About Us
American Federation of Teachers
The American Federation of Teachers, an affiliate of the AFL-CIO, was founded in 1916 and today represents 1.7 million members in more than 3,000 local affiliates nationwide.
Five divisions within the AFT represent the broad spectrum of the AFT's membership: pre-K through 12th-grade teachers; paraprofessionals and other school-related personnel; higher education faculty and professional staff; federal, state, and local government employees; and nurses and other healthcare professionals. In addition, the AFT represents approximately 80,000 early childhood educators and nearly 250,000 retiree members.
Mission
The American Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that champions fairness, democracy, economic opportunity, high-quality public education, healthcare, and public services for our students, their families, and our communities. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining, political activism, and especially through the work our members do.
