It’s been a big month of organizing, action, and active bargaining here at the AFT Massachusetts! On the last day of March, staff at Berklee College of Music and the Boston Conservatory at Berklee went public with their petition for voluntary recognition of their union. These staff have spent the last two years organizing and empowering their fellow workers, and we are so proud to have supported them along the way. Now we’re continuing to support the BCM & BCB Staff Union as they move through the next stages of forming a union and becoming the newest official members of AFT Massachusetts! If you know a worker interested in unionizing, encourage them to fill out our intake form to get started. Our locals saw some tremendous wins this April. Highlights include: big contract wins for the Paraprofessional Unit and the Library Unit within the Peabody Federation of Teachers; the Fairview Nurses Federation in Great Barrington recently settled on a three-year agreement that includes an average wage increase of 3.75% each year; the Secretarial Unit of the Holliston Federation of Teachers secured new parental leave benefits and a 10% increase over three years in their recently settled contract. *And,* this month the UMass Dartmouth Maintainers’ Graduate Student Union ratified their first contract after two years of bargaining and organizing! Cities and towns across the state are facing an affordability crisis—just as working families are. We know how important it is to provide our locals with the resources and strong organizing they need to support them in these negotiations. Our field representatives, organizers, attorneys, and the entire AFT MA staff remain committed to being there—at the bargaining table and in the community—to provide that assistance. We continue to see stronger and better contracts for members across the state and are looking forward to seeing what May brings! We’re wrapping up a big month of action here at AFT Massachusetts—a month we really kicked off at the end of March with the third No Kings Day rally in Boston. Originally meant to be a one-day protest of the White House’s abuses of power and authoritarian actions, No Kings has become a nationwide movement. I was honored to be one of two speakers representing labor to address the crowd of over 175,000 in Boston. As working families, unions, and our communities continue to be under attack, the AFT MA will always be ready to stand up in solidarity to protect our rights and democracy. This year’s AFT MA Statewide Convention was our largest ever, bringing together hundreds of delegates from over two dozen locals the second weekend in April. On Friday evening, we honored this year’s Distinguished Service Award recipients and the 2026 Labor Scholarship Award Winners at the Edward M. Kennedy Institute for the United States Senate. That night, we were honored to have Senator Ed Markey, one of our greatest champions, join us as a special guest speaker. On Saturday, delegates elected 27 Vice Presidents to serve on our Executive Board for the next two years, and Brant Duncan and I were honored to be re-elected to serve as your Secretary-Treasurer and President. Congratulations to all of our new board members and thank you to everyone who ran in this year’s election–our union is stronger because of all of you. In addition to conducting business, we enjoyed wonderful student performances and a keynote from AFT’s Secretary-Treasurer Fedrick Ingham, and delegates unanimously passed four critical resolutions to guide our work this year. For more, check out our full report of the 2026 AFT Massachusetts Annual Convention. To strengthen our advocacy arm on Beacon Hill, we also held our second annual Statewide Lobby Day on April 22, where members from around the state met with their legislators to discuss the important budget issues and priority legislation we’re advocating for as we wrap up the second year of this two-year session. One of those priorities is getting our Retirement Plus bill over the finish line to provide some of our longest-serving teachers with a dignified retirement. We were thrilled when one of our special guests, Senator Sal DiDomenico, told us "I don't guarantee anything in this world. But I can guarantee that [Retirement Plus] is very close to getting done." Less than a week before this day of lobbying, we hosted our Spring Town Hall, which featured remarks and a Q&A with Governor Maura Healey. That town hall also highlighted some of our recent wins at the local level, as well as the latest news regarding the Statewide Graduation Council’s work, the FY27 budget process and priorities, and more. Now, as we close out April, we are ready to have a strong showing at May Day 2026 events across the state! In addition to joining airport workers for the kick off event in the morning, we’ve put together a May Day Toolkit to for all of our affiliates, and are asking all AFT MA members to join a local action or, for all who are able to, join us on Boston Common at 4:30pm for the culminating statewide labor rally—featuring our very own AFT National Secretary-Treasurer Fedrick Ingram! RSVP to join us & Fed in Boston here! May Day is about uplifting the contributions of workers and originated from the 1886 Haymarket affair that resulted in the deaths of workers who were fighting for an eight hour work day. It is a reminder that so many of what we take for granted today, was hard fought by union members, including immigrant workers. Many of our union members and workers are having their freedoms stripped away, and that includes a beloved Lynn paraprofessional who is currently facing deportation. Our union sister needs our solidarity. Learn more about Mariola in our “Get Active” section below and take action by signing and sharing this petition. We are working with Mariola and fellow advocates to keep her and her son together, and we will be in touch with other ways to support her. |
Take Action: Upcoming Events: |
🚨 ACTION NEEDED: TELL ICE TO HALT LYNN TEACHERS UNION MEMBER’S DEPORTATION Mariola is a mother and a dedicated Lynn Teachers Union paraprofessional. Sixteen years ago, she came to the U.S. fleeing violence and persecution—now ICE is threatening to deport her, separating her from her son and her students. Mariola is our AFT Massachusetts union sibling—our union sister needs our action and our solidarity. First, ACT NOW and sign your name to demand her deportation be stopped immediately. Then share the petition with your fellow union members and your community! Posts are available to share on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. Please take action for Mariola, her son, and the Lynn Teachers Union by signing & sharing the petition! TELL ICE TO HALT MARIOLA’S DEPORTATION: tinyurl.com/aftma4mariola. AFT MA Member Graduation Requirements Survey Our member graduation survey is now live! With the passage of Question 2 in the Fall of 2024, Massachusetts residents voted to remove MCAS as a graduation requirement. We’d like to hear from all our members in order to inform the publication of our white paper around this topic. Please make your opinion heard by taking this AFT MA Member Survey - Graduation Requirements and sharing it widely. We would love to hear from you! We will be collecting responses until Friday, May 1 at 5pm. AMES survey The Annual Massachusetts Educator Survey (AMES), developed in partnership with the University of Massachusetts Amherst’s Center for Education Policy and the UMass Poll, is an opportunity to share your insights and opinions about the teaching profession, the state of education in the commonwealth, and your views about how to create stronger classrooms and schools. In the coming weeks, the UMass team will be contacting a representative sample of teachers (approximately 1200 total). If you are selected, we hope you will participate! Those selected will be compensated with a $25 gift card. The survey is confidential. Join the Activist List! Want to get more involved with AFT Massachusetts? As we navigate this election year and the ongoing attacks on public education, unions, our immigrant students, and more, we’ve heard from members looking for more ways to get involved and make a difference right now. Enter: the Activist List! The Activist List is an email list hosted by AFT Massachusetts to share opportunities to take collective action and show up for public education, our students and schools, and our labor rights and union siblings. You’ll hear about in-person events, text and phone banks, webinars, and more. If you’re looking for more opportunities to take action this year, the Activist List is the space for you! Sign up here to join! Tell Meta: Eyewear, Not Spyware Tech giant Meta is poised to add facial recognition technology to its AI glasses. This planned “name tag” feature would connect to the internet and record the wearer’s physical surroundings — including nearby people who are often unaware they are being recorded. Learn more from the ACLU Massachusetts about the proposed action, and sign on to a letter campaign to oppose this proposed privacy violation. |
AFT Massachusetts in the News |
Friday, May 1: Spring of Action - MAY DAY 2026! This Friday is International Workers Day, also known as May Day! It is a historic workers’ holiday commemorating the Haymarket martyrs in Chicago and the fight for the eight hour work day rooted in a simple truth: when working people move together, the rules can change. Talk to your President about what your local is doing for May Day this Friday! Then, we’re asking AFT MA members to meet up on Boston Common for the major culminating rally with unions from across the state! Sign up here to join us at 4:30pm on the Common! May 1 & 2: LAST CALL for 2026 Para/PSRP Conference & Social Join Boston Teachers Union and AFT Massachusetts for the 40th Annual Paraprofessional/PSRP Statewide Conference at the Boston Teachers Union this May. This year's conference is centered around “40 years of Para/PSRP Solidarity”. Friday, May 1, will start with a night of bowling, followed by the conference itself on Saturday, May 2, at BTU. If you haven’t registered yet but are still interested in participating, please contact Colleen Hart by 5pm TODAY! Sunday, May 3: 2026 Step Up for Colleen 5K The friends and family of Colleen Ritzer created this 5K Walk/Run to celebrate Colleen’s life and her commitment to helping and inspiring others. The net proceeds benefit the Colleen E. Ritzer Memorial Fund, Inc. which supports charitable activities honoring Colleen’s legacy, including the Colleen E. Ritzer Memorial Scholarship. The Scholarship was established by Colleen’s family to benefit graduating high school seniors, who are Andover and Danvers residents, who demonstrate a passion for teaching, academic excellence and love of family and who will pursue a degree in education. Sign up to join the AFT Massachusetts team! Saturday, May 9: K-12 Climate Action and Education Conference Join MIT CATE (Climate Action Through Education) on May 9 for workshops, speakers, and panels focused on climate curriculum implementation, youth activism, policy, and tools for action at school and beyond. Workshops will engage with multidisciplinary curriculum resources, the En-ROADS Climate Solutions Simulator, educator and student perspectives, and a conversation with climate experts. Network with educator peers, students, and community organizations to think about making a difference in your school and community. This event is open to K-12 educators of all disciplines, administrators, and high school students. Find more info here & register to join! May 14 & 18: Welcome to the Party - New Bedford & Lynn Curious about the new Massachusetts Working Families Party? Join WFP for an upcoming event kicking off Working Families Party's organizing in New Bedford on May 14 and Lynn on May 18. Learn about winning power for the multiracial working class and building a city and a state that works for all of us. Meet WFP National Director Maurice Mitchell and the Massachusetts team, talk with leaders and organizers, and come together with the community. Sign up here to join the New Bedford event on May 14 or the Lynn event on May 18. June 1 & 9: Retirement Planning Workshops for AFT Public Sector Members All public sector members are invited to participate in upcoming retirement planning workshops in June! AFT Massachusetts 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. Register here for Lynn on June 1 or Chelsea on June 9. June 29 & 30: AFT MA & BTU Summer Organizing Institute 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, building strong school-site union structures and taking our movement to the streets in this critical time— we must be ready. Join us for SOI 2026 at the Boston Teachers Union! Whether you are a brand new building rep or an activist learning the basic building blocks of organizing or a seasoned union leader looking to bargaining your strongest contract ever, these two days are for you. If you’d like to build the cross-labor and community power to win elections and fight back attacks in our communities— this Institute is for you! Please find our two day agenda here and register today to join! Saturday, July 18: Medicare for All Massachusetts—Mass-Care Strategy and Working Conference Join Mass-Care for their state-wide strategy and working conference on July 18 in Worcester! The health care crisis in Massachusetts continues to deepen. Exorbitant insurance rates have soared by double digits, the bankruptcy of Steward Hospitals has left minority and working class communities without access to hospitals, stopping the ACA subsidy extensions has affected over 300,000 residents, and that’s not even everything. Learn more about the path to single payer through the Massachusetts Health Care Trust at this year’s conference! More info & RSVP here. |
Early Childhood Educator Student Loan Repayment Program Applicants who are currently employed in EEC-licensed or funded programs may be eligible to receive up to $7,500 towards outstanding loan debt. Learn more here! Early Childhood Educator Scholarship Program The 2026-2027 Early Childhood Educator Scholarship Application is open now! The Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Scholarship is financial assistance towards a college certificate or degree at an eligible college/university in Massachusetts. Additional information here! |
| | Jessica Tang, President
Brant Duncan, Secretary-Treasurer | www.aftma.net | 33 Harrison Avenue, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02111 |
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