Address Secure Firearms Storage and Fight Gun Violence in School Communities as a Workplace Safety and Public Health Issue

WHEREAS, in a nation with more guns than people, guns are the leading cause of death for children in America; and

WHEREAS, according to a study by the U.S. Secret Service, as many as three-quarters of school shootings involved a gun that was not secured in the home; and

WHEREAS, 6.7 million kids live in homes with unsecured, loaded firearms; and

WHEREAS, the median age of a school shooter is 16, and 1 out of 10 gun deaths are age 19 or younger; and

WHEREAS, there have been more than 435 school shootings since 1999, and more than 398,000 students have experienced gun violence at school since Columbine; and

WHEREAS, the White House has dissolved the National Office of Gun Violence Prevention and eliminated resources at the Department of Education to help schools tackle gun violence; and

WHEREAS, our nation's epidemic of gun violence makes schools an inherently dangerous workplace—psychologically and physically—for teachers and staff; and

WHEREAS, school leaders have an obligation to ensure that schools are free from gun violence, to the best of their ability, so that teachers and staff have a safe workplace, and students can have an opportunity to succeed without fear; and

WHEREAS, every school district should be a source of information for educating parents on best practices for secure firearm storage, because doing so would make for safer workplaces and better learning environments:

RESOLVED, that the AFT will continue to fight gun violence as a workplace safety issue, and will use all options and tools to help keep schools, students and staff safe, including collective bargaining; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will work with like-minded organizations to support our affiliates as they encourage districts and employers to share nonpartisan public health information with parents on the secure storage of firearms, much as schools already share other types of public health information with parents.

Adopted July 19, 2026