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 operations of the State Federation.

AFT Massachusetts Vice Presidents:

Kathryn Anderson - Kimberly Barry - Erik Berg - Rose Marie Bergeron - Deborah

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.