History of Randi Weingarten in Timeline

Randi Weingarten is a prominent American labor leader, attorney, and educator. She is the current president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) since 2008, a major labor union affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Before leading the AFT, Weingarten served as president of New York City’s United Federation of Teachers (UFT). Her career includes roles as the UFT’s chief negotiator and counsel, and as a social studies teacher at Clara Barton High School. She is recognized as the first openly gay person to head a national American labor union.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

December 18, 1957: Randi Weingarten's Birth

On December 18, 1957, Rhonda "Randi" Weingarten was born.

1957: Birth in New York City

In 1957, Randi Weingarten was born in New York City to Gabriel and Edith (Appelbaum) Weingarten.

1960: Reference to the Formation of the UFT

In 2007, Randi Weingarten concluded a successful union campaign that added 28,000 childcare workers to the UFT, marking the largest union campaign in the city since 1960, when the United Federation of Teachers itself was formed.

1979: Legislative Assistant for NY State Senate

In 1979, Randi Weingarten became a legislative assistant for the Labor Committee of the New York State Senate.

1980: Received B.S. Degree from Cornell University

In 1980, Randi Weingarten received a B.S. degree in labor relations from the ILR School at Cornell University.

1983: Received J.D. Degree from Yeshiva University

In 1983, Randi Weingarten received a J.D. degree from the Yeshiva University Cardozo School of Law.

1983: Worked as a Lawyer at Stroock & Stroock & Lavan

In 1983, Randi Weingarten started working as a lawyer for the firm of Stroock & Stroock & Lavan, where she handled arbitration cases for the UFT.

1986: Counsel to Sandra Feldman

In 1986, Randi Weingarten became counsel to Sandra Feldman, then-president of the UFT, handling high-level grievances and serving as lead counsel in lawsuits.

1986: Appointed Adjunct Instructor

In 1986, Randi Weingarten was appointed as an adjunct instructor at the Cardozo School of Law.

1991: Taught at Clara Barton High School

In 1991, Randi Weingarten began teaching at Clara Barton High School in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

1995: Coached We the People civics competition team

In 1995, Randi Weingarten coached Clara Barton High School's team for the We the People civics competition. The team won the New York State championship and finished 4th in the national championship.

1997: End of teaching career at Clara Barton High School

In 1997, Randi Weingarten ended her teaching career at Clara Barton High School in Crown Heights, Brooklyn.

1997: Elected UFT Treasurer

In 1997, Randi Weingarten was elected as the treasurer of the UFT.

1998: Opposed proposed dress code for teachers

In 1998, Randi Weingarten opposed a proposed dress code for teachers, deeming it a distraction from the core educational priorities.

1998: Appointment as UFT President

In 1998, Randi Weingarten was initially appointed as the president of the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) and was elected a Vice President of the AFT the same year.

1998: Stern dismisses Weingarten's claim

In spring 1998 in the City Journal, Sol Stern dismissed Weingarten's claim to support school reform as "pure union propaganda."

1999: Re-election as UFT President

In 1999, Randi Weingarten received 74 percent of the vote and was re-elected as UFT president.

1999: Stern contrasts 'Milwaukee's healthy approach to school choice' with Weingarten's promise

In 1999, Sol Stern contrasted "Milwaukee's healthy approach to school choice" with what he termed Weingarten's promise to "fight with every resource at [her] disposal any attempt by the mayor to create a voucher system" in New York.

September 2000: Began Negotiating First Contract as UFT President

In early September 2000, Randi Weingarten began negotiating her first contract as UFT president with the Giuliani administration.

November 15, 2000: Expiration of UFT Contract

On November 15, 2000, the UFT contract expired without a new agreement being reached.

March 2001: Talks Deadlocked; State Mediator Called In

By March 2001, negotiations between Randi Weingarten and the Giuliani administration had deadlocked, and a state mediator was called in.

November 2001: Michael Bloomberg Defeated Green in the Election

In November 2001, Michael Bloomberg defeated Green in the election.

2001: Re-elected for a Full Term as UFT President

In 2001, Randi Weingarten ran for a full term and was re-elected as UFT President.

2002: Salaries for New York City teachers rise

During her tenure as UFT president between 2002 and 2007, Randi Weingarten pushed for higher salaries and improved training for teachers. Between 2002 and 2007, salaries for New York City teachers rose 42 percent.

2002: Weingarten endorses George Pataki

In 2002, Randi Weingarten and the UFT endorsed Republican George Pataki for re-election as Governor of New York.

2002: Weingarten joins the Democratic National Committee

In 2002, Randi Weingarten, a lifelong Democrat, became a member of the Democratic National Committee (DNC).

May 31, 2003: Expiration of the UFT's Contract

On May 31, 2003, the UFT's contract expired, leading to contentious negotiations.

June 1, 2003: Retroactive Date for Wage Increase

June 1, 2003, was the retroactive date for a wage increase agreed upon in a tentative contract reached on October 3, 2005.

2003: Pushed for change to New York City Charter

In 2003, Randi Weingarten and the UFT advocated for amending the New York City Charter to mandate smaller class sizes; however, the charter revision became embroiled in lawsuits and was ultimately abandoned, although Weingarten persisted in advocating for smaller class sizes.

2003: UFT Headquarters Sold and Relocated

In 2003, Randi Weingarten sold the UFT's headquarters at 260 Park Avenue South and two other buildings and moved the union's offices to Lower Manhattan.

January 2004: Merit-Pay Deal Proposed

In January 2004, New York City School Chancellor Joel Klein proposed a merit-pay deal.

March 2004: Asked for State Mediation

In late March 2004, Randi Weingarten rejected proposals from Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein and asked for state mediation.

February 1, 2005: Weingarten deemed 'kingmaker'

On February 1, 2005, Julia Levy reported in the New York Sun that mayoral candidates were meeting with Weingarten, and "political experts" were saying that "Weingarten has become something of a kingmaker."

June 1, 2005: Rally at Madison Square Garden

On June 1, 2005, nearly 20,000 teachers attended a rally at Madison Square Garden where Randi Weingarten denounced Bloomberg and Klein, asked for a strike vote, and requested state arbitration.

June 16, 2005: Gelinas criticizes Weingarten's stance on merit pay

On June 16, 2005, Nicole Gelinas wrote in the conservative City Journal that "Weingarten declared that merit-pay plans 'pit teachers against each other instead of encouraging a collaborative school culture.' What Weingarten and the union do not see ... is that competition is healthy."

October 3, 2005: Tentative Contract Reached

On October 3, 2005, a tentative contract was reached, offering a wage increase of 14.25 percent over 52 months, retroactive to June 1, 2003, and changes to the workday and staffing decisions.

November 3, 2005: Ratification of UFT Contract

On November 3, 2005, the UFT contract was ratified with 63 percent of UFT members in favor.

2005: Started Organizing Childcare Providers

In 2005, Randi Weingarten began the campaign to organize childcare providers in New York City.

2005: Book Reference on Community-School Model

In 2005, former Boston Public Schools superintendent Thomas Payzant's book described that students' noneducational realities, such as nutritional deficiencies, medical problems, safety concerns, even daily hunger, are daunting barriers that can obstruct even the most flexible educational program.

November 6, 2006: Concluded Third Collective Bargaining Agreement

On November 6, 2006, Randi Weingarten concluded her third collective bargaining agreement, increasing pay by 7.1 percent over two years and raising base pay for senior teachers above $100,000 a year.

November 2006: Weingarten opposes tax credits for private school tuition

In November 2006, Randi Weingarten opposed proposals to allow parents to use tax credits to help pay to send their children to private school, comparing it to reimbursing people who drink bottled water instead of tap water.

March 30, 2007: Re-election to a Fourth Term as UFT President

On March 30, 2007, Randi Weingarten was re-elected to a fourth term as UFT President with 87 percent of the vote.

October 11, 2007: Publicly announced she is a lesbian

On October 11, 2007, Randi Weingarten publicly announced that she is a lesbian while accepting the Empire State Pride Agenda's 2007 Community Service Award and introduced her partner, Liz Margolies.

October 2007: Agreements on Pension Deal and Bonuses

In October 2007, Randi Weingarten agreed to two agreements with the city, seeking legislative approval for a new pension deal and providing bonuses to teachers in schools that showed improvement in student achievement.

October 2007: New Bronx apartment complex opened to UFT members

In October 2007, Randi Weingarten announced that a new apartment complex in the Bronx would be exclusively available to UFT members, addressing the affordability challenges faced by teachers wanting to live and raise families in the city.

October 19, 2007: Wolf argues Weingarten gained power for the UFT

On October 19, 2007, Andrew Wolf, in an op-ed in the New York Sun entitled "Socialism for Schools," argued that despite some observers' perception that "Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein [had] won a victory over the teachers' union by gaining approval of a merit pay scheme," the real winner was Weingarten, who had gained power for the UFT.

2007: Organizing Victory for Childcare Providers

In 2007, Randi Weingarten concluded a successful union campaign that added 28,000 childcare workers to the UFT.

2007: Weingarten negotiates controversial contract

In 2007, Randi Weingarten negotiated a controversial contract which paid teachers bonuses if their students' test scores rose.

February 12, 2008: AFT President Announced Retirement

On February 12, 2008, AFT President Edward J. McElroy announced he would retire at the union's convention in July, setting the stage for Randi Weingarten's election.

2008: Agreement between Weingarten and Michelle Rhee

In 2008, Randi Weingarten and District of Columbia public schools chancellor Michelle Rhee reached an agreement that allowed the termination of Washington Teachers' Union members evaluated as ineffective, after a one-year period.

2008: Elected President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)

In 2008, Randi Weingarten became president of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), an affiliate of the AFL–CIO. She is the first openly gay person elected to lead a national American labor union.

2008: Weingarten pledges to Hillary Clinton

In 2008, Randi Weingarten was a superdelegate pledged to Hillary Clinton during the presidential primary.

January 2009: Weingarten mentioned as possible candidate for U.S. Senate seat

In January 2009, Randi Weingarten was mentioned as a possible candidate in the appointment process to replace Hillary Clinton's U.S. Senate seat.

June 2009: Negotiated Pension Modifications

In June 2009, Randi Weingarten negotiated pension modifications for new teachers in exchange for maintaining the age 55 pension and allowing teachers to return to their traditional post-Labor Day start date.

June 25, 2009: Stern argues agreement would harm Gotham's students

On June 25, 2009, Sol Stern argued that an agreement reached between Randi Weingarten and the Bloomberg administration on teacher pensions would "probably wind up harming Gotham's students."

July 7, 2009: WSJ criticizes Weingarten's statement

On July 7, 2009, The Wall Street Journal reacted to Weingarten's statement that New York City is "the best laboratory in the world for trying new things" by asserting this could be true "if it weren't for Ms. Weingarten's union," and wrote that the UFT under her direction had done everything possible "to block significant reforms to New York's public schools."

July 31, 2009: Stepped Down as UFT President

On July 31, 2009, Randi Weingarten stepped down from her position as president of the United Federation of Teachers.

September 30, 2009: Stern asserts UFT and Bloomberg administration working relationship

On September 30, 2009, in the City Journal, Sol Stern asserted that "the UFT and the Bloomberg administration [had] increasingly developed a cartel-like working relationship, with New York taxpayers paying the price."

2009: Klein calls teacher tenure policies 'ridiculous'

In a 2009 essay by Steven Brill in The New Yorker, New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein was quoted as calling the teacher tenure policies defended by the UFT "ridiculous"—with Klein asserting that "the three principles that govern our system are lockstep compensation, seniority, and tenure. All three are not right for our children."

2010: Interference in Washington Teachers Union elections

In 2010, Randi Weingarten and the AFT were accused of interfering in the Washington Teachers Union (WTU) local elections. Weingarten imposed a deadline for the election and ultimately took over the election, which was met with objections.

January 16, 2011: Criticism of Final Paycheck from UFT

On January 16, 2011, an opinion piece in the New York Post criticized Randi Weingarten's final paycheck from the UFT, referring to it as a $194,188 "golden parachute."

February 2011: Weingarten acknowledges need for tenure reform

In a February 2011 interview, Randi Weingarten acknowledged that "tenure needs to be reformed," noting that the AFT had adopted recommendations for tenure reform.

2011: Weingarten offers plan to reshape tenure

In 2011, Randi Weingarten offered a plan that would rely on a teacher-evaluation system with multiple parts—including assessment of student improvement on tests—to give tenured teachers rated unsatisfactory one year to improve, and allow the firing of teachers who fail to meet that deadline within the next 100 days.

2011: Plagiarism accusation

In 2011, a speech given by Randi Weingarten was found to have been plagiarized from a NY1 series about a flawed Board of Education computer system, leading to accusations of plagiarism.

2011: Defended LIFO policy

In a 2011 Wall Street Journal interview, Randi Weingarten defended the LIFO (Last In, First Out) policy, also known as teacher seniority, stating that while it may not be perfect, it is the best mechanism available to avoid cronyism, corruption, and discrimination in teacher layoffs.

October 2012: Weingarten and Christie reach compromise

In October 2012, Randi Weingarten and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie reached a "landmark compromise," agreeing on a new contract for teachers in the Newark school system. Weingarten agreed to embrace the concept of merit pay in exchange for a promise that teachers would have a rare role in evaluating performance.

December 2012: Relationship with Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum

In December 2012, Randi Weingarten was in a relationship with Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah.

2012: Weingarten criticizes merit pay schemes

In 2012, Randi Weingarten criticized what she calls "merit pay schemes".

March 2013: Arrested During Protest

In March 2013, Randi Weingarten was among 19 people arrested while protesting a Philadelphia School Reform Commission meeting on school closures.

April 2013: WSJ editorial board paints Weingarten

In April 2013, the Wall Street Journal editorial board painted Randi Weingarten as "trying to strong-arm pension trustees not to invest in hedge funds or private-equity funds that support education reform." Weingarten tried to sandbag hedge fund investor Dan Loeb at a conference sponsored by the Council of Institutional Investors, describing her as troubled by the fact "that Mr. Loeb puts his own money behind school reform and charter schools."

2013: Debate on Charter Schools

In 2013, Randi Weingarten argued in a debate in New Haven that charter schools pull money from regular school districts.

2013: AFT study charges hedge-fund managers with conflict of interest

In 2013, an AFT study charged some hedge-fund managers with a conflict of interest, stating that while managing teachers' defined benefit pensions, some fund managers had "support[ed] groups like the Manhattan Institute, which has recommended replacing pensions with 401(k)-type plans, and Students First, whose national branch advocates eliminating defined-benefit plans."

December 2014: Wrote about almost being raped

In December 2014, Randi Weingarten wrote in Jezebel about an experience where she had almost been raped just after her junior year in college.

2014: Weingarten attacks 401(k) plans

In 2014, Randi Weingarten attacked those who advocate converting defined benefit pensions to 401(k) plans, arguing that retirees are likely to receive less under the new plans than they need to get by.

2014: Weingarten defends teacher tenure

In 2014, Randi Weingarten resisted attempts to curtail tenure protections for public-school teachers, arguing that removing tenure would hurt classroom instruction quality. She stated that states with the highest academic performance have the strongest due process protections for teachers and that at-risk kids need experienced teachers who need support and the ability to voice concerns.

2015: Criticism of Testing and Data

In 2015, Randi Weingarten criticized the overemphasis on testing and data in public education, while acknowledging the role of standardized tests as one evaluation tool.

2015: Support for Every Student Succeeds Act

In 2015, The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) passed into law with the AFT's support.

2015: AFT report criticizes hedge funds

In 2015, the AFT prepared a report that concluded that hedge fund investments "exacted a high cost, had laggard returns and generally moved in tandem with the overall stock market."

2015: Report on the Walton Foundation

In 2015, the AFT, during Randi Weingarten's presidency, released a report co-authored with In the Public Interest, criticizing the Walton Foundation's pursuit of a "market-based model" for education.

March 25, 2018: Married Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum

On March 25, 2018, Randi Weingarten married Rabbi Sharon Kleinbaum of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah.

2020: Weingarten considered for Secretary of Education

In 2020, Randi Weingarten was named a candidate for Secretary of Education in the Biden administration. She was also an elector for the State of New York in the 2020 United States presidential election.

November 2022: Called "most dangerous person in the world" by Mike Pompeo

In November 2022, Mike Pompeo referred to Randi Weingarten as the "most dangerous person in the world," alleging that American schools are failing to educate children in basic skills and instead teach them inappropriate content.

2023: Response to Marjorie Taylor Greene about being a mother

In 2023, Randi Weingarten responded to Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) that she was a mother by marriage after being asked if she was a mother.

2023: Weingarten makes controversial statements on school choice

In a 2023 interview, Randi Weingarten made controversial statements regarding advocates for "school choice" and "parental rights," drawing criticism and accusations of racism and religious bias.