AFT Massachusetts Convention Delegates Unanimously Re-Elect President Tang and Secretary-Treasurer Duncan
Annual convention held to discuss statewide and local priorities (April 14, 2026)
Hundreds of delegates representing nearly two dozen locals of the American Federation of Teachers Massachusetts came together this past weekend for the statewide federation’s annual convention, re-electing proven leaders and approving a strong foundation of priorities to lead the organization through the year and into 2027.
The AFT Massachusetts represents over 25,000 educators, support staff, librarians, and nurses working in public schools, libraries, health offices, and universities across the Commonwealth. Delegates at this year’s convention unanimously re-elected Jessica Tang to serve as President, a position she has held since being elected in 2024.
“I am deeply grateful to be a part of our union family and honored to have the opportunity to continue to serve as AFT Massachusetts President,” said Tang. “Thank you to all of our amazing unionists, staff and community for coming together as we celebrated our wins and planned for the challenges to come. In the labor movement, we must remember that every successful campaign is greater than one person—our power is in our solidarity and collective action. Over the next two years, I look forward to building upon our strength and safeguarding our students, schools, and communities from these dangerous assaults on public education and working families.”
Prior to being elected AFT MA President, Tang served as President of the Boston Teachers Union for seven years after serving as the BTU’s first-ever Organizing Director. Her career as an educator began in 2005 as a middle school teacher in the Boston Public Schools.
"I have had the privilege and the honor of working alongside Jessica for 9 years in union leadership. I know that educators and workers couldn't ask for a stronger leader. I have witnessed Jessica in meetings with a single member where she demonstrated deep compassion and empathy, to leading negotiations where she fiercely defended the rights of members, to speaking to 180,000 people on the Boston Common at the recent No Kings rally. Jessica's leadership is unparalleled," said Boston Teachers Union President Erik Berg, who rose to nominate Tang.
Delegates also unanimously re-elected Brant Duncan to serve as AFT Massachusetts Secretary-Treasurer.
“Serving as Secretary-Treasurer of the AFT Massachusetts continues to be a tremendous honor. I remain steadfast in my commitment to providing our current locals and members with that network of support while identifying new opportunities for our union to expand its reach,” said Duncan. “I look forward to working with each of our locals in our campaign to rise up as a united force for good throughout 2026 and beyond.”
Duncan started his career in the Lynn Public Schools as a paraprofessional and later served as an elementary and middle school teacher, teaching technology and mathematics. He spent years serving as a Vice President to the AFT Massachusetts and as President of the Lynn Teachers Union before being elected Secretary-Treasurer in 2016.
“Brant works tirelessly on behalf of every member in AFT Massachusetts. As a local president, I know that Brant can answer any question from how to run an election correctly to addressing an individual member’s concerns and everything in between,” said Chelsea Teachers Union President Kathryn Anderson, who rose to nominate Duncan. “In times of uncertainty and direct attacks on unions, I am completely confident in Brant’s steady hand and dedication to the health of the AFT Massachusetts.”
Under the convention theme of “Rise Up,” delegates unanimously approved a number of resolutions to cement important priorities for the union, including one to support districts seeing significant drops in multilingual learner enrollment due to the federal immigration agenda. The AFT Massachusetts represents educators, paraprofessionals, and support staff in many of the state’s Gateway Cities and those with vibrant immigrant communities, where the fear of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents is pervasive.
As students are, essentially, sheltering in place out of fear for themselves or their family, AFT Massachusetts is leading the discussion on Beacon Hill on not just ensuring schools are a safe environment for immigrant families but also active steps to protect districts from funding shortfalls due to these enrollment disruptions.
The union has been and continues to work closely with legislative allies to establish a grant program for districts facing multilingual learner enrollment disruptions to help stabilize their budgets during these uncertain times. The program is modeled after a similar grant system established to provide the same relief to districts dealing with pandemic-related enrollment disruptions.
The day also included the presentation of two Special President’s Awards to Senator Patricia Jehlen (D-Somerville) and Senator Jason Lewis (D-Winchester), two staunch supporters of public education who announced earlier this year they would not be seeking re-election.