American Federation of Teachers
| American Federation of Teachers | |
 | |
| Basic facts | |
| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | 501(c)(5) |
| Top official: | Randi Weingarten |
| Year founded: | 1916 |
| Website: | Official website |
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The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO. The AFT represents a wide range of members including "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."[1]
Mission statement
"The mission of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, is to improve the lives of our members and their families; to give voice to their legitimate professional, economic and social aspirations; to strengthen the institutions in which we work; to improve the quality of the services we provide; to bring together all members to assist and support one another; and to promote democracy, human rights and freedom in our union, in our nation and throughout the world."[1]
History
The American Federation of Teachers was founded in 1916. The organization represents 1.5 million members.[2]
Leadership
The AFT is governed by their 43 member executive council and by delegates to the union’s biennial convention. Council members are elected and are in charge of setting organizational policies.[1]
AFT Officers:[3]
- President: Randi Weingarten
- Secretary-Treasurer: Lorretta Johnson
- Executive Vice President: Francine Lawrence
2014 elections
According to OpenSecrets.org, the American Federation of Teachers spent $19,499,848 in the 2014 election cycle.[4]
Endorsed candidates
In the 2014 election cycle, the American Federation of Teachers supported the following candidates:[4]
Expenditures
| Top 5 largest American Federation of Teachers expenditures in 2012[5] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | State | Office | For | Against | Total | Desired Result |
| Julia Brownley |  |
CA | House | $20,000 | $0 | $20,000 |  |
| Ed Markey | |
MA | Senate | $19,563 | $0 | $20,000 | |
| Donald Norcross | |
NJ | House | $15,500 | $0 | $20,000 | |
| Natalie Tennant | |
WV | Senate | $15,250 | $0 | $15,500 |  |
| Ron Barber | |
AZ | House | $15,250 | $0 | $15,000 | |
2012 elections
According to OpenSecrets.org, the American Federation of Teachers spent $8,578,462 in the 2012 election cycle.[6]
Endorsed candidates
In the 2012 election cycle, the American Federation of Teachers supported the following candidates:[6]
Expenditures
| Top 5 largest American Federation of Teachers expenditures in 2012[7] | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Party | State | Office | For | Against | Total | Desired Result |
| Ron Barber | |
AZ | House | $20,000 | $0 | $20,000 | |
| Barack Obama | |
N/A | President | $19,563 | $0 | $19,563 | |
| Tammy Duckworth | |
IL | House | $15,500 | $0 | $15,500 | |
| Sherrod Brown | |
OH | Senate | $15,250 | $0 | $15,250 | |
| Bob Casey | |
PA | Senate | $15,250 | $0 | $15,250 | |
Ballot measures
Issues
Call for Arne Duncan's improvement
The American Federation of Teachers passed a resolution on July 13, 2014, calling for Education Department Secretary Arne Duncan's resignation if he didn't show improvement under a plan proposed by President Barack Obama. The resolution urged the department to move away from No Child Left Behind Act and Race to the Top's "test-and-punish" tactics to move toward a system of supporting the improvement of teachers and students. AFT President Randi Weingarten claimed the vote represented the union saying, "'Enough is enough.' Teachers are evaluated and their future livelihoods are linked to that. And when they fall short, they should have a chance to improve. And that’s what this special order represents." A department spokesperson said of the vote, "the transformation that educators and policymakers are leading to prepare all students for college and careers is incredibly difficult, and too often the adults fight about how to best help the kids."[8]
The vote came just after a July 4, 2014 motion passed by the National Education Association seeking Duncan's resignation.[9]
Affiliated Programs
2016 super PAC
On May 11, 2016, Politico reported that several of the country's unions (the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the American Federation of Teachers, and the National Education Association), along with Tom Steyer, planned to create a new super PAC focused on opposing Donald Trump and Republican U.S. Senate candidates in Florida, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Nevada. The super PAC is seeking to take back "pro-worker" rhetoric from Trump by raising and spending $50 million, with the unions contributing around $1 million each. According to Politico, this would be the first super PAC funded by labor unions.[10][11] The committee will be run by Paul Tewes, a political operative, who has worked both with unions and the Democratic party. Tewes is a former political director of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee and was a senior director of President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign.[10]
On May 16, 2016, The Washington Post reported that the AFL-CIO had received criticism regarding the super PAC from eight building trade unions affiliated with the AFL-CIO: North America’s Building Trades Unions; the Laborers’ International Union of North America; the International Union of Operating Engineers; the International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers; the United Association Union of Plumbers, Fitters, Welders, and Service Technicians; the Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ International Association; the International Union of Elevator Constructors; and the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers, & Allied Workers. In a letter sent to AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, union leaders attacked the proposed alliance with Tom Steyer because of his opposition to the Keystone XL Pipeline, which would have provided union jobs if it had been approved.[12]
The letter stated that "[t]he AFL-CIO has now officially become infiltrated by financial and political interests that work in direct conflict to many of our members’—and yes, AFL-CIO dues paying members’ lives. This is a disturbing development and one that requires a further explanation." In a separate letter, president of the Laborers' union Terry O'Sullivan declared, "[w]ith your blessing and support, Tom Steyer has purchased the backing, prestige, and control of the AFL-CIO, and will now use it to advance his own agenda, promote his own views, and further his own political ambitions. This scheme if the logical outcome of an obsession with, and a desire to throw open the doors of labor to, outside organizations that are completely out of touch with the needs and concerns of ordinary, blue-collar working Americans."[12]
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for "American+ Federation+ of+ Teachers"
- All stories may not be relevant to this organization due to the nature of the search engine.
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 American Federation of Teachers, "American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO," accessed March 12, 2011
- ↑ AFT.org, "About," accessed December 16, 2013
- ↑ AFT.org, "Leadership," accessed December 16, 2013
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Open Secrets, "American Federation of Teachers," accessed May 14, 2015
- ↑ Open Secrets, "American Federation of Teachers," accessed May 14, 2015
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Open Secrets, "American Federation of Teachers," accessed December 16, 2013
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedacs - ↑ Politico, "Another teachers union ding for Arne Duncan," July 13, 2014
- ↑ Education Week, "NEA Calls for Secretary Duncan's Resignation," July 4, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Politico, "Unions prepare super PAC to take down Trump," May 11, 2016
- ↑ Politico, "McLarty for Kurds," May 12, 2016
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Washington Post, "Building trade unions denounce labor partnership with billionaire environmentalist Tom Steyer," May 16, 2016
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