AFT Massachusetts | AFT Stateweb

PreK-12 Teachers

More than 1 million members strong, the AFT's Public Education unit has become a major force for preserving and strengthening a national commitment to reclaiming the promise of American education. It all began more than 100 years ago: A group of Chicago teachers, reasoning that theirs was a noble profession, organized themselves to share resources and build respect for the invaluable work they were doing. Those early efforts led to the birth of a national teachers union in 1916 that has been in the vanguard of every major advancement in American public education ever since.

Higher Education

The AFT represents higher education faculty (including both full- and part-time), professional staff and graduate employees, in all sectors of higher education—public and private, two-year and four-year institutions of higher education. The AFT Higher Education division's mission is to help our affiliates and their members prosper in the face of political, economic and technological forces challenging the most basic assumptions about the union's role on campus.

Public Employees

As a union of professionals, AFT Public Employees division is committed to improving the quality of government services we provide to our communities. Reclaiming the promise of high-quality public services is about fighting for first-rate public services that our support communities and keep them safe, healthy and vibrant. It’s about fighting to ensure that our communities’ tax dollars are properly invested back into the community, and that those resources are used responsibly and safely. Finally, it’s fighting to make sure public employees are well-prepared and supported so they can provide our communities with the high-quality services the public needs and deserves.

Paraprofessionals & School-Related Personnel

The AFT has organized paraprofessionals and school-related personnel since the early 1930s, when the first PSRP affiliate, the Education Secretaries of Chicago, was founded. Today, the AFT PSRP division sets a foundation for high-quality education by supporting meaningful professional development, promoting health and safety in the workplace, and demonstrating the importance of a strong and just work ethic in a bully-free environment. Most important is its commitment to safe and welcoming schools and colleges for students who deserve high-quality food programs; reliable school buses; clean, secure buildings; efficiently run offices; and well-trained staff.

March with AFT Massachusetts in Boston's Labor Day Parade!

If you joined us last year, you know Labor Day in Boston is a day of UNION JOY and SOLIDARITY!

Labor Day is when we pause to recognize the incredible wins of the labor movement—from the weekend to the eight hour work day—and recommit to our fight for better working conditions and a better life for all. Family, friends, and kids welcome!

Schedule of Events

9:00-9:30am — Line up for parade on St. James Ave

10:00am — Parade kicks off at Dartmouth St & St. James Ave

12:00pm — Parade ends at Copley Square with speakers, performances and food trucks!

Too many of our union siblings are under attack right now: federal workers have been stripped of their collective bargaining rights and automatic dues deductions, we’ve see mass layoffs, the NLRB has been gutted, and more.

But if unions know one thing, it’s this: we are strongest together. So sign up to march with us in Boston's Labor Day Parade!

Public Funding for Public Schools: Oppose Vouchers

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.