AFT’s Weingarten on the Death of St. Tammany Leader Elsie Burkhalter

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten made the following statement on the Dec. 10 death of AFT Vice President Elsie Burkhalter.

“The AFT family is saddened by the loss of Elsie Burkhalter, who made our union better, her community stronger, and devoted her life to fighting for education, opportunity and the rights of working people.

“Elsie Burkhalter served as president of the St. Tammany Federation of Teachers and School Employees from its ‪inception in 1979 until 2015, and served as a vice president of the American Federation of Teachers from 2008 to 2016. She was also a vice president of the Louisiana Federation of Teachers as well as the Louisiana AFL-CIO.

“Elsie Burkhalter led her local to win collective bargaining rights for all school employees—St. Tammany Parish is one of only a handful of school districts in Louisiana with collective bargaining. 

“Elsie Burkhalter gave back to her community through her service on the University of Louisiana System board of supervisors for 18 years, including two years as its chair; she was the first woman and first African-American to hold that position. She also served on the Slidell City Council and was involved in numerous organizations such as the Workforce Investment Board, Louisiana Center for Women in Government and Business, Slidell Women’s Civic Club and the League of Women Voters. She was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Louisiana Democratic Party. 

“Elsie Burkhalter was unwavering in her work, her efforts for educators and students, and her community. We appreciate and respect all that she did to make sure the world is better for future generations.”