History of the Central Alabama AFT

The Central Alabama AFT, Local 2143 was chartered on January 7th, 1971, as the Jefferson County American Federation of Teachers to founding members, Frank Ingram, Ethel Borden, Patricia Brasher, Fred Calhoun, Jean Grimmett, and Gladys Coleman. At first, the union wasn’t allowed to meet and had to fight to get visibility in the schools. Eventually, Founding President Frank Ingram found an ally in Principal Jimmy Trotter at Mortimer Jordan High School in Morris, AL who allowed them to meet in the basement of the school. Under president Ingram, the local got involved with the school board members and central office staff of the Jefferson County Board of Education. They also won several grants from National AFT to hire the local’s first full-time staff member. President Ingram was very interested in organizing members around issues of concern in their schools. He filed a landmark lawsuit against the Jefferson County Board of Education to allow AFT equal access to the schools that the Alabama Education Association enjoyed. Eleventh Circuit Federal Court Judge Sam Pointer, who ruled in favor of desegregation in the 11th Circuit, ruled in favor of AFT. One founding member, Jean Grimmett, was instrumental in helping to swell the rolls of the local after she became an administrator and began to steer teachers toward membership in AFT as they came into her circle of influence.  

 Under President Jimmy Hollifield the local became politically active in local school board races to help elect school board members who were amicable to the needs of teachers. Under President Vi Parramore, the Jefferson County AFT changed its constitution to allow membership growth in surrounding school districts while it remained focused on the largest district at the time, Jefferson County. The local also filed a lawsuit to allow the members from pull-out systems to remain in the union and maintain the benefits they had worked to get when their schools were still a part of Jefferson County. The lawsuit also sought to protect those benefits if a member moved to another school system in the area. The local also had a hand in affecting positive change under President Parramore that benefitted local schools and their families such as helping to pass a county wide bond issue for school construction and working toward the closure of a toxic lead plant.  

 Under President Marianne Hayward, the local voted to change the name of the local to the Central Alabama AFT to better reflect the diversity of school systems represented in our local. Under President Erika Hughes, the local is working to expand its reach within our area and expand AFT statewide under the guidance of AFT National President Randi Weingarten.