Randi Weingarten

On June 25, 2025, in Washington, DC, GAIN Power will present Randi Weingarten with the Lee Saunders Labor Leader Award as part of our Powerful IDEA Awards Program. This program recognizes the talent and leadership, organizations, programs, communications, and technology powering progressive politics and Impacting Democracy, Elections, and Advocacy. The Awards Program will highlight nine special marquee awardees and over 250 community-nominated and voted awards across 80 categories. GAIN Power is a platform for the professional community of people and organizations powering progressive politics. The Powerful IDEA Awards are an annual industry program to celebrate and elevate the professional community making our democracy work.

Award Purpose

Named in honor of AFSCME President Lee Saunders, this award recognizes Organized Labor as the progressive movement’s backbone and honors the individuals who drive the Labor Movement forward. Labor leaders are essential figures in the progressive movement, understanding the vital connections between electoral organizing, advocacy, and representation of working families. These leaders recognize the importance of electing officials who support unions and collaborating with organizations fighting for healthcare, education, economic opportunity, justice, voting rights, and other critical issues.

Awardee

This year, we are presenting the Lee Saunders Labor Leader Award to Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers.

About Randi Weingarten

Randi Weingarten stands as one of the most influential labor leaders of our time, serving as President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) since 2008. A former high school history teacher and attorney, Randi has dedicated her career to fighting for educators, students, and working families across America. Under her leadership, the AFT has grown into a powerful force for progressive change, representing 1.7 million teachers, paraprofessionals, school-related personnel, and higher education faculty and staff.

Transformative Leadership

Randi’s leadership extends far beyond traditional union advocacy. She has powerfully championed public education as the cornerstone of our democracy and economy while building exceptional coalitions across movements. Her strategic vision connects the fight for quality public education to broader struggles for economic justice, civil rights, and democratic participation. As a fierce advocate for evidence-based policies, she has consistently pushed for investments in public schools, fair wages for educators, and resources that help all students succeed.

Coalition Builder and Movement Connector

What sets Randi apart is her deep understanding of the connections between electoral organizing, advocacy, and representing working families. She has consistently demonstrated that unions and their leaders are central to advancing progressive causes and supporting the Democratic Party. Her work extends across sectors, building bridges between labor, civil rights organizations, healthcare advocates, and community groups to create powerful coalitions for change.

Democracy Defender

Throughout her tenure, Randi has been a tireless defender of democratic values and institutions. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she fought tirelessly to ensure schools could reopen safely while advocating for the resources educators and students needed. She has been a vocal opponent of efforts to undermine public education through privatization schemes and has consistently stood up against attacks on teachers and their unions.

Progressive Movement Leadership

Randi’s influence extends throughout the progressive political ecosystem. She serves on numerous boards and advisory committees, lending her expertise to efforts ranging from economic policy to civil rights advocacy. Her voice carries weight in Democratic Party circles, where she has been instrumental in shaping education policy and building support for pro-worker candidates at all levels of government.

Recognition

GAIN Power is honored to recognize Randi with the Lee Saunders Labor Leader Award for her decades of work advocating for her members, building a stronger labor movement, and advancing progressive values across our democracy. Her leadership exemplifies the critical role that labor leaders play in powering progressive politics and fighting for the working families who form the backbone of our movement.

Part of the Powerful IDEA Awards

This award is part of GAIN Power’s Powerful IDEA Awards Program, which celebrates talent and leadership, organizations, programs, communications, and technology powering progressive politics and Impacting Democracy, Elections, and Advocacy. The annual industry program highlights both special marquee awardees and community-nominated and voted awards, celebrating the professional community making our democracy work.

Additional Information

For more information about Randi’s leadership, visit the American Federation of Teachers website.

Follow Randi Weingarten and the AFT on social media to stay connected with their ongoing advocacy work.

• X (formerly Twitter): @rweingarten
• Facebook: @rweingarten
• Instagram: @randiweingarten
• Bluesky: @rweingarten.bsky.social
• LinkedIn: Randi WeingartenBluesky SocialLinkedIn
  For more information about her work and initiatives, visit her page on the AFT website: Randi Weingarten – AFT American Federation of Teachers

Celebrate AFT President Randi Weingarten on June 25th