Vote for Unity: United Federation of College Teachers/Legislative Conference Merger Talks
Item
UFCT/LC Merger Taiks
For the past few months, the United Federation of College
Teachers and the Legislative Conference have been meeting to ex-
plore the possibilities of merging both organizations into one
united group which would represent the entire instructional
staff and end the present system of division of the staff, whereby
lecturers and adjuncts are represented by the UFCT and profes-
sors by the LC,
Both organizations made serious, good-faith attempts to
explore every conceivable avenue to merger. Unfortunately,
some serious differences could not be resolved at this time
and merger talks have been suspended.
The point of contention was affiliation. The UFCT proposed
joint AFT-NEA affiliation at no extra cost to members, giving the
faculty maximum power and providing a sound basis for ending organ-
izational rivalry. The LC proposed optional affiliation, whereby
a member would choose whether he would join the AFT or the NEA.
Conceivably half the faculty might belong to the AFT and half to
the NEA. In effect, there would still be two separate organiza-
tions in the all-important area of affiliation and the staff would
still be divided.
Your Vote for Unity
What is needed is unity of power rather than dispersion of
power. Fortunately the UFCT is pursuing another, potentially
more fruitful avenue to unity among the City University staff:
a secret ballot election to determine the exclusive bargaining
agent for all the faculty. i
Your signature on the petitions being circulated does not
commit you to the support of either organization. It does ask
the New York State Public Employee Relations Board to designate
the entire faculty of the City University--both full-time and
part-time--as one bargaining unit for purposes of negotiations
with the Board of Higher Education.
Whether the UFCT or the LC wins the election, the situation
will be better for teachers and the instructional program. If
you have not yet signed the petition, please secure a postage~
paid card from your UFCT representative, complete it and mail
it today.
It is your vote for unity.
opeiu #153
10/19/71
UNITED FEDERATION OF COLLEGE TEACHERS
Un i ie a re | ¢ a © a 260 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10010
For the past few months, the United Federation of College
Teachers and the Legislative Conference have been meeting to ex-
plore the possibilities of merging both organizations into one
united group which would represent the entire instructional
staff and end the present system of division of the staff, whereby
lecturers and adjuncts are represented by the UFCT and profes-
sors by the LC,
Both organizations made serious, good-faith attempts to
explore every conceivable avenue to merger. Unfortunately,
some serious differences could not be resolved at this time
and merger talks have been suspended.
The point of contention was affiliation. The UFCT proposed
joint AFT-NEA affiliation at no extra cost to members, giving the
faculty maximum power and providing a sound basis for ending organ-
izational rivalry. The LC proposed optional affiliation, whereby
a member would choose whether he would join the AFT or the NEA.
Conceivably half the faculty might belong to the AFT and half to
the NEA. In effect, there would still be two separate organiza-
tions in the all-important area of affiliation and the staff would
still be divided.
Your Vote for Unity
What is needed is unity of power rather than dispersion of
power. Fortunately the UFCT is pursuing another, potentially
more fruitful avenue to unity among the City University staff:
a secret ballot election to determine the exclusive bargaining
agent for all the faculty. i
Your signature on the petitions being circulated does not
commit you to the support of either organization. It does ask
the New York State Public Employee Relations Board to designate
the entire faculty of the City University--both full-time and
part-time--as one bargaining unit for purposes of negotiations
with the Board of Higher Education.
Whether the UFCT or the LC wins the election, the situation
will be better for teachers and the instructional program. If
you have not yet signed the petition, please secure a postage~
paid card from your UFCT representative, complete it and mail
it today.
It is your vote for unity.
opeiu #153
10/19/71
UNITED FEDERATION OF COLLEGE TEACHERS
Un i ie a re | ¢ a © a 260 Park Avenue South, New York, N.Y. 10010
Title
Vote for Unity: United Federation of College Teachers/Legislative Conference Merger Talks
Description
This 1971 memo, written by the United Federation of College Teachers (UFCT), described the merger talks between the UFCT and the Legislative Conference (LC) and the obstacles to consolidation into what would become the Professional Staff Congress. It faulted the LC for advocating "optional" affiliation, which would have allowed union members to join either the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) or the National Education Association (NEA), thereby splitting the faculty union and weakening its bargaining power. The UFCT advocated "joint" affiliation with the two national organizations to provide faculty with a single, unified representative in contract negotiations. During the 1960s, the United Federation of College Teachers (UFCT), and the Legislative Conference (LC) were the two main organizations that advocated for CUNY faculty. The UFCT represented part-time faculty and lecturers while the LC was the union of tenured professors. The groups merged in 1972 to form the Professional Staff Congress, which represents CUNY faculty today.
Contributor
Professional Staff Congress
Creator
The United Federation of College Teachers
Date
October 19, 1971
Language
English
Rights
Copyrighted
Source
The Tamiment Institute Library and Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Original Format
Memorandum
The United Federation of College Teachers. Letter. “Vote for Unity: United Federation of College Teachers Legislative Conference Merger Talks.”, CUNY DIGITAL HISTORY ARCHIVE, accessed March 10, 2026, https://stephenz.tailc22a4b.ts.net/s/cdha/item/1377