IFT members who retire are ensured a lifelong membership in the national union as soon as their local union updates their status from “working” to “retired, active” in its membership reports to the AFT.

As a retired AFT national member, you will receive the same IFT and AFT newsletters you got while you were a working member and you will maintain access to most IFT and AFT + member benefits. You can get even more out of your membership by becoming involved in your local, regional or state retiree chapter’s activities.

The AFL-CIO’s 4 million-member Alliance for Retired Americans also offers opportunities to stay active. All IFT retirees are automatically members of the national alliance and are not required to pay dues. The alliance already has chartered state affiliates in 30 states and plans to expand to all states over time. The pre-eminent grass-roots organization for older Americans, the alliance has been a leader in the recent Medicare and Social Security battles, and plays a key role in national, state and local elections.