2025 has been a whirlwind. We have faced unprecedented challenges, but also saw historic wins for our schools, working families, and communities. We proudly championed many of these accomplishments and, together, will continue to meet challenges head on. Our work to ensure working families have the support and resources they need to thrive continues in 2026. For now, we’d like to take the opportunity to highlight some of our favorite parts of 2025! 34 Contracts Ratified!! Bringing higher pay and stronger benefits to over 18,000 members across the state. Joined President Joseph Biden at the signing of the Social Security Fairness Act after spending decades fighting for these important reforms with labor allies. AFT MA leaders and members stood up and spoke out about 65+ pieces of state legislation – everything from ensuring necessary resources for our students to education funding reform, to stronger workplace benefits and protections, to building a more equitable Commonwealth! Out of these bills: 7 have passed either the House or the Senate! [Including: Retirement Plus, the STUDY Act (cell phone ban), and the Freedom to Read bill.] 16 bills were reported out favorably – meaning their next step is to go to the floor for a vote! (Including: charter school funding reform, additional protections for UMass Faculty during the tenure process, and the Protect Labor Act.)
Held over 50 trainings for members, covering everything from retirement to community activation and mobilization to OSHA certifications to CPR training and more! Launched a new series of on-the-ground trainings to support locals built around the AFT’s MOVE Curriculum: focused on how to mobilize, organize, vote, and empower locals in the fight against authoritarianism. While our annual Summer Organizing Institute and our Fall Conference both had the largest turn-out numbers in years! Successfully campaigned for override votes in Lynnfield and Stoneham – to protect the jobs of our MLSA members and prevent library decertification in these communities. Expanded our organizing reach! Cambridge Community Charter Union and Norfolk Aggie Support Staff Union BOTH ratified their FIRST EVER CONTRACTS while staff at the Belmont Public Library became some of our newest members this fall! Joined members and allies for over 10 major days of action in our communities: Protect Our Kids, federal worker days of action, Release Rumeysa Rally, Hands Off Rally, May Day, Boston Pride/No Kings, Labor Day, and more! Launched a NEW Town Hall Series for members to discuss important issues at the local, state, and federal level and provide insight into what the AFT MA and AFT are doing to support our locals. Register today for the first town hall of the new year with Senator Markey on January 28, 2026. Held the first-ever statewide AFT MA Lobby Day, where over 150 members spoke directly to legislators about legislative priorities. $19,898,807 in charter school reimbursement funds protected for FY27 by actively working with Legislature to override reduction to the fund made by the Governor. Blocked charter school expansion efforts in Lynn and Salem—preventing these two communities from losing an additional $10 million each year to charter schools. Filed the first lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education—something the AFT MA continues to fight. Launched the Partners in Public Education Pledge—a new tool to empower locals and lift up the candidates committed to supporting the work of our public school staff and the students they serve. ….and Dr. Tara Goodhue, a science educator and United Teachers of Lowell Member the last three years, was named the 2026 Massachusetts Teacher of the Year!
We are excited to ride this momentum into 2026, which we know will be an important year on the electoral, organizational, and advocacy front. Part of that work will be a continuation of our successful 2024 campaign to eliminate the MCAS as a graduation requirement. The AFT MA is a member of the Governor’s Statewide Graduation Council, which is tasked with submitting recommendations on what the next iteration of statewide standards should look like for our high school students by June 2026. The Council released a Preliminary Framework earlier this month, which will serve as a starting point in the important discussions the Council must have with those most impacted by these reforms in the coming months. Whether or not we can endorse the Council’s recommendations remains to be seen. There are a number of outstanding questions that must be addressed, including those around implementation, the need for critical resources, and a clear understanding of exactly what is required of our students and how their work will be measured. Read the AFT MA’s full statement on the preliminary report. Right now, our focus is on ensuring the voices of AFT MA educators and the communities they serve are heard throughout every step of the process. That’s why we are hosting an AFT MA STATEWIDE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS FOCUS GROUP to hear directly from our members about their priorities and concerns. SIGN UP TODAY! Please save the date and join us for the first AFT MA Town Hall of the new year on Wednesday, January 28 at 7:00 pm to hear more about our new strategic plan, pending legislation, the fiscal crisis, grad council updates, current events and plans for the new year. We will also be joined by Senator Ed Markey, who will give us the latest updates on federal issues impacting our members and schools. Register today! We want to close out 2025 by recognizing the work you all do, each and every day, to make our schools, libraries, universities, and communities stronger and better – especially during these unprecedented times. We look forward to working with and supporting you in 2026 and wish you and your loved ones a restful holiday season and joyful new year. |
Take Action: Upcoming Events: |
TAKE ACTION: Keep Massachusetts Safe For two Brown University students, last week’s shooting was the second school shooting they’ve experienced. Every day, AFT MA recommits to the fight for stronger gun safety laws. That’s why we’ve joined the Vote Yes for a Safe Massachusetts campaign, which is fighting the gun lobby’s efforts to repeal the critical gun safety laws we have in Massachusetts. Learn more and get active at www.yesforasafema.com. TELL CONGRESS: Don’t deprofessionalize our jobs! On Nov. 6, the Department of Education proposed a new framework of professional degree programs—one that strips advanced degrees for nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, audiologists, architects, accountants, educators and social workers of their “professional” status. This could greatly limit access to public, federal student loans. Tell Congress to restore the professional designation to these degrees. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD: Affordability crisis hits home AFT members are feeling the pressure of an economy that doesn’t work for working families and our national union wants to hear from you! This short survey on how the affordability crisis is impacting you, your family, and your community will help AFT do the work that will make a real difference in your everyday life. MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD: Impact of 2025 Federal Changes Our national union is collecting stories from people who have been directly impacted by the policy changes from the federal government this past year: on the job and in their communities. If you've been affected by this administration's policies — or if you've done something in your community to fight back — AFT wants to hear from you. TELL THE STATE HOUSE: Protect public services and reject Trump’s tax cuts for billionaires Join our partners in the Raise Up Coalition in calling on Massachusetts legislators to opt out of corporate tax cuts, which would mean a loss of $500 million each year! That’s half-a-billion dollars that could support food assistance, education, and health care funding. Make your voice heard today. |
AFT Massachusetts in the News |
December has been a strong month of contracts ratifications and locals coming together to celebrate the collective spirit of belonging and giving. One great December highlight was the recent override vote in Stoneham, which saved the Town's library and the jobs of our members there! We are also excited to announce that the Community Charter School of Cambridge Union just ratified their first contract! The 3-year agreement includes wage increases, improved time off, educator prep time, just cause, a grievance procedure, and more. It took over 24 negotiation sessions to get there! We are incredibly proud of field representative Mikayla Vu and organizer Keisha Barnes, who led the team in their bargaining efforts, which began in 2024. Management is expected to ratify the contract in early 2026. Our locals are also raising money to support families in need during this holiday season. The Lynn Teachers Union hosted a trivia night to raise money for the local soup kitchen and made donations through our AFT partnership with First Book to the City Arts & Sciences Academy (CASA) school. The Lawrence Teachers Union continues to give back through their annual work at the local food pantry and with First Book as well. And the Peabody Federation of Teachers hosted a bowling social to celebrate and lift up its recent efforts to support the community. |
TODAY, December 19: AFT Massachusetts High School Student Scholarship Deadline! Each year, AFT Massachusetts awards thousands of dollars in scholarships to eligible high school seniors who are dependents of AFT Massachusetts members. Scholarship awards are based on an applicant’s results on a labor history exam administered by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO. To be considered for a scholarship, applicants must be an AFT Massachusetts member or the dependent of an AFT Massachusetts member in their senior year of high school with plans to attend college or other post-secondary school in the fall of the following academic year. Interested applicants must apply online and register for the labor exam by Friday, December 19, 2025. All information and the 2025-2026 application can be found here. Sunday, January 4: Elevating Voices of Educators of Newcomers (EVEN) Fellowship Application Deadline Elevating Voices of Educators of Newcomers (EVEN) Fellowship is the newest program from National Newcomer Network! This fellowship is a paid, five-month program for K-12 educators who want to actively push back on negative portrayals of U.S. immigrants. National Newcomer’s Network is looking for teachers who work directly with newcomers, children of immigrants, and/or English learners—and who want to tell the world the many ways these children make our schools and communities better. Learn more & apply here by January 4! January 10 & 29: Retirement Planning Workshops for Public Sector AFT Members All public sector members are invited to join the AFT Massachusetts for an upcoming retirement planning workshop! AFT MA has partnered with Teacher Retirement Solutions (TRS), which specializes in providing independent financial guidance, strategies, and solutions to educators, school employees, librarians, and their families throughout New England, to provide prospective retirees with this comprehensive workshop. We cover a variety of topics, including the Massachusetts' public employee retirement formula, Social Security, and living in retirement. We’re bringing this workshop series to Peabody on January 10 & Chelmsford on January 29. Want to bring this resource to your local? Talk to your local President today! Thursday January 22: New AFT graduate-level professional learning on student trauma Register today for AFT’s new graduate-level professional learning on student trauma: "CARE-FULL: Skills for School Staff to Promote Resilience and Prevent Trauma." Be the first to see significant new content and activities in a spring 2026 semester, Thursday evenings 4:00-6:30pm, January 22-April 30. Members who complete this semester will be eligible to become national facilitators. Register for the spring semester. Wednesday, January 28: AFT MA Winter Town Hall! Mark your calendar for our quarterly town hall! This town hall will feature a deeper dive on the school funding crisis, how we’re fighting for funding, and how you can get active to help. We’ll also hear from local leaders about how they won big gains in their most recent contracts, get updated on federal news and how we’re moving priority state legislation forward, and create space to connect with other AFT MA members in your sector so we can build our connections and shared resources. Register today! |
| | Jessica Tang, President
Brant Duncan, Secretary-Treasurer | www.aftma.net | 33 Harrison Avenue, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02111 |
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