Blackboard Unions: The AFT and the NEA, 1900-1980

300 Pages·1992·38.362 MB·English

by  Marjorie Murphy

MARJORIE MURPHY

Blackboard Unions
The AFT and the NEA, 1900—1980
Cornell University Press
ITHACA AND LONDON
Copyright © 1990 by Cornell University
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must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher.
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York 14850.
Firstpublished 1990 by Cornell University Press.
Firstprinting, Cornell Paperbacks, 1992.
International Standard BookNumber0-8014-2365-1 (cloth)
International Standard BookNumber0-8014-8076-0 (paper)
Library ofCongress Catalog CardNumber89-46175
Printed in the United States ofAmerica
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the lastpage ofthe book.
The paperin this book meets the minimum requirements
ofthe American National Standard for Information Sciences—
Permanence ofPaper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI 739.48-1984.
FOR PAT
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Abbreviations Xi
Introduction
D Turmoil in the Chicago Schools, 1902 and 1905
N Centralization and Professionalization 23
W Unionism and Professionalism: The First Sparks 46
R The Early Teacher Unions 61
N Professionalism, War, and the Company Union 80
A Gadfly Union: Outside the Mainstream 101
N The Crash and Its Effects on Schools [31
o Warfare in the AFT 150
C tron Curtain in the Classroom 175
emanate.ne).. CCiovlillecRtiigvhetsB:arTghaeinCionngt:eTsthefoCroLmeiandegrsohfiApge ofTeacher 196
Unionism 209
ao. Black Power v. Union Power: The Crisis of Race 232
b
o. Professionalism and Unionism in the Seventies and Eighties 252
O
Appendix Tables 275
Index 279
Vil

Acknowledgments
I began writing the history of teacher unionism in 1973 in a seminar
conducted by Stephen Scheinberg at what was then Sir George Williams
University (now Concordia) in Montreal. The seminar, myfirst, opened
doors to a new life for me. For one year I studied history at McGill
University andmade lasting friends whohaveencouraged meoverthe years:
Stephen Scheinberg, Michael Piva, John Thompson, and especially Frances
Early. In that year I was also challenged by E. P. Thompson, whose The
Making ofthe English Working Class 1 read while on myfirst visit to West
Africa. The book and the location inspired me to appreciate the process of
class formation beyond the familiar categories of labor history.
I brought my project with me to San Jose State University, where Dave
Eakins and Robin Brooks helped me write a short history ofMargaretHaley
and the early Chicago Teachers’ Union. The American Federation ofTeach-
ers gave me a Small grant to complete myresearch that year, and with it I
madethe firstofmany pilgrimagesto archives in Chicago and Detroit. Over
the years Archie Motley at the Chicago Historical Society andall the staffin
the manuscript, library, and photography sections have generously helped
me. In Detroit, Warner Pflug and Philip Mason have warmly welcomed me
back time and again to the wonderful collections they oversee.
In 1974 I began the Ph.D. program at the University ofCalifornia, Davis.
WhilethereI studiedwithTedMargadant, RolandMarchand,andTonyJudt.
Myfellow graduate students, PatHilden, Joe Fracchia, Mary Agnes Dough-
erty, andMaggieCreel-Washington, enlivenedmy seminars, taughtmewhat
they knew, and shared the triumphs and defeats of graduate life in what
Mario Savio properly described as the “mechanism” of the University of
California. Daniel Calhoun consistently urged me to read more widely, and
then gave me hours ofhis time while I tried to sort out my thinking. David
Brodyskillfully guided my dissertation, providing me with the tough exam-
ix
x / Acknowledgments
ple of his excellent writing style and the challenge to meet his exacting
standards.
I was fortunate to attend and later teach at the Newberry Library Summer
Institute in Quantitative History in Chicago. These summersessions and the
Family and Community History Center at the Newberry Library were an
incubatorfor the growing national interest in social history. 1 am grateful to
Richard Jensen, who headed the center at that time, for his initial interest in
myproject and forhis continuing support. Iam also mostgratefulto Richard
Brown and the Newberry Library for giving me a summerstipend and a
research grant, which allowed me to complete a quantitative project on the
social origins ofChicago public school teachers. The summer program also
introduced me to several important friends—Nancy Fitch, Walter Licht,
David Brundage, Susan Hirsch, Liz Cohen, and David Hogan—whocon-
tinue to enrich my intellectual life. I also met there Dominic Pacyga, whose
loveofChicago andunderstandingofethnicpoliticallifecontinueto astound
me. My mostvaluablefriendshipmadeinthoseChicago summers, however,
waswithJanReiff, whose grasp ofAmericanurbanhistory is unsurpassed.I
completed my dissertation on Chicago teacher unionism, with the help of a
Mabelle McLeod Lewis Fellowship, in 1981.
Another important influence on my thinking has come from studies in
women’s history. My teachers have been Billie Jensen at San Jose State
University, Ruth Rosen at the University of California, Davis, and Mary
Ryan, whotaught a special seminar at the University of California, Davis.
With Diane LeBow at Canada College I participated in myfirst program in
women’s studies and shared with her the joys and frustrations of forging a
new field. Ellen DuBois, Lillian Williams, Carroll Smith-Rosenberg, Ruth
Milkman, Jane Caplan, Louise Tilly, Kitty Sklar, Alice Kessler-Harris, Sue
Benson, and BarbaraMelosh havehelped,intheirwritings and inconversa-
tion, to shape my thoughts on the history of working women. Sue Carter,
Dina Coppelman, and I share a special bond of interest in the history of
public school teachers, andIhavebeenenrichedby sharing ideas with them.
The ideaforthis book formed in my mind in 1972 in thekitchen ofSi and
Rebbie Beagle. Si Beagle was a remarkable teacherunionist whoseenthusi-
asmforprogressiveeducation outlivedJohnDewey. AtthetimeImethimSi
was promoting the More Effective Schools program, which had comeoutof
collective bargaining agreements in New York City but which was under
severecriticismbyblackteachers whorejectedtheoldProgressiveeducation
formulas as racist. Undaunted, Si argued forcefully that a properly funded,
child-centered classroom could overcome the debilitating effects of racism
and class bias. As we argued, and we alwaysargued, Si unfolded forme the
history ofthe American Federation ofTeachers. It was a story as confound-
ing as our arguments over Ocean Hill—Brownsville, while it covered much
ofthe turmoil ofthe twentieth century.
Acknowledgments / xi
Other teacher unionists have helped mereconstruct this history. Marjorie
Stern has always encouraged me and given generously of her time; she
remains a real leader in the history of women schoolteachers. Mildred
and David Flacks shared with me their experiences in Local 5, and Tima
Tomasch also gave me insight into the trials of the radical and Communist
teachers of the thirties. Informally, I have interviewed over a dozen union
activists, while others have given me names, contacts, and ideas. Most im-
portant in helping me understand teacher unionism has been Raoul Teilhet,
formerpresident ofthe CaliforniaFederation ofTeachers. Few labor leaders
of the sixties and seventies can claim Raoul’s record of compassion and
commonsense. Miles Myers, current president ofthe California Federation
ofTeachers, has encouraged me in every step ofthis project. Bob Cherny of
San Francisco State University gave me valuable leads on San Francisco
history, and Evelyn Carstens filled me in on the history of both the Los
Angeles and the Chicago locals. Hy Weintraub gave me insight into the
socialist role in early AFT history. The late Mary Herrick gave me a long
interview and continued to correspond with me, and Betty Balanoffgave me
transcripts ofher interview with Lillian Hernstein, also ofChicago. Jeffrey
Mirel shared his knowledge of the Detroit locals; Paul Trimble sent me
materials on the history ofthe teachers’ union in St. Paul. Iam also grateful
to the members ofLocal 1493, the San Mateo Community College Federa-
tion of Teachers, who gave me my experience in teacher activism through
whichI was able to understand the issues that teachers’ unions havefaced.
Judy Kirk and I shared a two-womanpicketline, and sheis still teaching me
things about how classroom teachers read the educational powerstructure.
Peggy Walker gave me exciting new insights into the issues of race and
professionalism. I amalsogratefultotheteachers intheUnitedFederationof
Teachers (UFT)officeswhohelpedmeintheearlyyearsofmy investigation.
In the AFT’s modern national offices I have benefited from the cheerful
assistance of Paula O’Connor. Carl Megel, former president of the AFT,
gave me an interview and shared with me his reminiscences. President
Albert Shankerwas mostgenerousinproviding mewith aninterview and his
comments on recenthistory.
Lest the reader think all my influences derive from union experiences, |
note here my first NEA experience was at a convention of the New Jersey
Education Association in 1963, when the association began actively re-
cruiting students. [ have also been helped by Don Walker of the NEA
archives, whohasgenerously guidedmewithhisknowledgeofNEA history.
I am also grateful to the staff at the Cornell University Labor Archives in
Ithaca, the RobertWagnerArchives atNew YorkUniversity, andthe Special
Collections at the University of Oregon in Eugene.
I wrote most of the manuscript during a year’s leave from Swarthmore
College, supported by a generous grant from Eugene Lang. Several people
xi | Acknowledgments
have read portions of this manuscript and deserve to be thanked. Ruth
Milkman and Paul Mattingly both offered critical and insightful comments.
Thebookwas much improvedbytheirhelp. AndyWeiss also commentedon
anearlierversion ofthe book. PeterDimock andRichardJensen commented
on chapter 13. Ira Katznelson encouraged meto continue with the debate he
laid out in Schooling for All. Patti Cooper and Lynn Weiner both read
portions of the manuscript and gave me support andcritical readings.
Mycolleagues and students at Swarthmorehavepatiently listened as I
formulated arguments, and have responded gently as I canceled andput off
engagements. Eva Travers, Ann Renninger, and Lisa Smulyan were espe-
cially helpful. Members of the Radical History Review collective have
provided equivalent patience and encouragement.
Peter Agree, Laura Helper, Pamela Haag, and Kay Scheuer at Cornell
University Press have provided cheerful support. Jim O’Brien’s political
judgment was nearly as crucial to the manuscript as his critical pen. Pat
Manning, to whom this book is dedicated, I thank for always believing that
someday I would write all of this down.
MARJORIE MURPHY
Swarthmore, Pennsylvania