AFT Launches Campaign for Community-Friendly School Supply Shopping

WASHINGTON—In preparation for the new school year, the AFT has initiated a campaign urging teachers and families to consider alternatives to Target for their school supply shopping. The "Shop Smart, Support Working Families" initiative emerges following Target's lack of response to calls for condemnation of Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) controversial actions across the nation. The campaign includes the launch of a website, ShopSmart.AFT.org, complemented by digital and print advertising, guiding educators and families toward local stores that uphold labor rights.

With 1.875 million members, the AFT reports that educators spend an average of $895 annually from their own pockets on school supplies, and possess significant holdings in Target stock through pension plans. In March, the union passed a resolution demanding Target, headquartered in Minneapolis, take a stand against ICE activities, threatening a broad back-to-school action if no steps were taken.

AFT President Randi Weingarten reached out to Target CEO Michael Fiddelke with letters in January and March, highlighting the union's concerns but received no constructive reply. In June, the AFL-CIO, with its 15 million members, passed a resolution during its convention in Minneapolis, supporting the AFT's initiative.

"We gave Target ample time to stand with the communities in which they operate and help their neighbors, but its silence about federal immigration abuses has been deafening," Weingarten stated. "We wrote letters, passed resolutions and reached out to management in good faith but have yet to see any meaningful movement.

"The issue could not be more pressing: Seven months since the murders of Alex Pretti and Renée Good, masked ICE agents are still in our streets, our schools and our communities, terrorizing families in the name of Donald Trump’s illegal and immoral assault on immigrants striving for their American Dream. That’s why we’re urging our members to avoid Target and patronize more ethical shopping alternatives this back-to-school season."

The ShopSmart.AFT.org platform enables users to enter their ZIP codes and receive mapped results of community-friendly shopping options nearby, including unionized businesses with pricing comparable to Target.

Traditionally, AFT's members and parents have heavily relied on Target for school supplies, spending substantial sums annually. AFT's pension funds, valued at around $4 trillion, include 6.79 million shares of Target stock, reflecting billions in indirect exposure. Meanwhile, American parents are anticipated to spend an average of $922 on back-to-school purchases this year.

"We're disappointed that Target has failed to live up to its promises to be a good neighbor to the families who have shopped there for years," expressed Natasha Dockter, Vice President of the teacher chapter of Minneapolis Federation of Teachers. "In this scary time, we all need to come together, from the classrooms to the corner offices, to protect Americans' right to free speech and to ensure our democracy endures. That's why I'm proud to join with my union family to shop local this fall and skip Target until its executives reconsider and join their voices with ours."

This campaign follows Target's renewed commitment to diversity in March, influenced by the Target Fast movement. Activists secured Target's support for Black entrepreneurs and educational institutions, despite initial rollbacks following Trump's re-election. However, Target's stance on ICE's controversial operations remains unchanged, perpetuating fear among vulnerable communities in Minnesota and beyond.