Last updated: March 24, 2022
The Texas American Federation of Teachers (“Texas AFT”) is committed to respecting the privacy of our members and website visitors. This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected on our website (the “website”), online action campaigns (“campaigns”) and official Texas AFT social media webpages (“official social media pages”), including our Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram pages.
Note: We do not control the data collection and practices of third-party platforms with respect to information that you submit through social media. Thus, the provisions of this Privacy Policy pertaining to official social media pages only apply to information submitted directly to us by or through a social media site.
All other information submitted to any website linked to the Texas AFT website or any other third-party website is subject to the terms of the privacy policy applicable to such website, and not the terms of this privacy policy.
Use of Member Volunteers
With a federated model, Texas AFT relies on the service and dedication of volunteer members and leaders across our local unions and Associate Membership Program for operational support, advocacy, and recruitment. Accordingly, Texas AFT makes membership-related information (including contact and membership information) available to its member volunteers and leaders for such purposes.
Texas AFT provides regional webpages linked from the website for use by local unions. However, except for Texas AFT’s official social media pages, Texas AFT does not sponsor, promote, or manage social media groups, pages, or other tools (collectively, “other social media tools”), even if the other social media tools are used for the purposes of facilitating communications and interaction among Texas AFT members. Texas AFT is not responsible for any content on a webpage associated with other social media tools or the handling of personal information that may be submitted to any other social media tool.
Information We Collect
Contact and Membership Information: When you contact us using one of our online forms or action campaigns or contact us using any of the methods provided on the website’s Support page, we receive the messages you send, as well as any personal information you provide. When you apply to join Texas AFT, an affiliated local union, or the Associate Membership Program, we collect information by which you may be personally identified such as your email address, zip code, phone number, and other employment information. We also collect information relating to your use of online resources, event or campaign participation, preferences, status, and activities as a member.
Payment Information: We collect transactional information that you provide directly to us for payment purposes, such as your address, billing address, email address, and credit card or bank account information. If you request that membership dues be deducted from your payroll, we may receive your employment information as well as your Social Security or employee number in connection with helping to process such a request.
Contributions: In connection with voluntary contributions to Texas AFT’s Committee on Political Education (COPE) fund, we collect relevant information such as donor name, contribution amount, home address, phone number, employer, occupation, payment information, and email address.
We use contribution information to process the donation, to update our records of financial supporters, and to report political campaign contributions and charitable contributions as required by law.
Use of Professional Development Resources: In order to participate in Bridges Institute webinars or use any of the other professional development resources linked from the website, you may be required to register with your name, contact information, Texas AFT membership number (if you have one), and your job title and employer. We typically make a record of your participation and may report your participation to the Texas Education Agency or another accreditation entity, or to a record-keeping and reporting service.
Log Data: We may record information automatically concerning your activity on the website. This may include your IP addresses or other identifiers, your browser type, the types of information you search for and view on the website, locale preferences, and your mobile carrier. If you arrive at the website by clicking on an advertisement or promotion on another website, we may also take note of the webpage you visited before you came to the website.
Cookies: A cookie is a small data file that may be transferred to your browser or mobile device. We may use session, persistent, and third-party cookies to collect information in order to study, enhance, and improve the use and capabilities of the website. We may also use cookies to enable certain features of the website, preserve your preferences, and customize your experience when you visit and return to the website.
Please note that, if you delete or choose not to receive cookies from the website, the functionality of the website may be impaired. The online advertising industry provides websites from which you may opt out of receiving targeted ads from our data and advertising partners. You can access these, and learn more about targeted advertising and user choice and privacy, at http://www.aboutads.info and at http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/.
By continuing to use our website, you are agreeing to our placing cookies on your computer in order to analyze the way you use our website.
If you do not wish to accept cookies in connection with your use of this website, please discontinue use of this website.
Third-Party Analytics: We use providers of third-party analytics services and communications services to help us understand and improve the usage of the website and the effectiveness of our communications strategies and recruiting efforts. In some cases, we may permit the third-party companies providing these services to set and access cookies through the website and our email messages. These companies may use your IP address or an anonymous identifier as well as certain information from your browser, together with other non-personal information about your visits to the website and other websites, in order to provide advertisements about products and services of interest to you on other websites or via email, and/or to provide analytical information for the website and other websites. We do not control these third-party tracking technologies or how they may be used. If you have any questions about advertisements about products and services or other targeted content, you should contact the responsible third-party provider directly.
Like many sites, this website uses Google Analytics. Google offers a Google Analytics browser add-on (designed to be compatible only with certain browsers) to provide website visitors the ability to prevent their data from being collected and used by Google Analytics. That add-on may be obtained here: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=en; and other privacy controls are available here: http://www.google.com/analytics/learn/privacy.html.
How We Use Personal Information
We use personal information to provide and improve services to our members and others, and to deliver news and information to you. We keep membership records for recruiting and fundraising purposes and so that we and our local and regional members, leaders, and staff can communicate with you. We may publish or confirm that you are a member in connection with our lobbying efforts, to confirm your eligibility for discounts and services offered to Texas AFT members, and to establish eligibility for inclusion in our group insurance policy. When appropriate, we process or forward membership applications, insurance claim information, continuing education credit, and other information and documentation related to the activities and interests of Texas AFT and its members. We may communicate with your employer to facilitate payroll deductions for dues, if requested by you, and to confirm your membership eligibility.
We also use information to improve our website, to enhance our operations and effectiveness (including the operations and effectiveness of our regional and local units), and to carry out requested transactions.
We may also provide personal information to third-party service providers who assist us in providing products and services and information to you.
In addition, we may retain and use communications, transaction details, your IP address, and identifying information in order to maintain audit trails for security purposes.
Protecting Personal Information
We are committed to maintaining the security of personal information, and we employ reasonable security measures to protect the information we receive. Please remember, though, that neither the internet nor any method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure.
Disclosure Policy
We disclose personal information as necessary, such as in connection with providing services and information to you or processing or facilitating your transactions. We also may share limited information with the insurer under our group policy(ies) so that the insurer and its authorized agents and representatives may contact members with other insurance and related offerings.
We may disclose information concerning you if required to do so by law or if we believe that such action is necessary to comply with a legal obligation or to protect and defend our rights or property, or those of others.
Children’s Privacy
Our service does not address anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under the age of 13. If you are a parent or guardian and you are aware that your child has provided us with personal data, please contact us. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from anyone under the age of 13 without verification of parental consent, we take steps to remove that information from our servers.
If we need to rely on consent as a legal basis for processing your information and your country requires consent from a parent, we may require your parent’s consent before we collect and use that information.
Links to Other Websites
Our service may contain links to other websites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party’s site. We strongly advise you to review the privacy policy of every site you visit.
We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update our privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new privacy policy on this page.
You are advised to review this privacy policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this privacy policy are effective when they are posted on this page.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this privacy policy, you can contact us:
- By email: info@texasaft.org
- By phone number: 512-448-0130