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Unionism is Professionalism

There is an old myth that unionism and professionalism are separate ideals. While this myth may be old and patently untrue, it is tenacious. The perpetuation of this myth doesn't serve us as workers. It doesn't serve us as professionals. It does serve to keep us from organizing effectively as workers around the issues of salary and working conditions. It does serve to keep us from organizing effectively as professionals around the issues of teaching and learning. The reality is, as educators, we are professional workers. The reality is, unionism is professionalism.

In the "good old days," teachers were considered public servants. We were expected to be devoted, tireless, obedient and respectful. We were told that in order be a professional, we must believe that self-interest was an illegitimate attitude to hold. When we unionized, it was thought that our reduced work obligations lowered our professional standards. Those might have been the old days, but they were not good.

In this day and age, there should be no doubt that the one organization representing the interests of educators as workers and as professionals is your teachers union. To be honest, I don't understand why every educator in Albuquerque hasn't joined the union for the simple reason that it's the professional thing to do. Why do some teachers still insist there is a difference between professionalism and unionism?

Maybe it's our affiliation with organized labor that has created this perception in the minds of some people, but I'm astounded that this myth continues today. Professional workers have long been organized. Doctors belong to the AMA, and lawyers, the Bar Association. Affiliation with other workers is a good thing! In my experience, unionism is professionalism.

We must never take for granted the hard fought gains we now enjoy today in our profession. Because teachers affiliated with organized labor, we are now assured that our viewpoint is heard. Collective bargaining has increased the formal authority of teachers, restricted much of the arbitrary authority of principals, redefined and reduced teachers' work obligations and increased job protection.

Unionized teachers have higher salaries, smaller classes, spend less time instructing students and have more time for preparation. Are these labor gains also professional gains? Yes! Unionism is professionalism.

The false dichotomy between what we want as workers and what we want as teachers has been around for a long time. Almost one hundred years ago Margaret Haley, president of the Chicago Teachers Union exposed the hypocrisy of traditional professionalism. In 1905, Haley argued that freeing the child can only be secured by freeing the teacher.

Why are we still fighting this fight? Why haven't we been able to convince the public and the bureaucrats that good working conditions translate into good learning conditions? It is because we haven't convinced ourselves that unionism is professionalism!

The Albuquerque Teachers Federation has been attempting to negotiate policies with the district that affect and shape our work as teachers. Combining traditional bread and butter issues about our working conditions with professional issues is often called "New Unionism." Today, we are very interested in the professional conversations about curriculum and instruction, as well as our contractual rights. Unionism is professionalism.

I will continue to work to connect unionism and professionalism in how ATF conducts business, in how we represent you and in what we advocate, because Unionism is Professionalism.

-Ellen Bernstein, ATF President