< 25 Top Pension Power Players
25. Randi Weingarten
President, American
Federation of Teachers
Randi Weingarten, head of the American Federation of Teachers, is among the most impassioned leaders fighting for defined benefit pension plans. Representing 1.6 million teachers nationwide, the 59-year-old has a big budget and considerable political power behind her, but she’s got good reason for concern: There’s no doubt that she and the teachers she serves will lose influence under Republican President Donald Trump. Since Trump nominated charter school advocate Betsy DeVos (No. 3) to head the Department of Education, Weingarten has been using her bully pulpit to slam DeVos on her charter record and her support for the restructuring of government pensions in Michigan. Weingarten continues to battle hedge funds that manage teachers’ pension investments, calling for institutional investors to shun managers with high costs and those who work against issues important to teachers. — Julie Segal
The 2017 Pension Political Power 25
1. Andy Puzder 2. Bruce Rauner 3. Betsy DeVos 4. Laura & John Arnold 5. Steven Mnuchin |
6. Wilbur Ross 7. Tani Cantil-Sakauye 8. Paul Ryan 9. Anthony Scaramucci 10. Kevin de León |
11. Mike Enzi 12. Steve Sweeney 13. Jerry Brown 14. Corey Lewandowski 15. Paul Singer |
16. Randel Johnson 17. Joe Manchin 18. Kenneth Feinberg 19. Scott Walker 20. Richard Trumka |
21. Mike Rawlings 22. Elizabeth Warren 23. Kent Mason 24. Bernie Sanders 25. Randi Weingarten |
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