Public Employee Press

Roberts receives City Council proclamation

At a Dec. 14 celebration in Brooklyn, City Council member Darlene Mealy presented DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts with an official City of New York proclamation honoring her tireless advocacy on behalf of public workers over a career in the labor movement that began with organizing hospital workers in Chicago and has spanned five decades.

Mealy represents the 41st District in Brooklyn, where many DC 37 members live.

"Ms. Roberts has fought to maintain public-sector jobs, she was instrumental in establishing the union's Municipal Employees Housing Program to make
housing affordable for city workers, and through her organizing efforts the union has grown to 120,000 members," said Mealy.

Mealy praised Roberts for her fight against contracting out of city jobs and services to the private sector. "Through her leadership and the union's research,
we have learned about the true costs of outsourcing city services to outside contractors.

The union's historic white paper, 'Massive Waste in a Time of Need,' was issued under her leadership," said Mealy.