American Federation of Teachers

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is a labor union that represents teachers and other educational workers. It is a national organization with more than 1.6 million members, more than 43 state affiliations, and more than 3,000 local groups. Founded in Chicago in 1916, it is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). In 2013, the National Federation of Nurses affiliated with the AFT. The mission of the organization, adopted in July 2000, is to improve the lives of their members by representing their aspirations and strengthening their institutions. The AFT webpage states several beliefs that the organization advocates: high academic and conduct standards for students, greater professionalism for teachers and school staff, cooperative problem solving and workplace innovations, and high-quality ...