American Federation of Teachers is a union affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). It is made up of various educational workers, including teachers, counselors, school custodians, and school-bus drivers. It also represents state employees, faculty at colleges and universities, and nurses. The American Federation of Teachers has local unions throughout the United States.
The union’s chief objectives are to promote professionalism in teaching and to secure appropriate wages, better working conditions, and job security for its members. The union supports school-based management, better school construction, and equal educational opportunities for people of all races. The federation upholds the rights of teachers to help form school policies and programs. Its members believe it can achieve its goals through democratic discussions between teacher representatives and school administrators, and through collective bargaining.
The American Federation of Teachers was founded in 1916. Its headquarters are in Washington, D.C. For membership, see Labor movement (table: Important U.S. labor unions) .
See also Shanker, Albert .
