News from AFT Public Employees

Don’t deprofessionalize our jobs!

Last month, the Trump administration proposed a new framework of professional degree programs—one that strips advanced degrees for accountants, social workers, nurses, audiologists and others of their professional status for purposes of federal student loans. This change may sharply limit access to higher loan amounts. These are jobs that require years of study, training and degrees. That education isn’t cheap. By taking away the professional designation of these degrees, this administration may make college even more expensive and put these careers further out of reach for the next generation of public service employees. We must respect the public workers who serve our communities. Tell Congress to restore the professional designation to these degrees.

How is debt affecting your financial situation and your everyday life?

Workers are being crushed by the soaring costs of basics—housing, healthcare, child care, college, even the cost of keeping up with credit cards or medical bills. This survey will help us identify the most urgent affordability issues and shape the resources we build to help members get the relief they need. Please fill out this confidential AFT Debt Survey and share it with other members.

Maryland member dies after assault on the job

City Union of Baltimore (CUB) member Gregory Turnipseed died last month after trying to intercede in an argument over a downtown parking spot—and being brutally punched and kicked for his trouble. Turnipseed, a 14-year veteran of the city’s department of transportation, died the day before Thanksgiving, more than a month after the attack. He had last served as a traffic investigator. CUB President Antoinette Ryan-Johnson expressed her heartbreak over the death, as well as her anger that the city had not notified the union of the assault until after Turnipseed died.

We ain’t buying it: Why we boycott Target

For a long time, Target was everyone’s darling, and its diversity, equity and inclusion programs won customer loyalty, especially among Black and Latino shoppers. But shortly after President Trump took office in January 2025, Target abandoned those policies. Customers are not having it, and as the holiday season is upon us, the AFT has joined a renewed Target boycott that is gaining momentum.

How employers ensnare workers in debt

Instead of creating safe and supportive working environments, a growing number of healthcare employers are using predatory stay-or-pay contracts to coerce new hires to stay in jobs with dangerous, significantly understaffed working conditions. In the fall issue of AFT Health Care, researcher Chris Hicks outlines the rise of predatory contracts in healthcare—and how union-led legal and legislative campaigns are starting to turn the tide.

Utah repeals ban on public sector collective bargaining

Utah’s Legislature has repealed a law that would have banned public employee unions from collective bargaining, restoring a path to collective bargaining and taking a major step toward respect, dignity and a voice at work for Utah’s public employees. AFT Utah President Brad Asay and AFT President Randi Weingarten praised the victory, noting that more than 5,000 activists helped gather over 300,000 signatures to push lawmakers to change course. “Because of that effort, we now have a Legislature that has reversed itself and a pathway for collective bargaining in the future,” said Asay and Weingarten in a joint statement.

Good jobs for government workers improve public services

In the face of significant reductions in federal spending and slowing economic growth, many state and local governments may look to cut their own spending, according to the Center for American Progress. Too often, state and local cutbacks mean reducing standards for public employees, who already earn wages significantly below those of their private sector counterparts. This issue brief highlights research showing that strong standards provide direct benefits to the public. By maintaining fair working conditions for government workers, policymakers can improve services and attract the next generation of public employees.