| Albert Shanker | |
 Albert Shanker
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| Born | September 14, 1928 New York City, United States |
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| Died | February 22, 1997 (aged 68) New York City, United States |
| Occupation | Labor Leader, AFT & UFT President |
| Spouse | Edith Shanker |
| Children | Carl Sabath Adam Shanker Michael Shanker Jennie Shanker |
Albert Shanker (September 14, 1928 – February 22, 1997) was President of the United Federation of Teachers from 1964 to 1984 as well as President of the American Federation of Teachers from 1974 to 1997. Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The City of New York The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar The City of New York The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The American Federation of Teachers or AFT is an American labor union Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The United Federation of Teachers ( UFT) is the labor union Events 81 - Domitian becomes Emperor of the Roman Empire upon the death of his brother Titus. Year 1928 ( MCMXXVIII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 1495 - King Charles VIII of France enters Naples to claim the city's throne Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The United Federation of Teachers ( UFT) is the labor union Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The American Federation of Teachers or AFT is an American labor union Year 1974 ( MCMLXXIV) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. Year 1997 ( MCMXCVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1997 Gregorian calendar
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Early life
Shanker was born on the Lower East Side of Manhattan to a Russian-Jewish immigrant family. Manhattan Island, in New York Harbor, is much the largest part of the Borough of Manhattan, one of the Five Boroughs which form the City of New York His father Morris delivered newspapers and his mother Mamie worked in a knitting factory. The experience of watching his mother work 70 hour weeks made Shanker aware of the need for societal changes from an early age.
In 1946, Shanker graduated from Stuyvesant High School[1] where he was the head of the debate team. Year 1946 ( MCMXLVI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full 1946 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Stuyvesant High School ( IPA: /ˈstаɪvɛsənt/ commonly referred to as Stuy ( IPA: /ˈstаɪ/ is a New York City Public high school His academic life continued at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. This article is about the flagship campus For other uses and locations of University of Illinois, see University of Illinois (disambiguation The University of He joined the Congress of Racial Equality. In 1949 he graduated with honors and enrolled in Columbia University. Year 1949 ( MCMXLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Columbia University is a private University in the United States and a member of the Ivy League. In order to earn money while writing his dissertation, Shanker became substitute teacher at PS 179 in East Harlem. Spanish Harlem, also known as El Barrio and East Harlem, is a low income neighborhood in Harlem area of New York City,
Founding the United Federation of Teachers
He began his tenure as a union organizer in 1959 to help organize the Teacher's Guild - NYC's AFT affiliate that was started by John Dewey in 1917. John Dewey (October 20 1859 &ndash June 1 1952 was an American Philosopher, Psychologist, and educational reformer, whose thoughts and ideas have He left his teaching job to organize full time. He felt that a teachers union would be more effective if it was united with a common set of goals. The Teacher's Guild would merge with New York City's High School Teacher's Association to form the United Federation of Teachers or UFT in 1960. Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The United Federation of Teachers ( UFT) is the labor union Year 1960 ( MCMLX) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
In 1964, Shanker succeeded Charles Cogen as UFT president. Year 1964 ( MCMLXIV) was a Leap year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the 1964 Gregorian calendar.
Perhaps Shanker is best known for organizing workers in the Ocean-Hill Brownsville district. In 1968, Shanker organized Ocean-Hill Brownsville's teaching staff in the mostly black neighborhood. Shanker called for a strike after white teachers were purged from the school district by the recently appointed administrator.
For more than a decade, Shanker authored essay-like advertisements in The New York Times and other publications. Accompanied by a small photograph of Shanker, the columns, entitled "Where We Stand," sought to rationally and dispassionately clarify the union's position on various matters of public interest.
Activist Legacy
Despite Shanker's organizing efforts, and the fifteen days that he would spend in jail due to his organization, Shanker was branded a racist by critics. Yet Shanker would persist in building the United Federation of Teachers and would be elected president of the American Federation of Teachers in 1974. Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The United Federation of Teachers ( UFT) is the labor union Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The American Federation of Teachers or AFT is an American labor union He was re-elected every two years until his death. Some believed that he gained too much power and became very severe, even extremist, which led to a joke in Woody Allen's 1973 movie Sleeper about Shanker having supposedly fomented a nuclear war. Woody Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; December 1 1935 is an American Film director, Writer, Actor, Comedian, and Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Sleeper ( 1973) is a futuristic Science fiction Comedy Film, written by directed by and starring Woody Allen.
In 1975 the UFT authorized a five day strike, leading to allegedly saving New York City from bankruptcy after he asked the Teachers' Retirement System to invest $150 million in Municipal Corp. Year 1975 ( MCMLXXV) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. (MAC) bonds.
On September 21, 1981, Shanker had dinner with Leon B. Year 1981 ( MCMLXXXI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays the 1981 Applewhaite, a personal friend and one of the heads of the Federal Labor Relations Authority. The Federal Labor Relations Authority (or FLRA) is an Independent agency of the United States government. Applewhaite was involved in deciding whether to uphold the decertification of the Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization for the strike they had called in August of that year. Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The Professional Air Traffic Controllers Organization or PATCO was During the dinner Shanker urged Applewhaite not to decertify the union, an action which plainly violated the prohibition on ex parte contact contained in the federal Administrative Procedure Act. A trade union or labour union is an organization of workers who have banded together to achieve common goals in key areas such as wages hours and working conditions forming Ex parte is a Latin legal term meaning "from (by or for one party" (ɛks ˈpɑrteɪ or /ɛks ˈpɑrti/ in English The federal Administrative Procedure Act (APA of 1946 governs the way in which administrative agencies of the United States federal government may propose Although the contact was not ultimately found to have legal consequences, Shanker's behavior (and particularly his hubris in so blatantly violating federal procedural regulations) were thoroughly criticized by the DC Circuit Court of Appeals in their review of the FLRA's decision. The United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, known informally as the D See 685 F. 2d 547.
Later years
Shanker was a visiting professor at Hunter College and Harvard University during the 1980s. He would continue to work to organize teachers throughout his life, attempting to bridge the AFT with the National Education Association. The National Education Association ( NEA) is the largest professional organization in the United States, representing Public school Teachers and Despite his efforts, he never saw this convergence. In 1991, President Bush appointed him as an original member of the Competitiveness Policy Council. The Competitiveness Policy Council was an independent federal advisory committee chartered in 1988 to advise the President and the Congress on more effective policies to promote U He died of bladder cancer in 1997 at the age of 68.
Shanker was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1998 by President Bill Clinton. The Presidential Medal of Freedom is a decoration bestowed by the President of the United States and is along with the equivalent Congressional Gold Medal bestowed William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States [2]
Shanker in Popular Culture
In the futuristic Woody Allen movie Sleeper (1973) the protagonist is told that the old world was destroyed when "a man named Albert Shanker got hold of a nuclear device. Woody Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; December 1 1935 is an American Film director, Writer, Actor, Comedian, and Sleeper ( 1973) is a futuristic Science fiction Comedy Film, written by directed by and starring Woody Allen. The year 1973 in film involved some significant events Events The Marx Brothers ' Zeppo Marx divorces his second " Shanker was president of the AFT at that time.
See also
References
- ^ Schierenbeck, Jack (1996-02-16). Template talkInfobox Union for usage --> The United Federation of Teachers ( UFT) is the labor union Template talkInfobox Union for usage -->The American Federation of Teachers or AFT is an American labor union Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Events 1249 - Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khan of the Mongols Class Struggles: The UFT Story. Retrieved on 2007-11-01. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi
- ^ Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients. United States Senate. The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Retrieved on 2007-07-26. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus
External links
- Albert Shanker Institute
- Braun, Robert J. Teachers and Power: The Story of the American Federation of Teachers. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1972. ISBN 0671211676
- Buhle, Paul. "Albert Shanker: No Flowers." New Politics. 6:3 (Summer 1997). (Accessed October 15, 2006)
- Gibson, Rich. "The AFT and Albert Shanker." Black Radical Congress. November 6, 2000. (Accessed October 15, 2006)
- Gordon, Jane Anna. Why They Couldn't Wait: A Critique of the Black-Jewish Conflict Over Community Control in Ocean-Hill Brownsville, 1967-1971. Oxford: RoutledgeFalmer, 2001. ISBN 0415929105
- Kahlenberg, Richard D. Tough Liberal: Albert Shanker and the Battles Over Schools, Unions, Race, and Democracy. New York: Columbia University Press, 2007. ISBN 0231134967
- Excerpted as "The Agenda that Saved Public Education," American Educator, Fall 2007, 4-10.
- Review in Slate
- Mungazi, Dickson A. Where He Stands: Albert Shanker of the American Federation of Teachers. Westport, Conn. : Greenwood Publishing Group, 1995. ISBN 027594929X
- NY Times Obituary
- Podair, Jerald. The Strike That Changed New York: Blacks, Whites, and the Ocean Hill-Brownsville Crisis. Princeton, N. J. : Yale University Press, 2003. ISBN 0300081227
- Schierenbeck, Jack. "Part 6: Al Shanker's Rise to Power. " Class Struggles: The UFT Story. United Federation of Teachers, AFT, AFL-CIO. February 16, 1996. ] (Accessed October 15, 2006)
- Selden, David. Teacher Rebellion. Washington, D. C. : Howard University Press, 1985. ISBN 088258099X
| Preceded by David Selden |
President, American Federation of Teachers 1974 - 1997 |
Succeeded by Sandra Feldman |
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