DOCUMENT RESUME ED 336 333 SO 030 260 AUTHOR Glass, Fred, Ed. TITLE A History of the California Federation of Teachers, 1919-1989. INSTITUTION California Federation of Teachers. REPORT NO ISBN-0-9624601-0-9 PUB DATE 89 NOTE 131p. PUB TYPE Historical Materials (060) EDRS PRICE MF01 21us Postage. PC Not Available from EDRS. DESCRIPTORS Elementary Secondary Education; Labor Relations; *State History; Teacher Associations; *Teaching (Occupation); *Unions; United States History IDENTIFIERS *American Federation of Teachers; California; *California Federation of Teachers ABSTRACT The history of the California Federation of Teachers, spanning 70 years, is documented in this book that contains two parts. The first part of the book discusses the teachers' union in the context of each of the seven decades of its existence: "1920s: The Conditions of Teachers"; "1930s: A Debating Society Struggles to Survive"; "1940s: The War and Its Aftermath"; "1950s: The Teachers Union That Came in from the Cold War"; "1960s: 'Teacher Power'"; "1970s: The Politics of Diversity"; and "1980s: Teacher Unions Come of Age." The second part of the book features brief histories of the various California local branches of the American Federation of Teachers. (DB) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. *********************************************************************** U I DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ORK el ol i durAhenal Ilempch And Impschluheht EDUCATIONAL AI SC-KOICI S INFORMAIION CUNT! A INC) 4I)..b MX when! 1111A beena Aprodpieti AS PI (1.10(1 I.OthI hp pots fin (It orgoilleithon oronerav .1 I Mow champs neve hop" made 10 InKsove inoroduchon gustily--- .----- I'hmtb 01110* 01 u)phona SWAP .n Ihil'Imo moOl (10 MA heLebbardy reptenni(ALAI 0( Ai position or who "PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS MATERIAL IN MICROFICHE ONLY HAS BEEN GRANTED BY e- < TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC)" a Auto, Is fovea ?um 'Mem eil, rat Milli itta ' IP t4111111h? a ,40:k V .4: kvIC \st tr:"41rAa p 14,1,4 r ,,g Vce 1. ) ', o ),t " J44:4; 4 -t t .1 A HISTORY OF THE CALIFORNIA FEDERP/ION OFTEACHERS 1919-1989 EDITED AND DESIGNED BY Fred Glass ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This book is the result of contributions from generous people too numerous to mention here. Special attention must he drawn, however, to the work of the CET History Advisory Committee, which included Maurice Englander, Wanda Faust, Bob Gabriner, Jim Herndon, Eddie Irwin, Ken Lane, Gerry Meister, Miles Myers, Marjorie Murphy, Raoul Teilhet, and Hy Weintraub.I would also like to thank others who read the manuscript and provided me with helpful suggestions: Mary Bergan, Joe Berry, Norm Diamond, and Maureen Katz. Deborah Samarin and Harriet Talan gave me a valuable push in the direction of sources at the outset. The prime keeper of these was Robert Marshall, the CIT's archivist at the California State University, Northridge Urban Archives, who knew where things were and led me to them. Donna Siu regularly performed extraordinary feats of wordprocessing at a moment's notice. Gretchen Treuting consulted on des* Anstintingly. Craig Lieberman, student intern, catalogued files in the dust of ages. Julie Minard inspired me to work for the Cyr in the first place, and told me some of the best stories, a few of which wen, suitable to retell in the essay. Despite the best efforts of all these people, I alone bear final responsibility for whatever flaws are to be found herein. Fred Glass Cover design by Jos Sancez ISBN 0-9624601-0-9 Copyright © 1989 California Federation of Thachers, AFT, AFL-CIO Published in 1989 hy the California Federation of Teachers at Warren's Waller Press in South San Francisco, California TABLE OF CONTENTS PREFACE 4 A HISTORY OF THE CAIIFORNIA FEDERATION OFTEACHERS 1920s: The Condition of Teachers 5 1930s: A "Debating Society" Struggles to Survive 12 1940s: The War and Its Aftermath 16 1950s: The Teachers Union That Came InFrom the Cold War 20 1960s: "Teacher Power" 24 1970s: The Politics of Diversity 30 1980s: Thacher Unionism Comes of Age 37 Sources 43 HISTORIES OF CALIFORNIA AFT Locms 44 SOLIDARITY GREETINGS 116 THE CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF TEACHERS, teachers formed unions, and these representing almost 60,000 educational changes survive oniy because teachers employees served by CFT contracts continue to have unions. In the history throughout the state, is affiliated with hook that you hold in your hands, you the Anwrican Federation of Teachers will discover your roots as an educator (almost 800,000 members nationwide), and unionist in California. It is my hope the California Federation of Labor ( 1.4 that our storythe story of the CFT million Californians), and the AFL-CIO will inspire you to join with us in the (14.6 miliion members nationwide). We work that still lies ahead. have 24 service centers in California, a A History of tbe California Fed- lobbying office in Sacramento, eration of Teachersshould also help and a range of special services, us understand the new directions that from insurance and travel pro- our union is now exploring. Our history grams to sabbatical hoards. shows us that legal defense, collective Preface Why did the CET also think bargaining, and political involvement it neededA History of the have brought essential changes to our California Federation of educational systems,but these instru- Teachers?Many of the new teachers ments have not enabled us to restructure who have joined the ranks of the Cyr in teaching and learning tothe extent recent years have no knowledge about needed by our changing society.To what the CFI has dor.e to change schools accomplish that goal. we need to work over the last half century. Imagine, for toward the full professionalization of example, that you were being fired our membership. This means we must because you were over 40 and a woman establish high standardsfor h stu- ( Elizabeth Baldwin ) or because you wore dentsand colleagues. develop our a beard (Paul Finot), or because you knowledge base about teaching and participated in a peacefulpolitical learning, expand the ways of knowing demonstration as a student teacher available to students in our classnmms, (Richard Broadhead) or because you and assume a major share of the respon- wrote a letter-to-the-editor criticizing the sibility for the quality of education in oue administraticm of the schools (lack communities. Owens). These events were not uncom- Today we stand on the verge of mon in pre-collective bargaining schools. bringing this program of pn)lessionali- The California Federation ot Teach- zation into being. That story remains for ers has created school systems in which the next CFT history book. teachers can participate in community politics, can live alternate life styles in ther private lives, and can criticize the Miles Myers, President administration of their schools.This California Federation of Teachers achievement was possible only because Fall, 1989 4 A HISTORY OF THE CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OFTEACHERS 1919-1989 Is5, Oar me-Aitn Signs of the times at the March Jiir Education, acramento,1967 (sucan Mull:illy photo) A HISTORY OF THE CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OFTEACHERS BEST COPY AVAILABLE 7 A History ofthe CaliforniaFederation ofTeachers Teachers sufkred muchmore in the techniques pioneered during 1920s than they do today the War to from the low decry gains won byorganized labor for social status accordedtheir work. workers. labelling anything Prompted by abysmal connected pay, the young with unions "Bolshevik."As a result. American Federation ofTeachers public opinion in the 11nited demanded a $2,000 States turned minimum annual against unions, threatening the salary at the end of the precarious decade, and a hold they had achievedin American maximum "...which wouldprovide a social life. cultural real wage enablingthe teachers Palmer and his associates tolive according singled to the out the radical Industrial Workersof the requirements of their position." World (also calledthe lW\X' or the But low paywas just Wobblies), which the beginning of proclaimed its the story dedication to the principleof "one big 1920s leading to teacherunionism. union" for all workers, for especially Working conditions andcivil harsh treatment. Numbering liberties in the United less than a States hundred thousand, the IWWnonetheless were under widespread attack by The Condition ofTeachers ultra- exerted a militant influenceon many conservative forces: the conditionof more industrial workers in significant teachers mirrored thesebroader social areas of the country. Wartime problems. Most teachers patriotic resented but fervor and its aftereffectshelped make felt helpless before theserious limitations the Wobblies' anti-militarist placed on their academic stand on the freedom and United States'entry into the European job security byautocratic school hoards conflict in 1917 and school administrations. an easy target for their A few brave anti-union opponents. Bythe mid-20s teachers foundways to challenge these the IWW's leaders%Yere in prison or oppressive circumstances. deported, its membershipdecimated. In 1919 several small teacherunion In such a political climate, loca!s powerful ou nded the California State employer groups easily Federation of Teachers. destroyed the It was an sieelworkers unitn, some quarter of a inauspicious year in which to launch a million workers. aftera disastrous strike statewide teachers union.Following in 1919. A creative %'ariety of the end of hostilities intimidation. in Europe, U.S. company unions aridpaternalistic Attorney General MitchellPalmer led corporate welfare plans discouraged government and business leaders in a further organization.Even moderate xenophobic. super-patriotic campaign craft unions of theAmerican Federation for "American values." Lawenforcehlent of Labor to which the young teachers' officials and vigilante groups were union belonged could not escape the encouraged to carry out "Palmer Raids", anti-union backlash.Hundreds of mass arrests and deportationswhich foreign-born workers created an amu)sphere of were deprwted. termr for thousands of activists jailed,and some immigrant workers and union activists.