District Council 37
Encyclopedia
District Council 37 was chartered in 1944 by AFSCME to represent public employees in New York City
. It was small and relatively unsuccessful under its first president, Henry Feinstein. But under the leadership of Jerry Wurf, who took over DC37 in 1952, the union grew to 25,000 members by 1957, and 36,000 members in 1962.
When Wurf became president of AFSCME in 1964, he was ultimately replaced later that year by Victor Gotbaum
, who was president of DC37 until 1987. Under Gotbaum, the union continued to grow in numbers and power.
Gotbaum had a number of people who worked closely with him to build the union. They included: Lillian Roberts
, Associate Director in charge of Organization; Edwin Maher
, Associate Director in charge of employees; Daniel Nelson, head of the Department of Research; Julius Topol, DC37 counsel; Bernard Stephens, editor of the Public Employee Press; and Alan Viani
, who took over as head of the Department of Research in 1973 after Nelson's death.
Gotbaum's successor was Stanley Hill, who subsequently resigned in 1998 due to a major scandal in the union. After a trusteeship by AFSCME, Hill was ultimately succeeded in 2002 by Lillian Roberts, who first started working with Gotbaum in 1959.
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. It was small and relatively unsuccessful under its first president, Henry Feinstein. But under the leadership of Jerry Wurf, who took over DC37 in 1952, the union grew to 25,000 members by 1957, and 36,000 members in 1962.
When Wurf became president of AFSCME in 1964, he was ultimately replaced later that year by Victor Gotbaum
Victor Gotbaum
Victor H. Gotbaum was an American labor leader. From 1965 to 1987, he was president of AFSCME District Council 37 , the largest municipal union in New York City.-Biography:...
, who was president of DC37 until 1987. Under Gotbaum, the union continued to grow in numbers and power.
Gotbaum had a number of people who worked closely with him to build the union. They included: Lillian Roberts
Lillian Roberts
Lillian Roberts is currently the Executive Director of DC37, the largest municipal union in New York City. She was first elected to this position in 2002....
, Associate Director in charge of Organization; Edwin Maher
Edwin Maher
Edwin Maher is a New Zealand-born TV journalist who now works for CCTV International in Beijing, China.Maher established his broadcast career in Australia, working many minor roles, particularly as a weatherman, in many cities before beginning a 25-year stint with Australian Broadcasting...
, Associate Director in charge of employees; Daniel Nelson, head of the Department of Research; Julius Topol, DC37 counsel; Bernard Stephens, editor of the Public Employee Press; and Alan Viani
Alan Viani
Alan Viani was head of the Department of Research at DC37, the largest municipal union in New York City, from 1973 to 1985. He was later involved with resolving the 2005 NYC transit strike....
, who took over as head of the Department of Research in 1973 after Nelson's death.
Gotbaum's successor was Stanley Hill, who subsequently resigned in 1998 due to a major scandal in the union. After a trusteeship by AFSCME, Hill was ultimately succeeded in 2002 by Lillian Roberts, who first started working with Gotbaum in 1959.