Teacher Unions

Teacher unions have played a pivotal role in the history of public education in the United States. Taking cues from early American labor organization, [Page 1362]teacher unions formed to specifically protect and represent the interests of public school teachers. Like labor unions, teacher unions have advocated for the rights of workers; this advocacy has come in various forms, depending on the context and time period. Early in labor history, union activity focused on bargaining with management for more benefits or better pay; it also included staging strikes and walkouts when demands could not be met.

Teacher unions have also advocated for teachers to be viewed as professionals that are accorded the control of their field and profession, similar to doctors and lawyers. This has included advocating for more teacher control over the direction of teaching, the development of curricula, the licensure requirements of new teachers, and the assessment and professional development of established teachers.

Two of the largest teacher unions in the United States are the National Education Association (NEA) and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT). The smaller of the two unions, the AFT was founded in 1916 based on labor union models that were popular in the early-20th-century labor movement. AFT, historically, has greater membership in the larger Northeastern cities and has advocated for issues that are outside of education as well. The NEA, on the other hand, emerged in the mid-19th century but was not officially recognized by Congress until 1906. During the 1960s, the NEA was officially designated a union. The NEA is the larger of the two unions, and membership is usually higher in suburban and rural school districts. Both unions have advocated increasing the economic security of all teachers and improving the conditions that teachers are forced to work under today. The NEA and AFT also promote political action, using bargaining power to influence law-makers; they have also argued that teachers must control the direction of their own profession free from outside influence. Traditionally, the NEA has involved itself in more party politics, advocating for politicians that support public education in some way. The AFT, unlike the NEA, also has membership that also includes nonteachers, such as school support staff, health care workers, and municipal employees.

Although there are differences that separate the two largest teacher unions in the United States, teacher unions have historically shared some of the same projects and struggles that early labor unions had to overcome. For example, teacher unions have traditionally been involved in the process of grievances and arbitrations for teachers and their contracts. This means advocating for teachers who have contractual disagreements with their school district, as well as mediating between both parties. These problems could be the length of the workday, the number of courses or students that teachers are required to teach, or individual teaching schedules or responsibilities. Even in mediation, representing the teacher's interest is the union's primary concern.

Teacher unions have also been involved with contractual negotiations for teachers. Arguing for better pay, improving school conditions, or advocating for more benefits are all ways in which teacher unions have been part of negotiating for better working conditions. Collective bargaining is another area in which unions have advocated on the behalf of teachers. This has traditionally meant advocating for increasing the salaries of teachers and increasing the number of fringe benefits available to teachers and their families.

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