{"id":2422,"date":"2021-04-20T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-04-20T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uniontrack.com\/blog\/?p=2422"},"modified":"2021-04-20T14:42:16","modified_gmt":"2021-04-20T14:42:16","slug":"randi-weingarten-educators-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniontrack.com\/blog\/randi-weingarten-educators-rights","title":{"rendered":"Randi Weingarten: Fighting for Educators\u2019 Rights"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ken Green
CEO & Founder
UnionTrack<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Few names in the labor movement are more recognizable right now than American Federation of Teachers (AFT) President Randi Weingarten.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the last few years, she has led her fellow members through historic teacher strikes and an unprecedented global pandemic. But that\u2019s just recent history. For over 25 years, she has been a visible leader and vocal lobbyist advocating for education reform on the behalf of teachers and school support staff, amplifying the voices of those that need to be heard to legislators and to the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her journey to union leader began long before she joined her first union.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Randi Weingarten: From Teen Advocate to Union Leader<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Randi Weingarten was born in New York City<\/a> in 1957 to a union family. She had her first experiences in the labor movement as a junior in high school when she joined her mom \u2014 a school teacher \u2014 on the picket lines during a teachers\u2019 union strike. Also during her high school years, she and her fellow students successfully protested budget cuts by the school board. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1980, she earned her degree in labor relations from Cornell University\u2019s School of Industrial and Labor Relations. She went on to obtain her juris doctorate at Yeshiva University\u2019s Cardozo School of Law in 1983. After graduating, Weingarten spent three years working as a lawyer for the Wall Street firm Stroock & Stroock & Lavan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Her official foray into the labor movement began in 1986 when she joined the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) as counsel to then-President Sandra Feldman. She served in that position until 1998, taking a lead role in negotiating and enforcing contracts in addition to representing the union in lawsuits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this time, Weingarten earned her teaching certificate and taught social studies at Clara Barton High School in Brooklyn from 1991 to 1997. Of the value of her time as a teacher, Weingarten<\/a> says, \u201cMy time teaching was one of the most formative, challenging and fulfilling experiences of my professional life. I believe those who have not walked in a teacher’s shoes lack both the authority and experience to make sweeping judgments about teaching or teachers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 1995, she was elected assistant secretary of the UFT and, in 1997, treasurer. Also in 1997, she was appointed president of the UFT after Feldman left to serve as president of the AFT. She was then elected to the position in 1998, which she held until 2008.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During her tenure as president of the UFT, she also served as chairperson of New York City\u2019s Municipal Labor Committee, which represented the city\u2019s public sector unions, and vice president of the AFT. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2008, she was elected president of the AFT, a position she still holds today. Because of her position as president of the union, she also holds a seat on the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations\u2019 Executive Council.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Staff<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Randi Weingarten: Noteworthy Accomplishments<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That the members of the AFT continue to elect her as their leader speaks to just how much she has been able to accomplish for those she represents and the greater labor movement. Here\u2019s a look at some of her greatest achievements. <\/p>\n\n\n\n