AFT Constituencies

One of the many strengths of AFT Michigan is our diversity. We are diverse in many ways including the work we do. AFT Michigan represents PreK-12 Teachers & Support Staff, Higher Education Faculty & Staff, Healthcare workers, and Public Employees. These members have much in common—their commitment to their work and their demand to be treated with respect. We learn from each other. We support each other. We know what is best for each of us, is what is best for all of us. We are truly a Union of Professionals.

K-12 Teachers

Pre K 12 – Teachers

AFT Michigan represents about 35,000 members in nearly 100 locals spread throughout Michigan. Of the our locals, about one-third are primarily composed of pre-K-12 teachers. About 20 percent of locals represent teachers in the Intermediate School Districts and adult education programs. Teachers are a large segment of our membership.

AFT Michigan, in conjunction with the AFT, offers a variety of services of special interest to teachers.

Professional Development

AFT Michigan offers classes, workshops, and conferences to assist teachers with their professional development. Some of the topics offered include: Effective Classroom Management, Managing Anti-Social Behavior, Strategies for Resolving Conflict, Common Core State Standards – Math & ELA, and general overview, Mental Health First Aid, Bullying Cycle, Protecting Students in Cyberspace; Warning Signs of Sexual Misconduct PK-16, Diversity Training, Home School Connection, and others.  Check out the calendar for which classes are currently being offered.

AFT Michigan is a provider for State Continuing Education Clock Hours (SCECH), which are required for continuing certification.

In addition, AFT Michigan works closely with teachers who are pursuing National Board Certification to offer mentoring and support.

AFT Michigan, working with the AFT, also offers our members and locals additional professional development programming including summer institutes and national conferences, and the Education Research and Dissemination Program (ER&D) which offers the latest research into what works in our classrooms.

In addition, AFT Michigan provides training on leadership development, bargaining and administering a contract and other topics related to running a local union.

Legislative and Political Action

Virtually every aspect of a pre K-12 teacher’s job is controlled or influenced by the state legislature and Congress. Everything from our school’s funding, the curriculum we teach, to the standardized tests we give, length of our workday and school year, our personnel files and our pension system is the result of decisions made by elected officials. AFT Michigan maintains a strong presence in Lansing, lobbying lawmakers on issues of concern to our membership. We work with our locals to keep members informed about issues moving through the legislature and encourage members to become involved in the political process.

We are active politically, conferring with members of congress, the state legislature and school boards, and work to elect people who support public education and educators.

Teachers and Staff in Charter Schools

Teachers and staff in charter schools are joining together to build a network in which they can share ideas, pool professional resources, and speak out on important issues affecting their students, their schools, and their profession.

The Michigan Alliance of Charter Teachers & Staff (Michigan ACTS) is a local union affiliated with AFT Michigan that represents hundreds of members in Metro Detroit Charter Schools.  Michigan ACTS has won contracts that improve job security, protect educator voices and ensure fair compensation.

Our chapters include:

  • The Arts Academy in the Woods Alliance of Charter Teachers and Staff (AAW ACTS)
  • Cesar Chavez Academy Alliance of Teachers and Staff (CCA ACTS)
  • James & Grace Lee Boggs School Alliance of Teachers and Staff (Boggs ACTS)

Publications

The AFT publication American Teacher is sent to every member of a pre K-12 teacher local. It contains news about the union, discussion of current issues in education, information about discounts and other member benefits.  The AFT Michigan web site is an excellent source of current information about the union, the legislature, and the professional development offerings, as well as the AFT Michigan Facebook page and Twitter feed.   For immediate news and activities please sign up for the AFT Michigan email list by clicking on the “Sign up to Become an AFT Activist” box on this page.

Working with leaders from across the state, we have developed a PreK-12 Public Education Issue Platform. The purpose of the platform is to list the issues we think are critical needs that should be addressed in the legislature and other state bodies. The platform is shared with all candidates for public office on the state level and from the platform we focus our legislative action.


Visit the Teachers Division of the AFT Website.

Paraprofessionals and School Related Personnel

AFT Michigan Paraprofessionals and School Related Personnel (PSRP)

AFT Michigan represents about 35,000 members in nearly 100 locals across the state. Of those locals, about one-third represent paraprofessional and school related personnel (PSRP) members. The PSRP membership includes classroom paraprofessionals, school secretaries, central office clerical staff, bus drivers, custodians, cafeteria workers, plant engineers, reading aides, vocational and technical personnel and special education aides among others. AFT Michigan, in conjunction with the AFT, offers a variety of services of interest to PSRPs.

Professional Development

AFT Michigan believes that PSRPs need, and deserve, professional development opportunities. AFT Michigan professional development and union leadership program includes a PSRP conference and numerous workshops on PSRP issues. Recent topics have included leadership training, stress management, working with medically fragile children, how children learn to read, Common Core State Standards and working with diverse students. In addition, AFT Michigan provides training on how to run a union, bargain and administer a contract and other topics. The AFT offers programs directly dealing with PSRP issues.

Legislative and Political Action

Virtually every aspect of a school employee’s job is controlled or influenced by the state legislature and Congress. Everything from our school’s funding, to the length of the school year, the licensing or certification required, our personnel files and our pension system is the result of decisions made by elected officials. Moreover, the state legislature can, and has, limited our ability to fight privatization of our jobs. AFT Michigan maintains a strong presence in Lansing, lobbying lawmakers on issues of concern to our membership. The AFT does the same in Washington, D.C. We work with our locals to keep members informed about issues moving through the legislature and encourage members to become involved in the political process. We are active politically, conferring with members of congress, the state legislature and school boards, and work to elect people who support public education and school employees.

Publications

The AFT publication PSRP Reporter is sent to every member of a PSRP local. It contains news about the union, discussion of issues of concern to PSRPs around the country, information about discounts and other member benefits. The AFT Michigan web site, Facebook page and Twitter feed are an excellent source of information about the union, the legislature, and the professional development offerings.  For immediate news and activities please sign up for the AFT Michigan email list by clicking on the “Sign up to Become an AFT Activist” box on this page.

PSRPs in AFT Michigan

AFT Michigan has a guaranteed seat for a PSRP member on our Administrative Board and maintains a permanent PSRP Committee which includes representatives of all PSRP locals.

Higher Education

AFT Michigan Higher Education Locals

AFT Michigan represents about 35,000 members in nearly 100 locals throughout the state of Michigan, and about one-third of our locals include higher education members. Our higher education members include administrative staff, graduate employees, non-tenure track faculty, tenure-track faculty & academic staff at public community colleges and universities across the state of Michigan.

Legislative and Political Action

Community colleges and universities depend on legislative action for a significant portion of their funding, among other issues.

AFT Michigan maintains a strong presence in Lansing, lobbying lawmakers on issues of concern to our membership, while the AFT lobbies in Washington, D.C. We fight for adequate funding, limits on the excessive use and exploitation of part time faculty and staff, and the faculty’s role in collegiate governance. We work with our locals to keep members informed about issues moving through the legislature and encourage members to become involved in the legislative process.

We are active politically, conferring with members of congress, the state legislature and college and university boards, and work to elect people who support higher education and higher education employees.

Download a copy of the AFT Michigan Higher Ed Platform here.

Professional Development

The AFT and AFT Michigan offers programs dealing with higher education issues and with topics related to leadership development. The AFT has an annual higher education conference, conducted by our national union’s higher education department.

Publications

The AFT publication On Campus is sent to every member of each higher education local. It contains news about the union, discussion of issues of concern in higher education around the country, information about discounts and other member benefits. The AFT Michigan’s website, Facebook page and Twitter feed are excellent sources of information about the union, and the legislature.

Higher Education within the AFT Michigan

AFT Michigan has guaranteed seats for graduate employees, nontenure-track faculty, and tenure-track faculty on our Administrative Board. AFT Michigan maintains permanent committees for Graduate Employees, Nontenure-Track Faculty and Tenure-Track Faculty & Academic Staff which include representatives of all relevant higher education locals.

Healthcare

Our newest members! AFT Nurses and Health Professionals was created in 1978 when the AFT constitution was amended to allow organizing and affiliation of healthcare workers. The division represents more than 112,000 health professionals who practice in a variety of disciplines and settings. Although more than half of our members are registered nurses, the division also represents medical researchers, physicians, dietitians, psychologists, X-ray technicians, therapists and others.

Healthcare within AFT Michigan

Our first healthcare local was formed by the physician assistants at the University of Michigan in 2020 and organizing of other healthcare workers continues. AFT Michigan has a guaranteed seat for a Healthcare local leader on our Administrative Board. As we grow in this area, we will develop a constituency committee and state legislative agenda.

Retirees

AFT Michigan Retiree Network

Retirees are an important part of AFT Michigan and the AFT as a whole. Under the AFT and AFT Michigan constitutions, all working members of the AFT become lifetime members once their local reports them as retired. This lifetime membership status entitles them to receive AFT Michigan and AFT publications free of charge, to participate in the AFT Plus Member Benefits programs, and to participate as delegates to state and national conventions through local retiree chapters. There is no per-capita payment to the AFT for retired members.

In 2001, a group of retired local presidents, leaders of local retiree chapters and other AFT Michigan activists met to discuss what kind of organization would best serve the needs of thousands of retired AFT members. While it would be ideal for every AFT Michigan local to have a retiree chapter, most locals would be too small to sustain a viable chapter. Thus it was decided that a statewide organization would be most effective and the AFT Michigan Retiree Network was established.

The primary purpose of the Retiree Network is to provide a communications link with members who have retired, to keep retirees informed and offer a means to exchange ideas and mobilize around issues that contribute to the well being of retired and active members.

The goals of the Retiree Network are to:

  • Bring together chartered and informal retiree chapters of AFT Michigan locals
  • Connect with other retiree organizations
  • Advise the AFT Michigan Administrative Board on retirement issues
  • Mobilize retirees for political and legislative action

A committee of AFT retirees meets regularly and directs the committee’s activities. An AFT Michigan staff person helps promote the initiatives of the organizations. The organization remains open at all times to new ideas and welcomes participation by interested retired members. Email retirees@aftmichigan.org to get involved.

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