Margaret Blackshere
Margaret Blackshere was a labor leader.
Early life and education
Blackshere was raised in the Metro-East area of southwestern Illinois.[1]
She received her master's degree in education at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.[1]
Career
Blackshere began her career as a kindergarten teacher in Madison, Illinois. There, she organized her fellow teachers, leading to the school's teachers becoming affiliated with the Illinois Federation of Teachers, part of the International Federation of Teachers.[1]
In 1993, Blackshere was elected Secretary-Treasurer of the Illinois AFL-CIO. In 2000, she was elected President of the organization. She was the first woman to hold the position.[1]
Personal life
Blackshere had two sons. She died in 2019 of complications of Parkinson’s disease.[1]