Seven moments in UFT history possibly more pivotal than this one
Even as many unions nationwide are struggling to retain their clout, the United Federation of Teachers is still flexing considerable muscle in New York City. But with a teacher evaluation deal still up in the air and Mayor Michael Bloomberg's last months in office approaching, the teachers union is nonetheless at a crossroads. Just how much the current moment translates into change for the UFT will not be clear for years. Other turning points in UFT history have been more obvious. Here are a few: 1960: The UFT is born out of rival factions The Teachers Guild, a group made up primarily of older teachers, and the more confrontational High School Teachers Association merged in 1960 to create the UFT. Relations between the two groups, which were not the only unions representing city teachers, had thawed after members picketed together the previous year. The UFT's future hegemony was not at all obvious then, as the union didn't have collective bargaining power until December 1961 and the Teachers Guild didn't dissolve until 1964. The UFT would play a crucial role in the education upheaval later that decade, including the 1968 teachers strike precipitated by the firing of teachers in Ocean Hill-Brownsville. 1968: Teachers strike for months Books have been written about the conflict that raged after the