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Whether the OFT was the first "official" state federation within the AFT is a matter of debate. In 1936, the OFT established a dues system for local affiliates, becoming the first self-funding, staffed state federation in the AFT. However, the OFT was not formally chartered by AFT until
February 26,
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In 1968, AFT convention delegates passed an amendment to the union's national constitution requiring locals to affiliate with their respective state federations. In 1969, the AFT convention passed an amendment to require local unions to affiliate with their respective state and local AFL–CIO bodies.
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established teacher locals to build its membership. The OFT targeted OEA and independent education unions which had achieved collective bargaining (either by reaching a contract or through adoption of local law or ordinance). It forced a new collective bargaining election or created an insurgency
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OFT was instrumental in winning passage of Ohio's Public
Employee Collective Bargaining Act in 1984. An explosion of education organizing occurred statewide. Although OEA and OFT often competed in these organizing elections, raiding between the two unions largely ceased (and was prohibited by an
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bodies. Several AFT locals in Ohio remained affiliated with both the AFT and NEA, and formed an "AFT caucus" within the OEA. Over time, however, the OEA's conservative stands on tenure, increased funding for public schools, and collective bargaining led AFT affiliates in Ohio to drop their dual
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The results were dramatic. In 1978, only six of the OFT's 41 local affiliates had a collective bargaining agreement. But by 1988—despite the loss of several affiliates to the OEA or through disbanding—30 of the OFT's affiliates had such a relationship (and 12 of those were raided locals).
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Neither the AFT nor the NEA, at the national level, made collective bargaining a national policy. The AFT came out in favor of collective bargaining only in 1946, but then avidly sought contracts. The NEA did so in 1947, but resisted collective bargaining until the late 1960s. See Eaton,
163:. The AFT was debating structural changes to the national organization, and had decided to experiment with state federations as legislative, lobbying, political and organizing umbrella bodies for the union's growing number of local affiliates. Ohio was selected to be the first test case.
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The increased flow of dues stabilized the OFT financially and organizationally, permitting it to grow. The OFT began organizing school paraprofessionals, higher education faculty and support personnel, and public employees in an effort to achieve greater financial stability.
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spread quickly to Ohio. Between 1965 and 1967, the OFT chartered 21 new local unions. But since no state, county, local or school district law or regulation permitted collective bargaining, locals struggled for survival; many disbanded after only a short time.
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The OFT represents more than 20,000 members in 54 local unions. Its members include public education employees, higher education faculty and support staff, and public employees. Most of its membership is in the larger cities, such as
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won passage of a collective bargaining law for teachers and paraprofessionals in the
Cincinnati public schools. The success of this endeavor led the OFT to begin a campaign for collective bargaining for all public employees.
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With
Kuenzli's departure in 1936, E. Glenn Baxter of the Elyria Federation of Teachers became OFT president, and the first president elected under the new charter. Michael Eck of the
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174:, was elected the organization's first president. (Kuenzli would become the AFT's secretary-treasurer from 1936 to 1953.) The state federation's office was in Toledo.
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In 1966, OFT hired the first staff to provide services (such as contract negotiations, research, grievance processing, etc.) to local affiliates.
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At this time, the OFT had 5,000 members in 13 locals. Since the AFT only had 25,000 members nationally, one in five AFT members belonged to OFT.
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The OFT focused on legislative activity (primarily increased funding for public schools) and organizing new locals in its first three decades.
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Between 1936 and 1939, the OFT added 1,000 members in 13 new locals. Six locals were formed to represent educators in federally funded
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On May 26, 1934, the Ohio State
Federation of Teachers (as the OFT was originally known) met in convention was in Springfield.
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OFT has been involved in statewide politics; for example, it endorsed the
Citizens Not Politicians campaign for the 2024
215:(WPA) vocational educational training programs. When Congress ended funding for the WPA in 1943, these locals disbanded.
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The energy and militancy engendered in the teacher union movement in the United States by the formation of the
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On
December 3, 2006, Mooney died of a heart attack at his home in Columbus. Sue Taylor, president of the
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Beginning in 1939 and lasting throughout the 1940s, the OFT struggled with whether to affiliate with the
417:"Ohio Federation of Teachers At the Millenium: An Historical Overview," Cleveland Heights Teachers Union
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which would seize control of the union's governing body and push through an affiliation change.
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In the 1980s, as part of a national policy adopted by the AFT, the OFT began
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was the first executive secretary (he also served as an AFT vice president).
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In 1965, OFT hired its first organizer and moved its offices to
Columbus.
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In 1979, the OFT made the office of the president a full-time position.
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In 1933, the officers of the
American Federation of Teachers met in
226:(NEA). At the time, the AFT did not require that its local unions
314:, was elected president on March 9, 2007, to fill out his term.
366:"Endorsements – Yes on Issue 1 » Citizens Not Politicians"
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397:. Carbondale, Ill.: Southern Illinois University Press, 1975.
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389:"About Us" - Ohio Federation of Teachers' Web site
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340:The American Federation of Teachers, 1916–1961,
395:The American Federation of Teachers, 1916–1961
351:"Taylor elected state teachers' union chief,"
265:was elected one of the vice presidents of the
123:(OFT) is a statewide federation of unions in
488:Statewide trade unions in the United States
432:Ohio Federation of Teachers, AFT, AFL–CIO
407:Kemme, Steve. "Teachers' advocate dies."
303:In 2000, Marec retired as OFT president.
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300:AFT-NEA "no-raid" agreement in 1998).
493:Organizations based in Columbus, Ohio
257:Achievement of collective bargaining
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178:1938—after charters were issued in
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222:(OEA), the state affiliate of the
172:Springfield Federation of Teachers
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463:1933 establishments in Ohio
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321:against gerrymandering.
195:Cleveland Teachers Union
447:Organized labour portal
393:Eaton, William Edward.
261:In 1978, OFT president
478:Education trade unions
127:, affiliated with the
473:Trade unions in Ohio
411:. December 4, 2006.
409:Cincinnati Enquirer
353:Cincinnati Enquirer
170:, president of the
86:Parent organization
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112:http://oh.aft.org/
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37:Headquarters
32:May 26, 1933
457:Categories
371:2024-08-25
325:References
305:Tom Mooney
141:Cincinnati
76:Key people
263:Ron Marec
184:Minnesota
180:Wisconsin
145:Cleveland
66:Members
155:Founding
47:Location
285:raiding
133:AFL–CIO
131:(AFT),
108:Website
102:AFL–CIO
29:Founded
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207:Growth
149:Toledo
70:20,000
100:AFT,
399:ISBN
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125:Ohio
119:The
91:AFT
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