US News

WEINGARTEN TO STEP DOWN AS TEACHERS UNION HEAD

Longtime union honcho Randi Weingarten will announce her resignation as head of the city’s powerful teachers’ union — the nation’s largest — at a delegate meeting next Wednesday, union sources told The Post this afternoon.

She’ll stay on through late July or early August before giving way to the United Federation of Teacher’s second in command, former carpenter, teacher and union vice president, Michael Mulgrew.

PAGE SIX: SHE’S HOT FOR TEACHER RANDI

Weingarten, 50, who last July was elected to serve as president of the UFTs umbrella organization, the American Federation of Teachers, told The Post in February that she would have left her city position earlier if it hadn’t been for the economic crisis.

After she steps down, Weingarten will continue as head of the 1.4 million-member AFT, but not before finishing city business, sources said.

This includes negotiating a new teachers contract — which expires in October.

“She doesn’t like to leave thing undone,” said one source. “Whatever she thinks she needs to do before she leaves, she’ll get done.”

Weingarten, who is just the fourth president in the UFT’s history, has headed the group since 1998.