Full Description
The inspiring history of NYSUT, New York State's largest union, and a powerful progressive force in the state and in the country.
This book tells the story of the rise of New York State United Teachers (NYSUT), New York State's largest union. Using first-hand accounts by rank-and-file teachers as well as leaders, Dennis Gaffney documents how teachers, once underpaid and hopelessly divided, finally organized, lifting themselves from the underclass to the middle class to become a formidable grassroots political force able to defeat and elect U.S. senators. He describes how New York's teachers sparked the modern-day teachers' movement, and what key lessons other labor unions can learn from NYSUT's unity and success. Teachers United also shows how NYSUT has been a leader of educational reform, winning more money for education, creating smaller classes, raising academic standards, and training better teachers.
Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Part I. Beginnings
1. Radical Roots: The Rise of the United Federation of Teachers
2. Teacher Militancy in the 1960s
3. Entering the Political Fray: The Jerabek Attack
Part II. Growing Up: The Merger
4. Planting the Seeds of Unity
5. Merger Negotiations Begin
6. The Concord Convention: From Two Enemies, One Union
7. A National Merger?
8. Coming Apart
Part III. Maturity
9. Wielding Political Power
10. Educational Reform
11. International Solidarity
Conclusion
Appendix
Teacher Groups and Their Acronyms
NYSUT Officers, 2006
Former NYSUT Officers
NYSUT Board of Directors, 1973-2005
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Index
