TAA

What TAA does

TAA (Teaching Assistants' Association), also known as TAA/AFT Local 3220, is a member-funded labor union representing graduate teaching assistants, research assistants, and other graduate employees at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Organized in 1969, it is among the oldest graduate student worker unions in the world and represents roughly 3,000 graduate assistants (per 2011-2012 figures). The organization is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers as Local 3220, with additional coalition ties to AFSCME and the Wisconsin AFL-CIO.

TAA's core offering is representation services rather than commercial products: collective bargaining advocacy, grievance and arbitration support, Weingarten representation rights, departmental organizing campaigns, and member benefit programs such as a diaper program and international-student resources. The underlying operational model is community organizing — steward networks, departmental organizing committees, rallies, direct action, and legal advocacy — rather than technology infrastructure. There are no proprietary software products, APIs, or commercial service lines; the website and newsletter serve as member communication channels only.

TAA is funded almost exclusively through recurring membership dues, which the schema classifies as a subscription/recurring revenue model. It is a private nonprofit governed by elected co-presidents (Daniel Levitin and Madeline Topf as of December 2024) and an Executive Board accountable to the membership. Headcount is 1-10 staff. The union's strategic posture has shifted offensive following the 2024 Dane County Circuit Court ruling striking key portions of Wisconsin Act 10, after which TAA has secured paid family leave guarantees, minimum stipend increases, and department-level wins including a $36,000-to-$38,000 stipend raise in the Genetics program and segregated-fee remission in Botany.

Name

TAA

Legal name

Teaching Assistants' Association

Website

https://taa-madison.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

TAA (Teaching Assistants' Association / AFT Local 3220) is a member-funded labor union representing roughly 3,000 graduate teaching and research assistants at the University of Wisconsin-Madison through collective bargaining advocacy, departmental organizing, and grievance representation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Representation

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Labor Relations & Union Management Training (EDABAIAK)

Keywords

• Labor union representation
• Collective bargaining services
• Graduate worker advocacy
• Workplace rights enforcement
• Union membership dues

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: TAA generates revenue through membership dues collected from graduate worker members. The organization is AFT Local 3220, affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

TAA is a labor union that represents nearly 3,000 graduate teaching and research assistants at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The organization provides collective bargaining representation, grievance and arbitration support, workplace rights advocacy (including Weingarten representation), stipend and benefits negotiation, and member benefit programs. TAA also runs organizing campaigns, departmental steward networks, and member support initiatives such as a diaper program for graduate parents.

Product overview

TAA (Teaching Assistants' Association) is the graduate worker union of UW-Madison, organized in 1969 as AFT Local 3220. It is not a technology product company. The organization provides union representation, advocacy, and support services for graduate assistants, including collective bargaining advocacy, workplace rights enforcement, member benefits programs (such as a diaper program), and organizing campaigns. The organization does not offer commercial products or technology services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Union Membership for Graduate Workers
• Departmental Organizing and Steward Network

Quantifiable outcome

• Genetics department raised stipend from $36,000 to $38,000 (5% raise) after majority of PhD students signed Biosciences letter
• +3 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• AFT (American Federation of Teachers)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1969TAA is affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers as AFT Local 3220. This affiliation provides access to broader labor movement resources, legal support, organizing expertise, and national solidarity networks. AFT President Randi Weingarten has publicly supported TAA's efforts, including joining rallies demanding meet & confer from UW Regents.
• AFSCMEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees) locals have been co-plaintiffs in lawsuits challenging Wisconsin Act 10. TAA joined AFSCME and other public sector unions in litigation to restore collective bargaining rights.
• Wisconsin AFL-CIOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of of the Wisconsin labor movement coalition fighting for workers' rights and collective bargaining restoration in Wisconsin.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• National Education Association (NEA): Largest U.S. labor union, with a higher-ed membership base that overlaps with graduate worker organizing. Comparable as a broad public-sector labor organization engaged in collective bargaining and education-policy advocacy.
• Wisconsin AFL-CIO: State labor federation coordinating Wisconsin's union movement. TAA is part of this coalition, and it is comparable as the institutional body representing labor's political and legislative interests at the state level.
• SEIU (Service Employees International Union): One of the largest U.S. labor unions representing public-sector and service workers. Comparable as a peer public-sector union with overlapping political and legislative interests in collective bargaining rights.
• AFSCME: Major American public-sector union and a co-plaintiff with TAA in lawsuits challenging Wisconsin Act 10. Comparable as a fellow public-sector labor organization operating in the same Wisconsin legal/political arena.
• American Federation of Teachers (AFT): National labor federation and TAA's parent organization (Local 3220). AFT operates broadly across K-12, higher-ed, and public-sector workers, providing the institutional umbrella, legal resources, and national organizing playbook TAA relies on.

Direct peers

• Harvard Graduate Students Union (HGSU-UAW): Graduate worker union at Harvard University representing teaching and research assistants. Directly comparable in mission, member base, and collective bargaining activities for higher-ed graduate employees.
• Cornell Graduate Students United (GSU): Graduate worker union at Cornell University representing master's and PhD students. Comparable as a peer graduate employee organization with a similar bargaining and advocacy model.
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Graduate Employees' Organization (GEO/IEA): Graduate worker union representing TAs and RAs at UIUC. Comparable in scope and structure as a public-university grad employee union with a similar collective bargaining history and organizing model.
• Graduate Employees' Organization 3550 (GEO-UAW, University of Michigan): Graduate teaching and research assistant union at the University of Michigan, one of the largest grad worker unions in the U.S. Direct comparable in member base, structure, and bargaining model for higher-ed graduate workers.
• Columbia Graduate Workers (UAW Local 2110): Graduate student union at Columbia University. Directly comparable as an East Coast graduate worker union with a similar mission of representing RAs and TAs and negotiating working conditions.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TAA_Madison

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about TAA