Public Employee Press

Lifetime Achievement Award to Lillian Roberts



A GLOWING HIGH POINT of AFSCME's 2014 convention was a beautiful tribute to DC 37 Executive Director Lillian Roberts, who is an International Vice President of the 1.6 million-member union.

AFSCME President Lee Saunders presented the union's highest accolade - the Lifetime Achievement Award - to Roberts July 15, for her six decades of fighting for the rights of working people.

"Throughout the years Lillian has been a friend, a colleague and a mentor, not just to me but to countless others," Saunders said, and 4,000 delegates rose in applause. A video shown to the delegates recounted her union career of extraordinary dedication, sacrifice and service to public service employees.

A member since the 1950s, Roberts grew up poor on Chicago's tough South Side with the help of public assistance. She went to work young as a Nurse's Aide and fought for respect and economic justice by organizing her co-workers, building five locals and leading three strikes.

"If she hadn't come along and helped to lay the foundation for collective bargaining, it's possible that there wouldn't be collective bargaining today in the state of Illinois," said Henry Bayer, executive director of Illinois Council 51.

Her organizing and leadership skills impressed DC 37 Executive Director Victor Gotbaum, who brought her to New York in 1965.

"I got the opportunity because someone believed in me and that someone was Victor Gotbaum," recalled Roberts, who promptly began organizing hospital workers. She led District Council 37's single most important organizing drive, the historic campaign that made DC 37 the union of the majority of all New York City employees and led to the first Citywide Contract.

With Roberts as associate director from 1967 to 1981, DC 37 built the nation's largest union education program and its membership skyrocketed from 30,000 to 120,000. In a futile attempt to thwart her AFSCME organizing drive at state hospitals, Gov. Nelson Rockefeller refused to negotiate with the union, provoked a 10-day strike and had Roberts jailed for violating an anti-strike law.

After serving the working people of New York State as Labor Commissioner - the first African-American woman in such a high position - from 1981 to 1987, Roberts later returned to DC 37 and was unanimously elected Executive Director in 2002.

"Without her support and the support of DC 37, I wouldn't have become the first African-American mayor of New York City," said David Dinkins.

"If there were 100 Lillian Robertses, America would be a much better place," U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer said in the video tribute, which can be viewed at www.dc37.net.

"I've worked in the labor movement my whole life," Roberts said, "so this was a moving moment for me."