Until 1970, all teachers in New Brunswick belonged to the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association. In 1970, however, three teacher organizations were formed to serve the needs of New Brunswick teachers. All teachers were still required to be members of the newly-formed New Brunswick Teachers’ Federation (NBTF), but had a choice of joining through one of its constituent but autonomous professional organizations – the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association (NBTA), the English language section or l’Association des enseignantes et des enseignants francophones du Nouveau-Brunswick (AEFNB), the French language section.
The Co-Presidency of the Federation is covered by the elected Presidents of the NBTA and the AEFNB. The Federation Executive Committee and Board of Directors are comprised of some members of the Executive and Board of Directors of both the NBTA and AEFNB.
In laying the groundwork for the new structure, service responsibilities were divided into two broad categories – economic welfare and professional service. The Federation represents all teachers in matters of working conditions and economic welfare, while the two Associations serve their respective linguistic groups in matters of a professional, ethical, or curricular nature.