When the Teachers Union of the City of New York was founded in 1916, its professional stance was, to a large extent, an expedient. Adopted originally as a tactic to downplay the union's strong commitment to trade unionism, the professionalism of teaching came to be viewed as an end in itself and as the union's major goal. As a result, when the leadership was challenged by a new generation of radical teachers inspired by the union militancy of the day, their defense was to accuse the radicals of unprofessionalism and union busting. To see the conflict as a contest between the old idealists and young Communists is to miss both its subtlety and its message for our times. (Author)