Lorretta Johnson, who has been president of the Baltimore Teachers Union's paraprofessional chapter since the 1970s, may finally be moving on to a new job. She is running -- and so far is the only announced candidate -- for executive vice president of the American Federation of Teachers, which, with 1.4 million members, is the nation's second-largest teachers union.
Johnson is campaigning on a slate with Randi Weingarten, president of New York City's United Federation of Teachers, America's largest union local. Weingarten is running to replace retiring AFT president Edward McElroy. AFT's current executive vice president, Antonia Cortese, is running on their slate for secretary-treasurer.
More than 3,000 delegates will vote in the AFT election at the union's convention in Chicago this weekend, where Hillary Clinton is a featured speaker and Barack Obama will address the group via satellite. Election results are scheduled to be announced Monday morning.
In addition to her role with the BTU, Johnson is currently president of AFT-Maryland and an AFT vice president. If elected as AFT's executive vice president, she would occupy one of the union's top three leadership positions, a full-time job.