On June 18, delegates to the biennial meeting of the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) voted to affiliate with the AFT, creating the largest alliance of higher education faculty members in the country.
“This partnership is game-changing for the promise and potential of higher education,” AFT President Randi Weingarten said in a press release. “Through this affiliation, we double down on the work to make colleges and universities excellent places to teach and learn, and to join forces to battle the ongoing threats to academic freedom and democracy. We will marshal forces to better fight for the necessary resources for postsecondary education to thrive, and we’ll organize to make academic jobs more sustainable and the promise of higher education more accessible to all.”
She added, “The AFT and the AAUP believe strongly in the foundational principle of higher education as a public good and look forward to this affiliation as a new frontier for American academia.”
“The AAUP has been the voice and conscience of higher education for well over 100 years,” AAUP President Irene Mulvey said. “This truly historic decision builds on our 10-plus year partnership with the AFT and strengthens both organizations, while ensuring that the AAUP will maintain its independence and autonomy.”