Cost of Militancy

Albert Shanker is president of New York City's United Federation of Teachers, the belligerent A.F.L.-C.I.O. lo cal that shut down the nation's largest public school system for nearly three weeks last September. Under his leader ship, the union won a significant in crease in pay and power. Two state courts have since ruled that the walk out -- in theory, a "mass resignation" of the city's teachers -- violated a state law against public-employee strikes, and that Shanker must spend 15 days in jail.

Last week he announced that he would not appeal his conviction any higher in the courts and was ready to serve his time.

Shanker, 39, a former mathematics teacher and the father of three, is by far the most prominent union leader to serve a prison term as a result of the teachers' recent drive for more influence over their school systems. In addition to his jail sentence, he must personally pay a $250 fine, and his union will also have to cough up $150,000. It has already lost its automatic dues checkoff arrangement with the school board for one year. Shanker indicated that he had no regrets over his union's action. "The price I am about to pay is well worth what we have accomplished," he said. Will it take some of the fight out of his organization in the future? "No," he answered. "It will make us more militant."

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.