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Lawrence TU Group 100- 360

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.

Berklee Group 1000 360

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.

MLSA 1000 360

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.

NB PSRPs

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.

Opponents of $5 Billion Income Tax Cut Respond to SJC Decision Removing Initiative from the Ballot over False & Misleading Summary

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court issued a decision on June 18, 2026 barring the proposed income tax cut ballot initiative from appearing on the November ballot.

The ballot initiative would have cut the state’s income tax rate on long-term capital gains, but the constitutionally required summary of the initiative omitted this key element, and in fact erroneously stated that long-term capital gains taxes would not be impacted, hiding a massive tax break for the state’s richest taxpayers from petition signers and voters. The court ruled that “[b]ecause this summary materially misstates the true scope of the proposal, it is unfair” and that “allowing a new summary at this stage would…call into question the validity of the more than 85,000 signatures already gathered on forms bearing the unfair summary.“ 

“This reckless ballot question would have pushed many families and communities over the edge. Now, it’s time to shift the discussion to what would really support our working families and communities, including strategic investments to support our schools, increase workforce training opportunities, and lift up the things that make Massachusetts a place people want to live and work and raise their families. Our state and our communities need more resources and support right now, not less. Children need more educators in their classrooms and more students are needing greater services. Residents need more opportunities toward homeownership. Working families are having to choose between paying their health insurance bills or their energy bills," said Jessica Tang, President of AFT Massachusetts

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Education Labor Leaders Launch Nationwide Call for Governors to Opt-Out of Voucher Scheme

AFT Massachusetts Logo Facebook Square

AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang joined 32 other union leaders to urge Democratic governors across the nation to reject the Trump administration's proposed federal private school voucher tax credit program and publicly reaffirm their commitment to public education. 

Last month, the AFT Massachusetts and over 20 local education union leaders called on Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey to publicly and unequivocally opt-out of the Trump Administration’s federal school voucher program set to take effect in 2027.

The plan, a hallmark of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025, is the Trump Administration’s latest attempt to dismantle public education by draining public funding from public schools to subsidize the education of children attending private schools.

“Siphoning off funding from our neediest students in order to cover vouchers to private and religious schools goes against the very objectives of the federal government’s role in education and is the antithesis of the values we purport to uphold here in the Commonwealth. Particularly as the birthplace of public education, it is incumbent upon Massachusetts to hold the line and protect public education from privatization and further inequities,” said AFT Massachusetts President Jessica Tang. “Shifting public dollars to private schools that are allowed to select what criteria they base admissions on, including income, religion, sex, test scores, and more, is publicly-funded discrimination. It’s not only against the values we hold as a Commonwealth, it flies in the face of the Massachusetts Constitution.”

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2026 Summer Organizing Institute

SOI 2026 June 29 & 30

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!

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