Texas – In Memoriam: AFSCME Pioneer, Wanda Weaver

Carrollton, Texas

Tenacious — Wanda Naomi Weaver, 1920-2008, was an AFSCME pioneer and activist. 

Photo Credit: Family Photo

Wanda Naomi Weaver, a courageous and feisty union activist who helped AFSCME International Pres. Gerald W. McEntee found Pennsylvania Local 2534 (AFSCME Council 90) and Pennsylvania Council 13, died Jan. 15 in Carrollton, Texas, after a brief illness. She was 88.

A clerk in the tax department of the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation until she retired in 1987, Weaver demonstrated her courage during a 1975 strike by 70,000 state employees when police officers handcuffed and dragged her down the steps of the state capitol building, injuring her severely. She later refused to accept the governor's pardon, explaining she didn't need one for standing up for the rights of her members.

“Wanda will be sorely missed by everyone who knew her,” says President McEntee. “She was my ‘get-it-done' person—there was nothing she couldn't accomplish.”

Mike Fox, director of AFSCME Council 89 and an International vice president, says “Wanda Weaver will always be remembered for her passionate and aggressive representation of our members.” Donations in Weaver's memory can be made to the AFSCME Fallen Heroes Fund, 1625 L St., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-5687; the American Lung Association or any shelter for battered women.