AFT-Speeches
This area of the Reuther's Web site currently encompasses approximately 300, fully transcribed, speeches delivered between 1965 and 1996 by American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President's Charlie Cogen, David Selden and Albert Shanker. The speeches are organized chronologically by date. Please contact Dan Golodner for project details.
Action Program of the AFT
In this speech to the Hawaii Federation of Teachers, Cogen talks about the objectives and goals of the New Action Program; some of which include fair pay for all teachers, being joined with teachers in the area of civil rights and giving teachers and educators in society thier due respect.
Organized Labor and the School Crisis
In these closing remarks, Cogen speaks to the importance of the teacher's guild program to organized labor and the community at large. He says he is "excited to end the conference on an activist note" and speaks to the importance of organized labor and how it can solve the "serious crisis" in the school systems.
Denver Speech 1
In this speech before the Denver Federation of Teachers, Cogen expresses the importance of Collective Bargaining. He also warns teachers about NEA contracts or working without a contract. He explains that this is not only unfair to teachers but can be fatal to their career.
Through Teachers' Collective Bargaining with Gun and Camera
Selden's review of "Collective Negotiations for Teachers" by Myron Lieberman and Michael H. Moskow
Unions are for Teachers
Selden addresses the issue of whether or not college teachers should form unions. He explains that it takes courage to form a college teachers union because college presidents and trustees tend to resist the unionization of "their" teachers.