Randi Weingarten

Additional state aid was secured about a week later raising hopes for a contract. She has been called the only municipal union leader on par with the powerful union presidents of the 1970s who helped rescue New York City from bankruptcy—Victor Gotbaum executive director of AFSCME District Council 37; Albert Shanker president of the UFT; and Barry Feinstein president of Teamsters Local 237. Weingarten handled high-level grievances for the union.

In an editorial on July 3 2009 titled "Head of the class: Outgoing UFT chief Randi Weingarten did right by her members" the New York Daily News said "Randi Weingarten will be remembered as one of New York's most formidable union leaders—one with toughness savvy and smarts to spare". On June 24 2009 Weingarten announced Randi Weingarten would step down from her post as president of the United Federation of Teachers effective July 31 2009. New York magazine called her one of the most influential people in education in New York state.