Unions

Read more about labor groups that organize teachers and other educators around workplace issues and negotiate contracts with districts
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, is sworn in to testify during a House Oversight and Accountability subcommittee hearing on COVID-19 school closures, Wednesday, April 26, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, is sworn in to testify during a House Oversight and Accountability subcommittee hearing on COVID-19 school closures, Wednesday, April 26, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington.
Mariam Zuhaib/AP
Federal AFT Head Weingarten Says Her Union Didn’t Conspire With CDC on School Reopening Guidance
Some Republicans allege the union exercised its influence to keep schools closed longer than necessary.
Caitlynn Peetz, April 26, 2023
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7 min read
Image shows a multi-tailed arrow hitting the bullseye of a target.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Policy & Politics Opinion Teachers' Unions Are the Rorschach Test for School Reform
Critics see special interest groups opposing common-sense reforms, but advocates see champions of workplace democracy and the common good.
Rick Hess, April 13, 2023
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7 min read
Close up shot of some money overlapping a partial paystub revealing some blurred numbers and the words Total Pay, Taxes, and Deductions.
iStock/Getty
Teaching Profession Lawmakers Target How Teachers’ Unions Collect Dues
Teachers often opt to have union dues deducted from their paychecks. Republicans in some states are fighting to change that.
Madeline Will, April 6, 2023
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8 min read
Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson celebrates with supporters after defeating Paul Vallas in the mayoral runoff election on April 4, 2023, in Chicago.
Chicago Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson celebrates with supporters after defeating Paul Vallas in the mayoral runoff election on April 4, 2023, in Chicago.
Paul Beaty/AP
School & District Management What the Election of Chicago's New Mayor Says About the Political Power of Teachers' Unions
Brandon Johnson, a former middle school teacher and teachers' union organizer, won the race for mayor of Chicago on Tuesday.
Libby Stanford, April 5, 2023
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6 min read
Addison Fleshman reads "Green Eggs and Ham" as students celebrate Dr. Seuss Week in Teresa Francis' kindergarten class Monday, Feb. 27, 2017, at Westview Elementary School in Jonesboro, Ind.
Addison Fleshman reads "Green Eggs and Ham" as students celebrate Dr. Seuss Week in Teresa Francis' kindergarten class on Feb. 27, 2017, at Westview Elementary School in Jonesboro, Ind.
Jeff Morehead/The Chronicle-Tribune via AP
Reading & Literacy What the Research Says Why Some Teachers' Unions Oppose 'Science of Reading' Legislation
Several state unions say the mandates could limit teachers’ professional autonomy in the classroom.
Sarah Schwartz & Madeline Will, March 28, 2023
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11 min read
AFT President Randi Weingarten holds up books about Anne Frank and Ruby Bridges caught up in culture wars during a press conference at the National Press Club on March 28, 2023.
AFT President Randi Weingarten holds up books about Anne Frank and Ruby Bridges caught up in culture wars during a press conference at the National Press Club on March 28, 2023.
Courtesy of AFT
Teaching Profession Don't Give Into Culture War Distractions, Teachers' Union Head Says
AFT President Randi Weingarten announced four strategies to put greater attention on students' needs rather than the culture wars.
Eesha Pendharkar, March 28, 2023
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4 min read
Thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District teachers and Service Employees International Union 99 members rally outside the LAUSD headquarters in Los Angeles on March 21, 2023. Thousands of service workers backed by teachers began a three-day strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District, shutting down education for a half-million students in the nation's second-largest school system.
Thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District teachers and Service Employees International Union 99 members rally outside the LAUSD headquarters in Los Angeles on March 21, 2023. Thousands of service workers backed by teachers began a three-day strike against the Los Angeles Unified School District, shutting down education for a half-million students in the nation's second-largest school system.
Damian Dovarganes/AP
School & District Management 3 Takeaways From Recent Educator Strikes
Support workers are using collective action to push for better working conditions. That activism can take several forms.
Mark Lieberman, March 27, 2023
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4 min read
Thousands of LAUSD education workers calling on LAUSD Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to use the district’s $4.9 billion in reserves to invest in staff, students, and communities rally at Grand Park in front of Los Angeles City Hall in Los Angeles on March 15, 2023.
Thousands of Los Angeles Unified School District educators call on Superintendent Alberto Carvalho to use the district’s nearly $5 billion in reserves to invest in staff, students, and communities at a rally at the city's Grand Park on March 15, 2023.
Keith Birmingham/Pasadena Star-News via TNS
Teaching Profession Q&A Los Angeles Educators Are Set to Strike. Will Teachers Elsewhere Follow Suit?
Unions in cities have become more aggressive—and low wages coupled with a demand for talent are giving them leverage.
Madeline Will, March 20, 2023
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6 min read
Police respond to a shooting at Richneck Elementary School, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023 in Newport News, Va. A shooting at a Virginia elementary school sent a teacher to the hospital and ended with “an individual” in custody Friday, police and school officials in the city of Newport News said.
A police officer outside the Newport News, Va., elementary school where a 1st grader shot and injured a teacher last week. On the same day of the shooting, teachers attending a National Education Association summit on gun violence were meeting in Washington to call for making educators a more central part of discussions on how to stop shootings in schools.
Billy Schuerman/The Virginian-Pilot via AP
School Climate & Safety 'This Is Not the Job We Signed Up to Do': Teachers Speak Out Against School Shootings
The largest teachers' union is taking new steps to confront gun violence in schools.
Madeline Will, January 9, 2023
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7 min read
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten prepares to cross the border into Ukraine on Oct. 10.
Randi Weingarten visited Ukraine on Oct. 10—the day Russian missiles slammed into Lviv, Kyiv, and other cities.
Courtesy of AFT
International In Their Own Words What a Teachers' Union Leader Saw in Ukraine
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten was in the country just after widespread air strikes from Russia.
Madeline Will, October 12, 2022
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4 min read
Illustration of airplanes dropping money
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
Teaching Profession With New Grants, Teachers' Union Doubles Down on Partnerships With Parents
The American Federation of Teachers will invest $1.5 million in parent outreach—a counterweight to conservatives' parents'-rights narrative.
Madeline Will, September 29, 2022
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4 min read
Teachers from Seattle Public Schools picket outside Roosevelt High School on what was supposed to be the first day of classes, Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2022, in Seattle. The first day of classes at Seattle Public Schools was cancelled and teachers are on strike over issues that include pay, mental health support, and staffing ratios for special education and multilingual students.
Teachers from Seattle Public Schools picket outside Roosevelt High School on Sept. 7. Teachers went on strike over issues that include pay, mental health support, and staffing ratios for special education and multilingual students.
Jason Redmond/AP
Teaching Profession Q&A Why Teachers Are Going on Strike This Fall—and What Could Come Next
A labor expert explains what's driving the recent teacher strikes.
Madeline Will, September 19, 2022
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7 min read
Illustration of woman jumping across piggy banks.
Nuthawut Somsuk/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Teaching Profession Most Americans Support Raising Teacher Pay. But There's a Partisan Rift
Public support for teacher pay raises is at its highest level in at least 15 years, an Education Next survey found.
Madeline Will, August 16, 2022
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6 min read
Human resource recruiting candidates with big employer's hand using magnet power to draw new employees.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
Teaching Profession How to Solve Teacher Shortages, and 3 Other Takeaways From the AFT Convention
From testing and community schools to safety and climate change, the union's delegates tackled a ton of education and policy challenges.
Madeline Will, July 19, 2022
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7 min read
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