Historian Daniel Perlstein examines Bayard Rustin’s controversial role in the 1968 New York City school crisis, when Rustin sided with the United Federation of Teachers against Black activists calling for community control in Ocean Hill–Brownsville. Arguing that integration and labor–civil rights coalitions were essential to lasting political power, Rustin maintained that separatist approaches would weaken the broader struggle for economic and racial justice.
Empowering Low-Income Workers Through Collective Bargaining
This column examines a major United Federation of Teachers contract that significantly improved wages, benefits, and career opportunities for thousands of predominantly Black and Puerto Rican school paraprofessionals in New York City. Rustin presents the agreement as an example of how collective bargaining and worker organization can create meaningful economic advancement and challenge poverty through self-determination.
1970 Pamphlet Showcasing United Federation of Teachers’ Gains in Social Equity and Contracts
This 1970 pamphlet highlights the United Federation of Teachers' achievements in collective bargaining, wage increases, improved benefits, and educational reforms. It showcases how the UFT advocated for teacher rights while promoting broader civil rights and social justice during a transformative decade for labor and education.
1969 Pamphlet on Bayard Rustin’s Support for Labor Rights and Racial Integration in NYC Schools
In his pamphlet Conflict or Coalition?: The Civil Rights Struggle and the Trade Union Movement Today, Bayard Rustin championed the United Federation of Teachers' efforts to advance racial integration and labor rights, portraying teacher unions as vital links connecting education reform with broader civil rights progress.
