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News from AFT Teachers Archive

Current Issue - August 2025

Randi Weingarten speaking at the podium with APRI signs behind her 

Picnics, parades and empowering workers

In her latest column, AFT President Randi Weingarten reflects on the true meaning of Labor Day—not just barbecues and back-to-school sales, but a day rooted in the struggle for workers’ dignity. She calls out the Trump-Vance administration’s betrayal of working people through Project 2025 and the so-called big, beautiful bill; and she reminds us why union power is essential: to fight for fair pay, healthcare, public schools, and a democracy that works for all. “Unions enable working people not just to ask for things from those in power, but to have some power of their own,” she writes.

This Labor Day, stand up for what workers deserve

Workers built this country, and workers deserve an economy, a government and a country for the people, not the billionaires. In the streets and on the shop floor, in union halls and the halls of Congress, this Labor Day we’re going to show the billionaires who we are and how we fight. Find an event near you to join in the fight.

Bernie Sanders gesticulating and speaking at a podium with the sign "Pay teachers what they deserve"

AFT rallies for Pay Teachers Act on Capitol Hill

Hundreds of teachers, including many AFT members, converged at a town hall on Capitol Hill July 24 to illustrate the need for the Pay Teachers Act, sharing their stories with bill sponsor Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), AFT President Randi Weingarten and others. The legislation would require a minimum salary of $60,000 for teachers, triple Title I funding for schools with low-income families and boost other crucial supports for public schools.
 

Blue and yellow "welcome back" banner hanging on a columned buildingClocking a big win for diversity, equity and inclusion

Think you’ll take away our diversity, equity and inclusion programs? Think again. The AFT and the American Sociological Association just won a court battle against President Trump’s Education Department, which threatened to cut federal funding to schools that continued DEI efforts. “It is our job as educators to prepare students with the skills they need to negotiate a diverse and complex world," says AFT President Randi Weingarten. "This decision rightly strikes down the government’s attempt to dictate curriculum, and, in so doing, upholds the purpose and promise inherent in our public schools.” Image: Joe Shlabotnik / flickr.
 

Headshots of three speakers and the words "Vital lessons: Immunizations and a healthy school year"Immunizations and a healthy school year

Going back to school means back to the basics on vaccines. Join AFT President Randi Weingarten, Dr. Vin Gupta and special guest Dr. Dave Chokshi on Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. EDT for a practical update on the latest immunization recommendations for preK-12 students. They'll cover required and recommended vaccines; this season’s flu, COVID-19 and RSV guidance; how to address myths and hesitancy; and what to know about safety and coverage. Register here.
 

Photo of Jonathan Haidt with the words "A conversation with Jonathan Haidt Aug. 24, 6pm"AFT Book Club: The Anxious Generation

Smartphones, social media and less free play have reshaped childhood—and fueled rising rates of teen anxiety and depression. Join author and social psychologist Jonathan Haidt and AFT President Randi Weingarten on Aug. 24, at 6 p.m. EDT for a free, for-credit AFT Book Club webinar on The Anxious Generation. Hear the research and get practical steps schools and families can take now—from phone-free days and more play to better sleep and stronger connections. Register now.
 

Randi Weingarten speaking on stage with another speaker beside herAFT AI Symposium charts ethical path forward

The AFT Artificial Intelligence Symposium, held July 24 in Washington, D.C., brimmed with enthusiasm for the myriad ways AI can ignite learning, spur creativity and alleviate workloads—and offered a host of warnings about potential harm if educators and unions do not step up to meet this transformative moment.
 

Picture of a woman holding an infant with the words "This is an immediate crisis that requires our intervention"AFT Disaster Relief Fund for Gaza Humanitarian Aid

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. This is an immediate crisis that requires our intervention. Read President Randi Weingarten's plea to donate today to the AFT Disaster Relief Fund for Gaza Humanitarian Aid.  

Randi Weingarten looking at the camera, with her book


 

 

Two people walking hand in hand down a historic street


 

Two new vehicles with the words "Auto buying program"