SAM DOWOFF segment of the labor force, exceedlng the tradltlonal unskllled, semi-skllled manual ractory, mining and other industrial workers. In this respect, sorne progress has been made, although the task has hardly begun. Public service workers joln unlons THE MEMBERSHIPof the American Federatlon or State, County, and Municipal Workers (AFSCM) grew from barely 100,000 a rew years ago to 700,000 in 1975. The AFSCM is the fastest growlng union In the AFL-CIO (with publlc service workers the 5th largest). The membership of the Federatlon of Government Employees increased from 64,000 in 1957, to over 500,000 now (1975). The membership or the Teacher's Union only in New York State grew rrom 50,000 sorne years ago to 211,000 in 1975. There are 80,000 organized teachers in New York City. More slgn!f!cant than the number or teachers who Jolned the union is their increasing mil!tancy; not only for better conditions and wages, but also, and in sorne cases primar!ly, ror the reorganizatlon oh the educatlonal system and the adoptlon of better teach!ng methods, ror the benef!t or the young. In 1961 the Natlonal Educational Assoclatlon ot Teachers condemned strlkes. In 1969, in response to the changed attltude or the teachers, the Associatlon urged repeal of the antl-strlke laws and defended the rlght of the teachers to strlke. An !ndication ot growlng mll!tancy ot Government workers: in 1968, there were only 114 teacher work-stoppages in 21 States. In 1971 a strike of government employees took place every 3 days. Striking teachers in New York, Newark and many other cities were not afraid to go to Jail for strike actlvlty, in deflance of injunctions. Teacher local unlon were heav!ly fined ror vlolation of strike laws. A dispatch to the New York Times (October, 30, 1974) reports that the Detrolt Federation of Teachers was ordered to pay over one m!llion dollars In fines for the!r 6 week strlkes. The New York City Teachers local was flned $245,000 and the Phlladelphia Teachers Local S 290,000. Teachers and other publ!c servlce unlons by virtue of their ciose connections wlth the municipal and state offlclals who supervise the worklng members, are deeply lmmersed in pol!t!cs. Both partles need each other. The unions can muster a great many votes and contributed greatly to the election of the city and state offlcials. In exchange for their support the otflcials are in a posit!on to help the unions in many ways (enact favor106
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