The American Federation of Teachers – Michigan (AFT Michigan) is the Michigan state-level affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), a member union of the AFL-CIO. 1 It claims 35,000 members and represents teachers and other employees in K-12 school districts, community colleges, and universities in Michigan. In addition, it represents allied health professionals based in Ann Arbor and Detroit. 1
AFT Michigan is the second-largest teachers’ union in Michigan behind the National Education Association-affiliated Michigan Education Association, which claims 120,000 members. 1
AFT Michigan has advocated left-of-center education policies within the state such as opposing efforts to expand school choice and supporting efforts to increase public unionization and higher funding for unionized schools. 2 3 Its political affiliate spent $47,000 on electoral races in Michigan during the 2024 election cycle. 4
Detroit Federation of Teachers
The largest AFT Michigan local is the Detroit Federation of Teachers (DFT), which represents about 4,500 employees of the Detroit Public Schools Community District. 5
In the mid-2010s, the DFT opposed state and federal efforts to reform the Detroit Public school system by organizing “sickouts” among teachers who were legally prohibited from striking that resulted in a reported 31,000 of 46,000 students in the district missing at least one day of school. 6 7 8
In 2015, the national American Federation of Teachers (AFT) union placed the DFT under voluntary trusteeship, sending an assistant to AFT president Randi Weingarten to oversee the Detroit union’s day-to-day operations. 9
By 2017, the Detroit Public Schools Community District was created to replace the Detroit Public School District. 6 The DFT signed a contract with the new district in July 2017 that included a 7.13% wage increase over the succeeding two years. 10
Health Care
In 2020, AFT Michigan began organizing physician’s assistants in the University of Michigan’s medical system as United Physician Assistants of Michigan Medicine (UPAMM), AFT Local 5297.11 It has also organized radiology, rehabilitation, laboratory and other allied health professionals at Michigan Medicine as United Michigan Medicine Allied Professionals, AFT Local 6739. 12 13
Controversy
In 2017, conservative advocacy-journalism outlet Project Veritas sent an undercover reporter disguised as a summer intern to work within AFT Michigan. The union sued both the undercover employee and the organization, demanding that courts block any release of video captured by the intern during her time inside the union. 14
Attorneys representing AFT Michigan had filed for state courts to change Michigan’s status as a one-party consent state in which individuals could legally record their own conversations without notifying other participants. A preliminary injunction was initially filed to block the release of the video, however a federal judge later ruled against the union after the Michigan Supreme Court declined to revisit its prior rulings on the topic. 15
References
- “About Us.” AFT Michigan. Accessed December 23, 2024. https://aftmichigan.org/about-us/.
- “Political Action.” AFT Michigan. Accessed December 23, 2024. https://aftmichigan.org/political-action/.
- “Issue Briefs.” AFT Michigan. Accessed December 23, 2024. https://aftmichigan.org/issue-briefs/.
- Author’s calculations from campaign finance filings with the Michigan Department of State: https://cfrsearch.nictusa.com/committees/507757.
- Micah Walker, BridgeDetroit. “Detroit School Board Approves New Teacher Contract with Raises and New Benefits.” Chalkbeat, July 18, 2024. https://www.chalkbeat.org/detroit/2024/07/10/detroit-school-board-approves-new-teachers-union-contract/
- Thiel, Craig. “After 20 Years, Detroit Public Schools to Regain Control of Its Finances.” Citizens Research Council of Michigan, May 14, 2020. https://crcmich.org/after-20-years-detroit-public-schools-to-regain-control-of-its-finances.
- Lewis, Shawn D. “Teachers Union, Bailey Dismissed from Sickout Suit.” The Detroit News, February 26, 2016. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2016/02/25/detroit-teacher-sickout-lawsuit/80929294/.
- Vasquez, Mario. “Teachers Who Staged ‘sick-Outs’ Declare Victory against Detroit Schools’ Unelected Emergency Manager.” In These Times, February 29, 2016. https://inthesetimes.com/article/darnell-earley-steps-down-from-emergency-manager-position.
- Higgins, Lori. “Top Aft Aide to Run Troubled Detroit Teacher’s Union.” Detroit Free Press, December 10, 2015. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2015/12/10/administrator-detroit-teachers-union-ann-mitchell/77113572/.
- Chambers, Jennifer. “Detroit Teachers Approve 3-Year Contract.” The Detroit News, July 28, 2017. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2017/07/27/detroit-schools-teacher-contract/104055476/.
- Bruckner, Meredith. “Michigan Medicine, U-M Physician Assistants Reach Tentative Agreement.” WDIV, May 26, 2021. https://www.clickondetroit.com/all-about-ann-arbor/2021/05/26/michigan-medicine-u-m-physician-assistants-reach-tentative-agreement/#//.
- Dodge, Samuel. “Growing Michigan Medicine Union Adds 600 to Workforce of Healthcare Professionals.” MLive, January 24, 2024. https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2024/01/growing-michigan-medicine-union-adds-600-to-workforce-of-healthcare-professionals.html.
- “UMMAP Bargaining Units.” United Michigan Medicine Allied Professionals. Accessed December 23, 2024. https://ummap6739.org/ummap-bargaining-units/.
- Ryan Grim, Maryam Saleh. “Conservative Provocateur James O’Keefe’s Group Hit with Restraining Order, Blocking Latest Sting.” The Intercept, December 27, 2017. https://theintercept.com/2017/09/29/james-okeefe-project-veritas-michigan-judge-block/.
- Strauss, Valerie. “U.S. Judge Denies Teachers Union Bid to Stop Release of Project Veritas Video.” The Washington Post, May 8, 2018. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2018/05/08/u-s-judge-denies-teachers-union-bid-to-stop-release-of-project-veritas-video/