Oakland Federation of Teachers, Local 771 Collection, 1940-1955

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Summary

Creators:
Oakland Federation of Teachers, Local 771
Abstract:
The Oakland Federation of Teachers first organized on May 3, 1943 as the Alameda County Federation of Teachers, Local 771 of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to both "improve the educational facilities for the children of the nation and to improve the working conditions of the teachers in the public schools." The collection traces the Oakland Federation of Teachers via its administrative history, communications with union members, and relations with the Superintendent of Oakland Public Schools from 1940 to 1955, and includes union administrative records, bulletins, committee and officer reports, constitution and by-laws, correspondence, membership records, newsletters, and platform and position papers.
Extent:
1.25 linear feet
Language:
English
Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Background

Scope and content:

The Oakland Federation of Teachers, Local 771 Collection traces the Oakland Federation of Teachers via its administrative history, communications with union members, and relations with the Superintendent of Oakland Public Schools from 1940 to 1955. The collection includes union administrative records, bulletins, committee and officer reports, constitution and by-laws, correspondence, membership records, newsletters, platform and position papers, in addition to correspondence with other teachers' unions and the Oakland Superintendent of Schools. Although actively pursuing customary union concerns such as a retirement plan for teachers and salary adjustments, the records emphasize the union's relationship with the local board of education rather than collective bargaining issues. The collection has been organized in three series: Alameda County Federation of Teachers, Local 771 (1940-1949), Oakland Federation of Teachers, Local 771 (1949-1955), and Oakland Public Schools (1945-1955).

Series I, Alameda County Federation of Teachers, Local 771, contains attendance registers, correspondence, and minutes of the executive board, regular membership, and committee meetings, union bulletins and newsletters, newspaper clippings, resolutions, and a retirement plan for the local. Files are arranged in alphabetical order.

Series II, Oakland Federation of Teachers, Local 771, contains attendance registers, correspondence, and minutes of the executive board, regular membership, and committee meetings, union bulletins and newsletters, the local's constitution and by-laws, and newspaper clippings. Files are arranged in alphabetical order.

Series III, Oakland Public Schools, contains bulletins, and correspondence for the Superintendent of Schools of Oakland Public Schools, and a platform for the Board of Education in Oakland. Files are arranged in alphabetical order.

Biographical / historical:

The Oakland Federation of Teachers first organized on May 3, 1943 as the Alameda County Federation of Teachers, Local 771 of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) to both "improve the educational facilities for the children of the nation and to improve the working conditions of the teachers in the public schools." The union originally included both the Alameda and Oakland school districts but a post-war baby boom that expanded the district's number of new students and staff members led to the union's division into two separate locals. The ACFT, Local 771 became the Oakland Federation of Teachers, Local 771 in July of 1949. Around 1980 the local changed to its current name, the United Teachers of Oakland.

As president of Local 771, Edwin Ross worked closely with the Office of Public Schools to guarantee faculty and students reasonable class sizes, adequate materials for teachers to successfully educate students, and provide teachers with fair compensation for their work.

Acquisition information:
Oakland Federation of Teachers, Local 771, 10/28/1991
Processing information:

Erin V. Morton, 1993

Arrangement:

Series I: Alameda County Federation of Teachers, Local 771, 1940-1949

Series II: Oakland Federation of Teachers, Local 771, 1949-1955

Series III: Oakland Public Schools, 1945-1955

Indexed terms

Subjects:
Documents

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research use.

Terms of access:

Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge. Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred citation:

For information about citing items in this collection consult the appropriate style manual, or see the Citing Archival Materialsguide.

Location of this collection:
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330, US
Contact:
(818) 677-4594
Website