Summer is here, and we are continuing to turn up the heat to win big in our communities and across the state! We have some new contract ratifications to celebrate, including: Hathorne Teachers Federation – members at Essex Tech will see a 2.75% increase each year over the course of their contract and 10 days of parental leave for the first time; Chelmsford Federation of Teachers – Chelmsford custodians ratified a 16% increase over three years and got additional money for their clothing allowance; Assabet Valley Federation of Teachers – teachers and paraprofessionals both ratified their respective contracts with an average increase of 3% and held the line on proposals from management that would have been a concession in the contract; and Pittsfield Federation of School Employees – all five units (paraprofessionals, clerical, food services, bus drivers and monitors, and custodians) in Pittsfield have now settled contract negotiations and ratification will be scheduled once teams review the settlement language. - There are other TAs that we are hearing about and working on the ground on, so make sure and check out the July Communicator for the next group of wins and ratifications!
At the state level, it continues to be a busy time on Beacon Hill. Earlier this month, we were thrilled to join Senate President Karen Spilka and Senate allies to announce that the Senate would be bringing our R+ legislation to the floor for a vote! After years of advocacy, the bill finally passed the Senate 39-0 on June 4! We are now waiting for the bill to be included in the budget, for it to be engrossed for a vote, or a conference committee to be named to reconcile the differences between the Senate bill and the version passed by the House last July. We are checking in daily on the status. We are also following a number of important conference committee deliberations, including those on the PROTECT Act and the FY27 Budget. This past Friday, second grade students and their teachers joined us in the Governor’s office at the ceremonial signing of a bill to support early literacy. You can read our press statement here. DESE and the Executive Office of Education have already reached out to set up meetings to ensure the implementation is conducted in a way that includes our perspectives and needs. We will continue to monitor our priority legislation at the State House, advocate for key areas and issues, and keep you informed! We also scored a major victory with the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s decision to kick a ballot question that would have rolled back the income tax, costing the state $5 billion a year off the November 2026 ballot. Three of our local leaders—Cindy Yetman (Amesbury Federation of Teachers), Kathryn Anderson (Chelsea Teachers Union), and Erik Berg (Boston Teachers Union)---were plaintiffs in the lawsuit challenging the question for its deceptive 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. The Statewide Graduation Council released their final report this month. As you are probably aware, we have been conducting focus groups with members about their priorities and concerns regarding the next iteration of graduation requirements in the Commonwealth, now that passing the MCAS is no longer a requirement for a student to receive their high school diploma. Please take the opportunity to read our Member Report to learn more about what we learned in these focus groups. The Graduation Council has the opportunity to transform public education in the Commonwealth to create a truly accessible and equitable system and this report takes steps in that direction. We are especially encouraged by the commitment to expanding access to MassCore while maintaining flexibility for vocational and career tech students whose pathways already provide valuable, hands-on learning experiences. Equally important is the recognition that multilingual learners and students with disabilities must have the support and resources necessary to meet these expectations and succeed. We will continue to work with the Council and Administration to make sure the needs of our students are addressed as the state finalizes some of these most critical components, including timelines around implementation and ensuring our educators and school communities have additional resources to support this transition. This an opportunity to move away from the harms of high stakes testing. We hope that, with continued collaboration between the state and our districts and educators, these recommendations can be implemented in a way that truly moves the Commonwealth forward. Massachusetts has the opportunity to stand up and protect public education—not only for our students but to lead the nation by publicly and unequivocally opting-out of the President’s dangerous education voucher scheme. That’s why we are leading the charge in calling on Governor Healey to opt-out of this plan that will siphon off public funding to subsidize private education through vouchers. We also joined over 30 other education labor unions to call on all Democratic Governors to opt-out. Our work on this will not stop until Massachusetts formally opts-out of this dangerous attempt to privatize public education. We must remain vigilant during these unprecedented times, especially as our union brothers and sisters are being targeted by the federal government for simply observing ICE actions. We are also standing strong with our immigrant communities being targeted by the Supreme Court’s devastating ruling regarding those living here under Temporary Protected Status.We stand with our Haitian and Syrian neighbors who make our Commonwealth stronger and brighter today and every day. Please share family preparedness resources to help families preparing for deportation/separation, found here and in the School Defense Toolkit. The only way we can continue to be successful at the local, state, and federal levels is if we continue to build and organize. Day 1 of the Summer Organizing Institute just concluded today, and it’s not too late to join us for Day 2 tomorrow! |
Take Action: Upcoming Events: |
2026 Elections: Our First Endorsements! |
This month we announced our first round of endorsements for the 2026 electoral cycle! We kicked it off with Patrick Roath, a lawyer and democracy advocate running for U.S. Congress in the 8th Congressional District. Learn more about Patrick here! And just last week we announced our first round of legislative endorsements: - Chris Lambton, 1st Barnstable District
- Jim Hawkins, 2nd Bristol District, Candidate for re-election
- Lisa Field, 3rd Bristol District, Candidate for re-election
- Angelo Puppolo, Jr., 12th Hampden District, Candidate for re-election
- John Drinkwater, 17th Middlesex District
- Tara Hong, 18th Middlesex District, Candidate for re-election
- Joseph Markey, 20th Middlesex District
- Marjorie Decker, 25th Middlesex District, Candidate for re-election
- Jim O'Day, 14th Worcester District, Candidate for re-election
We are proud to endorse these candidates, who we know will be strong partners for AFT Massachusetts and each of you. Check out our website for more! Miss our ballot question update last month? Learn more about AFT Massachusetts’ endorsed positions on upcoming ballot questions and why these issues are so important for our union with our quick-start ballot question guide! |
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 rolled out an email list 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! |
AFT Massachusetts in the News |
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. We have workshops for new building reps, bargaining & contract action team members, fighting back against billionaires & bad bosses, & more! Please find our two day agenda here. This conference is all about getting union members ready for the work ahead, before summer break, and there's something for everyone.It’s not too late to join! Register today and come on down! Tuesday, July 7: Kick-off into Reading Book Giveaway Join Boston Teacher's Union and AFT Massachusetts for a World Cup-themed book giveaway and family-friendly watch party on July 7th! Doors will open at 3:30pm, and we’ll be showing the World Cup game. RSVP here 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. MARK YOUR CALENDARS: Massachusetts Primary Election will be Tuesday, September 1! Unions know just how important an election can be—and we also know that most of us don’t wake up on the very first day of September and think “Oh yay, it’s election day!” We’ll be rolling out a statewide voter guide and all the resources you need to make your vote count this year, but for now, consider this an early reminder that Massachusetts’ Primary Election will be September 1! SAVE THE DATE: Labor Day 2026! Labor Day feels like a lifetime away right now, but put a hold on your calendar because we need you to TURN OUT with our union to build on the strength and power the labor movement has shown in recent Labor Days and show that we’re ready for a fall of action. And if we do say so ourselves, Labor Day 2025 was a pretty good time. Saturday, September 19: Fall Conference 2026! Join leaders, building reps, and rank-and-file members from across AFT Massachusetts for the AFT Massachusetts Fall Conference! You'll gain new tools and resources to help engage your members and continue to strengthen your local to meet the moment and fight for our students, our members. RSVP today to reserve your spot! |
Students often encounter definitions as vocabulary words to memorize. But in math, definitions are more than that: They are the starting place for reasoning. In American Educator’s latest “Math Minute” column, mathematics professor Jeremy F. Alm explains that effective mathematical definitions are carefully crafted to be both useful and precise, helping students solve problems and connect concepts in ways that lead to deeper understanding. Read more here http://aft.org/ae/summer2026/alm |
| | Jessica Tang, President
Brant Duncan, Secretary-Treasurer | www.aftma.net | 33 Harrison Avenue, 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02111 |
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