Lillian Roberts, the longtime labor organizer who led District Council 37 for more than a decade, died Thursday, city officials and union leaders said. From the hospital floor to the union hall, Roberts spent decades fighting for the dignity and pay of New York’s public workers, becoming one of the most recognizable forces in the city’s labor movement. Her passing drew swift tributes from City Hall and national union leaders.
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani wrote on X that “Lillian Roberts dedicated her life to working people” and credited her with helping build “a stronger, more just New York.” The mayor also noted that AFSCME is mourning Roberts and has called her a “giant of the labor movement.”
From Nurse’s Aide to Union Leader
Roberts began her career as a nurse’s aide and rose through AFSCME ranks, organizing hospital workers and expanding training and benefits for aides. She later served in state government and returned to lead DC 37 as executive director from 2002 through 2014, according to the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies. Her long career included high‑profile organizing drives and a stint as New York State industrial commissioner.
Tributes and a Scholarship in Her Name
Colleagues pointed to Roberts’ work building DC 37’s Education Fund and other member services as central to her legacy. AFSCME and DC 37 previously honored her with an endowed scholarship and public tributes, per AFSCME…