AFT Acts To Improve Financial Integrity of Affiliates
New Measures Give National Union Greater Oversight

Washington, D.C.--The American Federation of Teachers announced today that it has taken unprecedented and decisive actions that will strengthen its operations, promote the highest uniform standards of integrity and accountability at every level, and help provide greater information to members about their locals’ financial operations.

"Historically, our affiliates have had great autonomy, with little or no interference from the national, and this relationship worked well for many decades," said AFT President Sandra Feldman. "But now we’ve decided we need stricter oversight."

At its just-completed quarterly meeting, the AFT’s Executive Council approved several measures to strengthen accountability, particularly for affiliates that fall behind in their dues to the national union (read the resolution). Late payments can be an indicator of financial trouble, the Council noted.

The Executive Council authorized the union’s president to order an external audit if an affiliate is in bad financial standing because it has fallen behind in its dues or because it has failed to submit a biennial audit of its finances.

The AFT also established new procedures for notifying affiliates that show signs of financial trouble. Affiliates that are two months behind in their national dues will receive notification in writing, along with a request for full payment. Failure to pay within 30 days "shall precipitate direct communication within two weeks from the AFT to the affiliate’s executive board and its state affiliate." If dues are not paid within 30 days of that communication, the AFT will communicate directly with the affiliate’s members within three weeks, informing them of the arrearage and explaining how it affects their local and their rights and status as AFT members.

The Executive Council meeting included a discussion of possible changes to the AFT constitution that would give the national organization additional means to verify the integrity of its affiliates’ operations. Any changes to the constitution would have to be approved by delegates at the union’s convention in July 2004.

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The AFT represents more than 1.3 million pre-K through 12th-grade teachers, paraprofessionals and other school support employees, higher education faculty, nurses and other healthcare workers, and state and local government employees.