing labor rights through state or federal labor agencies. The Legal Department also provides representation to individual members at the request of locals who have adopted policies relating to member representation in statutory dismissal cases, Department of Child and Family Services appeals and certain other employment matters such as unemployment or retirement appeals.

Office Support Staff

The Office Support Staff at AFT Massachusetts perform a variety of functions designed to implement, maintain, and execute effective office procedures and workflow. We at AFT Massachusetts are engaged in production and other technical duties that support the activities of staff, the organization, and our Locals.

About the AFT

Learn more about the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), which was founded in 1916 to represent the economic, social and professional interests of classroom teachers and is an affiliated international union of the AFL-CIO.

History of the AFT

Learn the history of the AFT, including the union's founding in Chicago in 1916, its affiliation with the AFL-CIO, its battles for workers and human rights and its continued work to uphold the proud traditions on which the union was created.

AFT Healthcare represents more than 70,000 members in 100 locals in 18 states and territories. The division has a very diverse membership, with members in more than 6,000 job titles working in the public and private sector in hospitals, clinics, home health agencies and schools throughout the United States. Many members are registered nurses, but the union also represents LPNs, technicians, technologists, therapists, aides, clerical personnel, service and maintenance workers, pharmacists and doctors. MORE

About AFT Public Employees

AFT Public Employees is the division of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) that represents federal, state and local government employees. MORE