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 of over 1 million members, over 40 state groups, and over 3,000 local groups. Founded in Chicago in 1916, it is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). The mission of the AFT, adopted in July 2000, is to improve the lives of their members by representing their aspirations and strengthening their institutions. The AFT Web page 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 health care provided by qualified professionals.

The AFT has five divisions: teachers; paraprofessional and school-related personnel; local, state, and federal employees; higher education faculty and staff; and nurses and health care professionals. The groups of members elect delegates to biennial conventions where officers are elected and union policy is set. The president and secretary-treasurer are also vice presidents of the AFL-CIO.

The AFT has a long and proud history of proactive political activities on behalf of their members. Early teachers' contracts included dress and social strictures with some districts banning union membership. The 1932 Norris-LaGuardia Act outlawed such contracts. During the McCarthy years, the union defended their members' academic and personal freedoms. One of the first groups to extend full membership to minorities, they were also heavily involved with the Civil Rights Movement, with their emphasis on desegregation of schools and voter registration drives in the South. During the 1960s, teacher militancy began with a 1-day walkout in New York City. More than 300 teacher strikes followed across the country, leading to comprehensive contracts with higher pay and better benefits. By 1970, membership numbered over 200,000. Since then, the union has been involved in the fight against tuition tax credits, educational reform, and educational standards. By 2005, there were 1.3 million members and 43 state affiliations.

The AFT has been criticized for putting their support of liberal political and economic activities before the education of children. The union officers and elected representatives choose which activities to support without a vote from the membership. The AFT social agenda is international as well as liberal and, as a result, sometimes these activities are not what individual union members would choose. Other criticisms are that the dues are very high and that union officials are too generously compensated.