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Blackboard Unions: The Aft And The Nea, 1900-1980, Marjorie Murphy

History Faculty Works

This book sets forth the historic obstacles to the unionization of public school teachers, shows how difficult organization was, and illustrates the contradictions faced by public employees in unionization. The book is organized chronologically, beginning with the centralization of school life at the turn of the century and the emergence of early teacher unions in opposition to centralization and professionalism. The first five chapters outline the original rivalry between the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA) through World War I. Subsequent chapters cover the AFT's struggles with the American Federation of Labor in the interwar …