Public Employee Press

Roberts honored at conference on race and labor

By ALFREDO ALVARADO

DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts addressed a gathering of labor activists and scholars Dec. 4 and received the new Achievement in Labor Leadership Award.

“We need to be aware that there is a new racism being driven by management that compounds racial problems,” Ms. Roberts told participants at the two-day Race and Labor Conference.

“I am honored to receive the first annual William Lucy Award. I accept it on behalf of the 125,000 members of DC37 and our 50,000 retirees,” she said.

Her award is named after William Lucy, the secretary treasurer of AFSCME, DC 37’s parent union, and a founder of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.

“He is one of the greatest freedom fighters I know,” said Gerry Hudson of SEIU Local 1199. Long-time labor activist Bill Fletcher Jr. and professor and author Manning Marable also received awards at the conference, which was hosted by the Brooklyn College Graduate Center for Worker Education.

Panels discussed affirmative action, immigration, labor-community relations, globalization, anti-racist union efforts, gender issues, union democracy and the possibilities for change.

“Immigrants and minorities are both exploited. Labor should protect them and fight for their rights. We did it for blacks in the 1960s, and we should do it for immigrants today,” said Ms. Roberts.

The conference featured workshops and candid discussions around the relations of race and class in the labor movement. “Racism acts as a blinder on the eyes of white workers,” said Charlene Mitchell of SSEU Local 371, at the opening plenary session.

“We need a thriving labor movement to fight racism,” said Roger Toussaint, president of Transport Workers Local 100. “When the labor movement was at its best, it championed the rights of immigrants.” He joined Ms. Mitchell and Daily News columnist Juan González on the panel.

Mr. González also addressed the issue of immigration and the nation’s growing Hispanic population. “The new immigrants from Latin America have radically transformed cities across the United States,” said Mr. González. “And they bring with them a class consciousness. They didn’t just decide to join Janitors for Justice overnight.”

While union membership has declined nationwide, the AFL-CIO’s Stewart Acuff pointed out some encouraging trends. According to Mr. Acuff, in recent years more than 125,000 home care workers, mostly African American and immigrants, have joined unions, becoming the fastest growing sector in the labor movement.