Reg Weaver, former Illinois and National Education Association president, dies at 86

Educators and union leaders this week remembered a trailblazer for collective bargaining rights in Illinois.

Former Illinois Education Association President Reginald "Reg" Weaver died Tuesday. He was 86.

Weaver was a lifelong educator and organizer ,and served as head of the Illinois Education Association from 1981 until 1987. He was the first Black president of the group.

During his tenure at the help of the IEA, Weaver led the battle to ensure collective bargaining rights for teachers in Illinois, according to the union.

Weaver was born in downstate Danville and graduated from Danville High School, the IA noted. He earned a degree in special education from Illinois State University in 1961, and a master's degree from Roosevelt University in 1971.

Weaver spent 30 years as a teacher in the south Chicago suburb of Harvey. He served as the president of the Harvey Education Association from 1967 until 1971, and as an IEA board member from 1971 until 1977.

Weaver ran unsuccessfully for president of the IEA in 1973 and lost. Afterward, he built a minority caucus to increase the number of people of color who attended the union's Representative Assembly and who made decision to guide the association, the IEA said.

The IEA was the only union to back Republican Jim Thompson for governor in 1978, and he credited the union for his victory, the IEA said. Gov, Thompson in turn supported the passage of collective bargaining rights for teachers, and signed the Illinois Education Labor Relations Act in 1984, when Weaver was at the helm of the union, the IEA said.

Weaver went on to serve as president of the National Education Association from 2002 to 2008, and also served in the leadership of Education International, which represents 29 million teachers and education workers in 169 countries, the IEA said.