Professors Union Moves to Join American Federation of Teachers

The American Association of University Professors took a major step toward uniting with the American Federation of Teachers, furthering both unions’ goal of expanding organizing in higher education.

The AAUP and AFT governing councils each approved the affiliation agreement Sunday contingent on a vote of AAUP delegates in June, the labor groups said in a joint statement. The partnership would effectively bring together 300,000 professors and faculty under one union.

The joint venture comes as universities struggle to regain their footing in the wake of the pandemic, with professors burned out after two years of teaching online and adjuncts fed ...