He who controls the present, controls the past.

He who controls the past, controls the future.

George Orwell, 1984

Not a single labor topic, except industrial vs. craft unions, was adequately described or

explained in the majority of textbooks. Not a single U.S. history text did more than mention

the political activities of unions, both historically and presently—despite the fact that the very

educational institution the student now occupies is, at least in part, a result of such activities.

Only two of the history texts went beyond mentioning that all-important labor-management

practice of free collective bargaining.  — Will Scoggins

high school history teacher

 and University of California researcher,

 in a 1966 report on anti-labor bias in school textbooks and curricula

The Albert Shanker Institute, endowed by the American Federation of Teachers and named

in honor of its late president, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to three themes—

children’s education, unions as advocates for quality,  and both civic education and freedom of

association in the public life of democracies. Its mission is to generate ideas, foster candid exchanges,

and promote constructive policy proposals related to these issues.

The Institute commissions original analyses, organizes seminars, sponsors publications and

subsidizes selected projects. Its independent board of directors is composed of educators, business

representatives, labor leaders, academics, and public policy analysts.

Acknowledgments

The foundations of this report are the result of many months of work by three experts in labor history,

Paul F. Cole, Lori Megivern, and Jeff Hilgert. Each has brought so much to this endeavor, and we wish

to express our thanks and appreciation.

Paul Cole, the founder and director of the American Labor Studies Center, is doing much to keep the

history of labor alive for the next generations, through the Center’s efforts to collect and disseminate

labor history and labor studies curricula to K-12 teachers across the nation.

Lori Megivern is a Fulbright Fellow and American Councils for International Education Teacher of

Excellence who studied and taught in numerous countries. 

Jeff Hilgert brought a deep expertise in labor history and labor studies to this project. He is a Ph.D.

candidate in industrial and labor relations at Cornell University, with a focus on workplace health and

safety.

In researching this report, these three gave generously of their time, richness of experience and

expertise. They enriched this report both through their frontline knowledge as teachers and their

activism in current, vital labor issues. We believe that they have produced a compelling, thoughtful

document that makes a powerful case: that America’s students suffer an immeasurable loss when labor

history is left out of the American story taught in our nation’s classrooms.

We would also like to thank Professor Jeff Mirel, at the University of Michigan for his keen editorial

contributions.  We deeply appreciate Christina Bartolomeo’s skillful research, editing, and substantive

suggestions. Her work was invaluable. Finally, our thanks to historian of education, author, and

educational policy expert Diane Ravitch. She first suggested the idea for this report, and has been one of

our nation’s leading advocates for rich, quality curricula in American schools, including books, learning

materials, and curriculum content that prepare children to be contributing, questioning, thoughtful

participants in our democracy.