Why Did Teachers Organize? Feminism and Socialism in the Making of New York City Teacher Unionism

What prompted New York City teachers to form a union in the Progressive Era? The founding of journal American Teacher 1912 led creation Teachers’ League 1913 and then Teachers Union 1916, facilitating formation Federation (AFT). Despite historiographical claims that teacher drives needed focus on bread-and-butter issues succeed, ideals educational democracy opposition managerial autocracy motivated League. Contrary early unionism was unrepresentative because dominated by radical male Jewish high-school instructors, heterogeneous majorities women elementary school formed leaderships. Board Education representation, maternity leave, free speech, pensions were aims this radically democratic movement socialists feminists, which received demonstrably greater mass support than conservative feminism rival association.