Dewey was a longtime supporter of labor unions and in 1932-33 played a key role in purging Communists from the teachers' union, arguing they were not truly dedicated to education. He rejected the then current Stalinist position that the purpose of the union is to join the "[[class war]]" in order to promote the "cause of workers against employers." Nevertheless the Communists took control of the union and in 1935 Dewey helped start the Teachers Guild, a new anti-Stalinist union for teachers in New York City. In 1935 the national union expelled the Communist local and made Dewey's Teachers Guild the official union. | Dewey was a longtime supporter of labor unions and in 1932-33 played a key role in purging Communists from the teachers' union, arguing they were not truly dedicated to education. He rejected the then current Stalinist position that the purpose of the union is to join the "[[class war]]" in order to promote the "cause of workers against employers." Nevertheless the Communists took control of the union and in 1935 Dewey helped start the Teachers Guild, a new anti-Stalinist union for teachers in New York City. In 1935 the national union expelled the Communist local and made Dewey's Teachers Guild the official union. |