Organizing Retirees to Build Power

WHEREAS, power is the essential factor in achieving the AFT’s objective of building a better world for our members and our communities; and

WHEREAS, power derives from educating and mobilizing our members, active and retired; and 

WHEREAS, it is essential that we continue to build our power to secure fair contracts; to advance policies that support and enhance public K-12 education, higher education, public service and healthcare; and to elect allies who support and promote these issues; and

WHEREAS, in recognizing the unique contribution of the generation of union members who built the modern AFT, delegates to the 1990 convention approved the creation of lifelong membership for AFT retirees; there is no cost to this continued membership, as retirees have prepaid through the years of investment of dues dollars and activism; and 

WHEREAS, in further recognition of the importance of retiree members, in 2020 AFT Retirees became a division and the Retirees program and policy council was constituted; and

WHEREAS, AFT retiree members from affiliates across the country, oftentimes through their retiree chapter, coordinate federal, state and local retiree work to advance the AFT mission; and 

WHEREAS, accurate membership lists are essential for educating and mobilizing members on policy initiatives and legislation, winning elections, supporting the overall work of state federations and locals, and developing retiree chapters; and 

WHEREAS, keeping retirees on membership lists allows unions to communicate with and mobilize retirees in support of AFT, local and state affiliate issues; and

WHEREAS, high retiree voter turnout makes them a key swing vote in many elections, making retirees a critical factor in electing candidates who support policies that improve the lives of working families:

RESOLVED, that the AFT will continue to encourage state and local affiliates to maintain retirees on membership lists, by setting members’ employment status to “retired” upon retirement, not “inactive” or deleted; and 

RESOLVED, that locals without retiree chapters organize these chapters with the assistance of their state federation and the AFT; and

RESOLVED, that state and local affiliates activate their retirees around issues that support and enhance public K-12 education, higher education, public service and healthcare, and to elect allies to advance these issues.

Adopted July 19, 2026