The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is a national labor union representing teachers, education support personnel, higher education faculty, public employees, and healthcare workers. The organization’s mission is to improve public education and public services, secure fair pay and benefits for members, and advance racial, economic, and social justice through collective bargaining, advocacy, research, and political engagement.
Typically pursues policies that increase public education funding, strengthen collective bargaining and labor rights, raise teacher and school staff pay and benefits, protect public pensions and healthcare, reduce class sizes and improve school staffing, expand early childhood and higher education access and affordability, promote equity and anti‑racism in schools, and regulate privatization and charter school expansion; also engages on related social and voting rights issues.
Primarily funded by member dues, supplemented by donations and grants and funds raised through its political action committee and other advocacy activities.
AFL‑CIO, state and local AFT affiliates including the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and Chicago Teachers Union (CTU), and AFT PAC
labor union (nonprofit labor organization)
