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Many people associate Labor Day with barbecues, beach outings and back-to-school shopping. But the holiday’s roots go back to the height of the Industrial Revolution, when many Americans—even children—toiled brutally long hours in harsh, unsafe conditions.
At marches and rallies, picnics and parades, Workers' Labor Day is a celebration of working people. And it’s a celebration of the power we have when we come together in a union—the power to take back our country for working people, not billionaires.
In a sweeping move to leverage artificial intelligence as a tool for learning and to minimize its harms, the AFT has partnered with the United Federation of Teachers, Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic to launch a first-of-its-kind national AI academy for educators.
Weingarten’s new book, Why Fascists Fear Teachers, exposes the far-right assault on public education—and honors the educators fighting back to protect truth, democracy, and opportunity for all.
Nearly every person in Gaza needs urgent humanitarian assistance. Two million Palestinians have been displaced, and the entire population is facing dire food insecurity. According to UNICEF, 80 percent of those who have died from malnutrition during this war were children.
Communities react as students are targeted for deportation
When history teacher John Klingler heard that someone from his school had been detained on immigration charges, he assumed it was someone else’s kid. So when he recognized the name, it was a “heart shattering” moment.
President Donald Trump has long belittled public libraries. This time around, in his second term, he’s ramping up his hostility toward them.
Summer Institute leans into organizing as resistance
AFT higher education workers crowded the halls of Morehouse College in Atlanta July 17-20 for the annual American Association of University Professors/AFT Summer Institute, a four-day intensive of workshops and plenaries that addressed the monumental challenges higher education is facing, and shared training and strategy to meet them,
Activists rally to save the nation’s retirement safety net
On Aug. 14, Social Security will mark its 90th anniversary—but instead of celebrating, labor leaders and activists say the program faces the gravest threats in its history. Speaking during a virtual town hall on Aug. 7, AFT President Randi Weingarten warned that the Trump administration is pursuing policies aimed at dismantling Social Security.
Oregon resource pool nurses vote to unionize
In another victory for healthcare organizing, more than 200 resource pool nurses working at Legacy hospitals in Oregon and Washington voted overwhelmingly to join the Oregon Nurses Association.
Two AFT members were elected as board officers of the preeminent Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance at its 18th biennial convention this summer, signaling the AFT’s continuing commitment to and involvement with this powerful group of unionists.
Citizenship clinics spark hope
In a time marked by fear, division and uncertainty, especially for immigrant communities, the AFT’s Together We Rise citizenship clinics are bright reminders that we can still build connections and strengthen resolve to preserve our democracy.
As the Trump administration takes aim at higher education, withholding federal funding from colleges and universities that won’t bend to Trump’s will and squelching free speech in the process, it is also attacking student debt relief—a tool that makes college more accessible and affordable to those who might benefit most.
Mass mobilization training fires up higher ed members
AFT members were hungry for action at the mass mobilization training held at AFT headquarters May 9, where leaders from our higher ed affiliates gathered to build skills that will meet the moment.
A union, a community and doing the next right thing
After historic floods swept through McDowell County, W.Va., this February, the community looked like a war zone.