Teachers Union of the City of New York Records, 1920-1942
Collection Number: 5445
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Cornell University Library
DESCRIPTIVE SUMMARY
Title:
Teachers Union of the City of New York Records, 1920-1942
Repository:
Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation & Archives
Collection Number:
5445
Abstract:
Organization with a long history of radical involvement. Substantial materials on
the Lusk Commission, teachers dismissals for unpopular political views during the
1950's, etc.
Creator:
Teachers Union of the City of New York
Quanitities:
4.5 cubic feet
Language:
Collection material in English
The Teacher's Union, Local 5, was organized in 1916 as an affiliate of the American
Federation of Teachers, (A.F. of L.) by Henry R. Linville, Abraham Lefkowitz and a
few other pioneering teachers in New York City.
Perhaps the most significant contribution of the T.U. during those early years was
its fight on behalf of civil liberties, an area in which it would later become a formidable
combatant. Its principal target was the repeal of the Lusk laws, statutes which allowed
for the revocation of a teacher's license "if he is not of good moral character --
or if by act or utterance he shows that he will not support the constitution of the
State or of the United States of America."
During the 1920's the T.U. continued its fight for increased salaries commensurate
with the higher cost of living, reduced classroom size, tenure for teachers, improvements
in the pension system, and increased state aid education. Unfortunately, the results
rarely met the organization's expectations.
About 1925, organized political factions began appearing within the T.U.'s ranks.
After 1929, two such groups were dominant in their opposition to the majority organization:
the "Rank and File" group which represented the official Communist Party of America,
and the "Progressive" group which represented a faction within the Communist movement
opposed to the official party.
The leadership of Local 5 soon realized that it was helpless in the factional battle
that ensued because of an overly liberal constitution, which had been designed to
insure the rights of all minority groups whatever their objectives. In an attempt
to rid its house of revolutionary elements, on October 27, 1932, at a large membership
meeting, a Committee of Five was selected to try five members of the Rank and File
group and one member of the Progressive group on the charge of disruptive conduct.
John Dewey, chairman, delivered the unanimous report of the Committee on April 29,
1933 before a Membership meeting of approximately 800. As was anticipated, the Committee
reported that the primary cause of the intolerable strife within the Teachers' Union
was due to the existence and activity of the two Communist organized factions. With
the support of both the Executive Board and the Delegate Assembly, the local petitioned
the national office to investigate the local and sought to have the local's old charter
revoked so that a new local might be formed without the Communist element.
In May 1935, the national office sent an investigating committee composed of its
president, secretary-treasurer and its Washington representative. The Committee's
finding was that the local union "was 'helpless' and 'completely at the mercy of a
small obstructionist group in the local', and that the obstructionist's group was
itself 'not free to formulate its own policies but was subject to a political force
which is itself fundamentally opposed to basic principles for which the union attends.'"
Despite this report of the investigating committee, a request by the administration
of the Teachers Union to reorganize the local was turned down at the A.F.T. National
Convention in August 1935 by a vote of 100 to 79. As a result, October 1, 1935, Henry
R. Linville and Abraham Lefkowitz led eight hundred dissatisfied members out of the
Teachers Union and into the newly formed independent Teachers Guild. Also among the
seceding members were all the officers (with the exception of one) and a majority
of the Executive Board.
In 1936, the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor, as a result of
testimony taken before a sub-committee in Washington, recommended to the American
Federation of Teachers that it revoke the charter issued to Teachers Union Local 5.
The A.F.T., however, did not see fit to abide by this recommendation.
On March 15, 1938 the Greater New York Central Trades and Labor Council suspended
the Teachers Union from membership in its organization. Also in March, Teachers Union,
Local 5 was expelled from the Joint Committee of Teachers Organizations of New York
City.
Again in 1941, the subject of Local 5's charter revocation came up before the American
Federation of Teachers. However, this time the Executive Council recommended (with
one dissenting vote) revocation and their action was overwhelmingly endorsed by the
delegates at the Conventions in August 1941, at Detroit. After having its charter
revoked, the Teachers Unions continued as Local 555 of the United Public Workers of
the Congress of Industrial Organizations. The C.I.O. in February 1950 expelled the
United Public Workers due to its alleged Communist domination. The Teachers Union,
however, continued its association with the U.P.W. until it withdrew in February 1952.
Finally, in 1964, at the suggestion of Rose Russell, one of the T.U.'s guiding lights,
the annual convention dissolved the T.U. with the recommendation that its members
unite with the other forces in the New York City Teacher's Movement. On June 20, prior
to the 1941 Convention, the Teachers Guild accepted the offer of a charter and was
reunited with the American Federation of Teachers. Although it retained its name of
the Teachers Guild, it was now designated Local 2, AFT.
The Teachers Guild during this period increased in both size and strength. In March,
1960, the Teachers Guild merged with the CATU (Committee of Action Through Unity)
to form the United Federation of Teachers. Under the auspices of the New York City
Labor Department and empowered by the Board of Education, a representation election
was scheduled and held on December 15, 1961. The results were overwhelmingly in favor
of the U.F.T. (Local 2, AFT) and so the following August the Board of Education and
the U.F.T. entered into their first collective bargaining relationship.
Access to the collections in the Kheel Center is restricted. Please contact a reference
archivist for access to these materials.
This collection must be used in keeping with the Kheel Center Information Sheet and
Procedures for Document Use.
INFORMATION FOR USERS
Teachers Union of the City of New York Records #5445. Kheel Center for Labor-Management
Documentation and Archives, Cornell University Library.
Related Collections: 5015: Teachers Union of the City of New York Records 5015 AV: Teachers Union of the City of New York Audio- Visual Materials 5015 mf: Teachers Union of the City of New York Executive Board Minutes on Microfilm 5015 MB: Teachers Union of the City of New York SCMWA Local 555 Anne Grant Pin Memorabilia 5927: Teachers Union of the City of New York Additional Records
Names:
Teachers' Union of the City of New York
American Federation of Teachers. Local 5 (New York, N.Y.)
Subjects:
Teachers' unions -- New York (State) -- New York.
Teachers' -- New York (State) -- New York.
Labor unions and communism -- New York (State) -- New York.
Civil rights -- New York (State) -- New York.
CONTAINER LIST
Container
|
Description
|
Date
|
|
Box 1 | Folder 1-4 |
Academic Freedom
|
1921-1938 |
Box 1 | Folder 5-7 |
Academic Freedom Resolution
|
1938-1939 |
Box 1 | Folder 8 |
Academic Freedom Case
|
1935 |
Box 1 | Folder 9-11 |
Academic Freedom Democracy in Schools - Questionnaire
|
1938 |
Box 1 | Folder 12-13 |
Academic Freedom The Signpost, etc.
|
|
Box 2 | Folder 1 |
Academic Freedom Committee
|
1930-1939 |
Box 2 | Folder 2-3 |
Academic Freedom Committee, American Civil Liberties Union
|
1920-1935 |
Box 2 | Folder 4-5 |
Academic Freedom Committee, Anti-Hearst Campaign
|
1935-1937 |
Box 2 | Folder 6 |
Academic Freedom Committee, Anti-War Symposium
|
1940 |
Box 2 | Folder 7 |
Academic Freedom Committee, Anti-War Telegrams
|
1940-1941 |
Box 2 | Folder 8-13 |
Academic Freedom Committee, Ives Loyalty Oath
|
1930-1936 |
Box 2 | Folder 14 |
Academic Freedom Committee, Program for Democracy
|
1938-1939 |
Box 2 | Folder 15 |
Academic Freedom Committee, Dr. Bertrand Russell
|
1940 |
Box 3 | Folder 1 |
Child Resignation - Counts
|
1939 |
Box 3 | Folder 2-10 |
Convention-American Federation of Teachers
|
1939 |
Box 3 | Folder 11 |
Dies Committee
|
1939-1940 |
Box 4 | Folder 1 |
Case file
|
1926-1929 |
Box 4 | Folder 2 |
Case file
|
1922-1926 |
Box 4 | Folder 3 |
Labor Defense Council
|
1923 |
Box 4 | Folder 4 |
Legal Aid and Grievance
|
1934-1938 |
Box 4 | Folder 5 |
Legal Suits vs Board of Education
|
1936-1937 |
Box 4 | Folder 6-11 |
Lusk Laws
|
1920-1924 |
Box 5 | Folder 1-5 |
Case file
|
1936 |
Box 5 | Folder 6 |
Minutes of Teachers Union
|
1932 |
Box 5 | Folder 7 |
Case files
|
1934 |
Box 5 | Folder 8 |
Monroe High School - Case
|
1933-1934 |
Box 5 | Folder 9 |
Case file
|
1940 |
Box 6 | Folder 1-11 |
Case file
|
1940-1942 |
Box 7 | Folder 1 |
Referendum on War Resolutions
|
1940 |
Box 7 | Folder 2 |
Released Time-Religious Instruction
|
1923-1940 |
Box 7 | Folder 3 |
Releases
|
1936-1941 |
Box 7 | Folder 4-12 |
Revocation
|
|
Box 7 | Folder 13 |
Revocation - AFT vs Local 5
|
|
Box 8 | Folder 1 |
Special Committee on Left-Wing Activities
|
1932 |
Box 8 | Folder 2 |
Statement of Police
|
1940 |
Box 8 | Folder 3-4 |
Teachers League for Academic Freedom
|
1934 |
Box 8 | Folder 5 |
Witch Hunting Legislative Committee
|
1941 |
Box 8 | Folder 6-7 |
Zysman, Dale - Case
|
1941-1942 |
Box 9 | Folder All |
Miscellaneous
|