AFT Michigan

What AFT Michigan does

AFT Michigan is a nonprofit state labor federation and the Michigan affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), AFL-CIO. Founded in 1935 as the Michigan Federation of Teachers and rebranded to its current name in 2005 to reflect membership expansion beyond K-12 education, the organization represents approximately 40,000 educators and healthcare providers organized through 105 affiliated local unions across Michigan. Its membership base spans PreK-12 teachers, higher education faculty and staff (including graduate employees, non-tenure-track faculty, and academic staff at public universities and community colleges), paraprofessionals and school-related personnel, healthcare workers (a vertical launched in 2020 at University of Michigan), retirees, and charter school staff.

AFT Michigan's core service is collective bargaining representation, supplemented by legislative and political advocacy in Lansing and Washington D.C., professional development programs (including State Continuing Education Clock Hours and National Board Certification support), leadership development through the 'Union Power Wheel' framework, member benefits via the Union Plus program, and scholarship funding through the AFT Robert G. Porter Scholars Program. Distribution runs through 105 workplace-based locals with dedicated field representatives and constituency coordinators across its three primary verticals. The organization is governed by an Administrative Board elected at biennial conventions, with Terrence Martin serving as President since 2023 and Kirsten Herold as Secretary-Treasurer.

Revenue is generated primarily through per capita dues paid by members of affiliated locals, with a $3.00 (1.2%) dues increase approved for September 2026 and another for September 2027. The organization benefited substantially from the 2024 labor-backed 'trifecta' in Lansing, which restored public employee bargaining rights under PERA, repealed 'right to work,' and passed historic school budget bills. Technology infrastructure is limited to commodity union tooling — member data management systems, the Action Network advocacy platform, and ShareMyLesson — with no proprietary technology, AI capabilities, or patents disclosed.

Name

AFT Michigan

Legal name

AFT Michigan

Website

https://aftmichigan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1935

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

AFT Michigan is a nonprofit state federation of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), AFL-CIO, representing approximately 40,000 educators and healthcare providers across 105 affiliated local unions in Michigan, providing collective bargaining, legislative advocacy, professional development, and member benefits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Labor Union Federation

NAICS

Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Labor Relations & Union Management Training (EDABAIAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

District HR, Labor Relations & Staffing Offices (EDADABAH)

Keywords

• Labor union representation
• Collective bargaining services
• Professional development training
• Legislative advocacy
• Member benefits programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Detroit

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Dues: AFT Michigan generates revenue through per capita dues paid by members of affiliated local unions. Dues structure includes a per capita rate system with proportional increases for half, quarter, and eighth dues categories. A dues increase of $3.00 (1.2%) was approved for September 2026 and another $3.00 (1.2%) for September 2027.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

AFT Michigan is the state federation of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), AFL-CIO, representing approximately 40,000 educators and healthcare providers across Michigan through 105 affiliated local unions. The organization delivers union membership, collective bargaining representation, legislative advocacy, professional development, and a member benefits program to individual professionals working in K-12 schools, community colleges, universities, and hospitals.

Product overview

AFT Michigan is a state federation of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO, representing approximately 40,000 educators and healthcare providers across Michigan's K-12 districts, community colleges, universities, and hospitals. The organization offers union membership and collective bargaining representation as its core services, supplemented by professional development programs (including SCECH credits and National Board Certification support), legislative advocacy in Lansing, political action through its PAC, and a comprehensive member benefits program through Union Plus. Additional services include online learning resources via ShareMyLesson, a leadership development program based on the Union Power Wheel framework, an unemployment resource center, and scholarship programs through the AFT Robert G. Porter Scholars Program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Union Membership
• Collective Bargaining Representation
• Legislative Advocacy
• Professional Development
• Member Benefits Program
• Scholarships and Grants AFT Robert G. Porter Scholars Program offering $1,000 grants for AFT members and $8,000 four-year scholarships for member dependents pursuing education, labor, healthcare, or government careers.
• Political Action Committee (PAC) AFT Michigan PAC engages in electoral politics, endorsing candidates at state and local levels who support public education and worker rights.

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, minor and core.

• Michigan Education Association (MEA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013MEA-AFT Michigan 'no raid' partnership agreement signed in 1998; partnership agreement signed in 2013; extended into a Merger Exploratory Committee in 2015; partnership agreement ended decades of 'raiding' between the two unions.
• AFT (American Federation of Teachers), AFL-CIOflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFT Michigan is the state organization of the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO. Individual members belong to an AFT local union affiliated with AFT Michigan, AFT, and the AFL-CIO. AFT Michigan and local unions are active participants in the AFL-CIO at national, state and local levels.
• UNITE HEREminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFT Michigan and UNITE HERE have partnered on the Union Hall Arts initiative, piloting a Detroit-based art residency for aspiring artist union members, with a four-week union leave of absence to develop creativity and foster connections across union affiliations.
• Michigan AFL-CIOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFT Michigan works with the Michigan AFL-CIO at state and local levels. Ron Bieber, MI AFL-CIO President, sends greetings at AFT Michigan conventions. AFT Michigan hosts Budget Lobby Day at Michigan AFL-CIO headquarters in Lansing.
• Sugar Law Center for Social & Economic JusticeminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAFT Michigan works with the Sugar Law Center for Social & Economic Justice to provide support to locals and members in understanding unemployment insurance choices and possible strategies. Sugar Law Center provides Know Your Rights training.
• Union Plus / AFL-CIO Benefits ProgramcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUnion Plus is the AFL-CIO benefits program that AFT Michigan offers to members, providing access to insurance, credit cards, mortgage programs, wireless phone plans, and other discounts through the purchasing power of 1.5 million members.
• John McDonald Union-Building AwardminorOthersInternal AFT Michigan award recognizing local unions for building strong union organizations. Named after John McDonald.
• Walter Bergman Human Rights AwardminorOthersInternal AFT Michigan award honoring Walter Bergman, first President of the Michigan Federation of Teachers and civil rights pioneer. Award recognizes individuals and organizations advancing human rights and social justice.
• Michigan Alliance of Charter Teachers & Staff (Michigan ACTS)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMichigan ACTS is a local union affiliated with AFT Michigan representing hundreds of members in Metro Detroit Charter Schools. Chapters include The Arts Academy in the Woods ACTS, Cesar Chavez Academy ACTS, and James & Grace Lee Boggs School ACTS.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• American Federation of Teachers (AFT): National parent federation of AFT Michigan; operates at scale across 1.5M members nationally and provides the umbrella brand, professional development, and political infrastructure that AFT Michigan operates under.
• National Education Association (NEA): NEA is the national counterpart to AFT and parent of MEA; competes with AFT Michigan indirectly via state affiliates for the same K-12 educator membership pool nationwide.

Others

• UNITE HERE: Labor union partner of AFT Michigan on the Union Hall Arts initiative; operates adjacent to AFT Michigan in Michigan's labor ecosystem but does not directly compete for the same educator/healthcare members.
• Sugar Law Center for Social & Economic Justice: Michigan-based workers' rights legal organization that partners with AFT Michigan on Know Your Rights training and unemployment support; serves as an adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than a competitor.

Direct peers

• AFSCME (American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees): National public-sector union representing state, county, and municipal employees; overlaps with AFT Michigan's PSRP and higher-ed staff segments and competes in similar Michigan bargaining units.
• SEIU (Service Employees International Union): Major public-sector union with significant healthcare membership; directly competes with AFT Michigan for organizing rights at Michigan hospitals and health systems where both unions seek to represent healthcare workers.
• Michigan Education Association (MEA): Largest teacher union in Michigan and AFT Michigan's primary counterpart; both represent PreK-12 educators across the state under a no-raid/no-raiding partnership, making them the closest direct competitor for the same member base.
• Michigan AFL-CIO: State labor federation in which AFT Michigan participates; co-hosts Lansing lobby days and coordinates cross-union political action, making it the closest peer in mission and operational scope at the state level.

Emerging players

• Michigan State AFL-CIO / UAW (United Auto Workers): UAW is a Michigan-headquartered national union with strong state political influence; while not directly competing for educator or healthcare members, it is a comparable large-scale Michigan labor organization engaging in similar legislative advocacy.
• National Nurses United (NNU): Largest U.S. nurses' union; competes with AFT Michigan's AFT Nurses and Health Professionals division for representation of Michigan RNs and hospital-based healthcare workers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aftmichigan
• Facebookfacebook.com/aftmichigan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aft-michigan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about AFT Michigan