About Us

The American Federation of Teachers is a union of professionals that champions fairness; democracy; economic opportunity; and high-quality public education, healthcare and public services for our students, their families and our communities. We are committed to advancing these principles through community engagement, organizing, collective bargaining and political activism, and especially through the work our members do.

The AFT Seattle Colleges, Local 1789, represents ALL faculty in the Seattle Community Colleges. Teachers, librarians, and counselors are all faculty, and are all proudly represented. 

We are affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers WA; the American Federation of Teachers; and the AFL-CIO. 

The mission and purposes of the AFT Seattle are:

• To represent faculty by upholding and negotiating the collective bargaining agreement.
• To take a proactive approach in improving working conditions through legislative action and state funding.
• To provide  a mechanism for the informal mediation of conflicts between faculty.
• To promote solidarity among faculty.
• To promote a mutually supportive relationship with the labor community.
• To actively represent  AFT Seattle in the Washington Federation of Teachers, the American Federation of Teachers, and the Washington State and King County Labor Councils.
• To support high standards of teaching and an excellent learning environment by securing good working conditions for faculty.
• To promote professionalism and collegiality among faculty.