"AFT Massachusetts, AFL-CIO began as a seven local state affiliate of the American Federation of Teachers representing a few thousand K-12 members in 1938. Today, our 43 locals, represent more than 22,000 members. They include public school teachers, paraprofessionals, public school nurses, clerical staff, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, custodians, college faculty and classified employees, nurses in hospitals, municipal librarians, and Headstart staff. AFT Massachusetts led the fight for collective bargaining in the 1960's and leads the fight today for education reform and the preservation of our public schools. As our society grows more complex, multicultural, and knowledge based, AFT Massachusetts will continue to fight to preserve the institutions and improve the working conditions of members who serve the public in schools, libraries, and hospitals."