Bringing labor history to our schools

You could call it one of our nation's untold tales. It's the story of the American labor movement and the role workers and their unions have played--and continue to play--in our country's political, economic and cultural life. And even though teachers are among the most unionized sectors of the American workforce, our public schools have not done a very good job of sharing that history with schoolchildren. As a result, this rich history is a mystery for many Americans.

The American Labor Studies Center (ALSC) is determined to change that. In July, AFT leaders, members and staff gathered in Washington, D.C., for a National Labor in the Schools Symposium organized by the ALSC. The focus of the conference was how labor education can be infused into the nation's schools. Workshops and general sessions covered topics such as labor and the arts, the National Labor College and California's acclaimed labor curriculum, "Golden Lands, Working Hands."

"The goal of the American Labor Studies Center is not to indoctrinate or proselytize but provide students with an opportunity to explore the many facets of a very complex and important part of our nation's history and contemporary life," said ALSC executive director Paul Cole, who is an AFT vice president. One of the principal aims of the ALSC is to collect, create and disseminate labor history curricula and related materials to K-12 teachers nationwide.

With the help of the AFL-CIO, the AFT is in a good position to bring a solid labor education curriculum into many of the nation's schools. Denise Mitchell, assistant to AFL-CIO president John Sweeney, outlined results of a new public opinion poll on the labor movement that highlights the critical need to educate the public and the next generation on the role of unions. Only half of those surveyed say they know a fair amount about unions; and minorities, women and younger people are the least knowledgeable. A majority of the public also believes that unions work more for their members than for the public good.

Mitchell sees labor education in the schools as a great way to clarify misperceptions and empower young workers--especially because the poll shows the lowest negative union ratings in a decade. "If we would all do the everyday work of telling people the union story, touching people's lives and reaching a new generation, we could really get the story out to the public," said Mitchell.

You can visit the ALSC Web site at www.labor-studies.org.  Among other endeavors, the ALSC aligns labor studies curriculum with national standards, using the Internet as an exchange medium for teachers nationwide.

Labor home is now a historic site

The American Labor Studies Center (see story above) makes its home in Troy, N.Y., at the Kate Mullany House. A courageous young labor leader of the 19th century, Mullany set an example through her life and work that could serve to inspire immigrants, women, and students everywhere--but few know of her many accomplishments. The mission of the ALSC is to collect and disseminate labor history and labor studies curricula to K-12 teachers so that schoolchildren can become familiar with the lives and work of labor leaders like Mullany.

An Irish immigrant, Mullany led the first all-women union in the nation, having formed the Collar Laundry Union when she was 19. As president of the union, she organized a successful strike in 1864 that increased union wages by 25 percent. She went on to become the first woman to hold office in a national union--all while raising four children and caring for her widowed mother.

The ALSC has worked with officials at all levels of government to get Mullany the recognition she deserves. In 1997, the National Park Service designated the Mullany House a National Historic Landmark. Led by Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Mike McNulty (D-N.Y.), congressional efforts are under way to establish the house as a National Historic Site within the National Park System.

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