Linda Roberts Case

In that position, Roberts formed five locals and led an organizing drive for workers in the city’s four mental hospitals. Under Roberts’ leadership, DC 37 represented approximately 125,000 public workers in New York City and state, 50,000 retirees, 1,000 job titles and 55 locals. Once she moved to New York, Roberts continued her mission of fighting for worker rights by organizing thousands of city hospital workers in 1966. Roberts was against privatization of public services and costly government waste.
In 2006, Ms. Roberts led negotiations for a new contract including a 10% raise, additional funding for the union’s Health and Security Funds, and no concessions. This contract was famously considered one of the best contracts in the union’s
In 2007, with the support of AFSCME, Roberts set out to reach out to non-union workers in DC 37-related titles and bring them the benefits of union membership. Roberts played a major role in organizing new members and establishing many benefits, including the largest union-based adult education program in the U.S. During her 17-year tenure with DC 37, the union’s ranks skyrocketed from 30,000 to 120,000.
In 1995, Linda Chavez-Thompson of AFL-CIO was elected executive vice president. She was the first person of color to be elected to one of the federation’s three highest offices. She is of Mexican descent and was one of the highest ranking elected woman officers’ in the labor history. She came from humble beginnings; Chavez-Thompson worked along with her parents in the cotton fields of Texas. She understood what it was like to struggle and work in less than desirable working conditions.
Chavez-Thompson wasn’t a novice in the labor union movement; she brought more than 35 years of experience to the field. In 2005, she was reelected to a new four year term. Chavez-Thompson came up through the ranks. She served in various capacities in the labor movement such as International President, national vice president, etc. She was appointed by President Bill Clinton to the President’s Initiative on Race and as vice-chair of the President's Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities
It treated the all black porter staff as subhuman. Tucker got to see firsthand the treatment of the Pullman porters. "But it wasn't only the pay and hours that were bad," Tucker remembered. "Pullman porters were all black. They were called 'George' and could be fired just for not smiling frequently and not looking happy." They collected above decent tips because the worked the sleeping coaches sections by make beds and shining businessmen shoes. If any equipment was scratched or broken, the repair costs were deducted from the porters’ already low