By LILLIAN ROBERTS
Executive Director
District Council 37, AFSCME, AFL-CIO

Since I am retiring at the end of this year, this will be my last column as the executive director of your union. Consider it a love letter to you, the members of DC 37.

While I get credit for our many accomplishments - our new contract, our recent victories against contracting out our jobs, the largest education program and the broadest array of benefits provided by any union in this country - none of this would have been possible without your strength and support.

As union members, we are all our brothers' and sisters' keepers. Following that religious principle - which I learned from my mother at an early age - I have worked to lighten life's burdens and expand opportunity for our members, and that has given great meaning to my life.

As a union organizer and leader, I am proud to have been part of the endless struggle of minorities and the working class for economic and social justice, and I am fortunate to have been able to exert my caring, loving feelings in practical ways and feel useful to others.

From the 1960s to 2014

• Early in my time here, after city hospital workers chose DC 37 as their union, we created a program that let Nurse's Aides move up the career ladder to Licensed Practical Nurse. I was thrilled to have given those dedicated members an opportunity I never had as a young Chicago hospital worker, and gratified that we were able to build DC 37's extensive education program on the foundation laid by that course.

• A few years ago, when the former mayor tried to lay off 600 School Aides while his Department of Education handed billions of our tax dollars to private companies by contracting out, I was outraged at the injustice. Our members mobilized in solidarity as we involved our national union, the City Council and the federal government in our fightback. I had a tremendous sense of satisfaction as we saved those jobs.

• It was a long time before anyone heard us shouting that our members could do public service work more efficiently than the private sector. I believe knowledge is power, so we did our research and laid out the facts for the City Council and our Congress members, and now the tide is turning. Never give up when you are right. With hard work and solidarity, we can do what we need.

• The toughest mayor I can remember since the 1960s started our recent economic negotiations demanding huge health care payments from our members and blocking retroactive pay for the years we went without raises, but I said NO and we never gave back a thing. Our political involvement put us and our city in a better place, and I was determined to get our members a good contract. Our new agreement was a big step for our hard-working public service employees, and I was gratified that 96 percent of you voted yes on it.

I know I am leaving the union in good hands, because the Executive Board voted unanimously for Associate Director Henry Garrido to fill out my term for the next year. He is sharp, honest, very hard-working, always open to others' ideas and totally dedicated to serving our members. Nobody starts out with 60 years of experience, but he will grow in the job, because he has all the "right stuff."

Now I will be leaving my wonderful District Council 37 family to spend more time with my own family. I leave you with some sadness and all the love in the world, and my thanks for the blessings and support you have given me. I know we accomplished a lot together.