[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 9 (Tuesday, January 31, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S364-S365]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN MEMORY OF WILLIAM R. ROBERTSON

 Mrs. BOXER. Mr. President, I am deeply saddened to inform you 
of the passing of Bill Robertson, former secretary treasurer for the 
Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. I would like to take a 
few moments to recognize Bill Robertson's many important 
accomplishments and the tremendous impact he made on the labor 
movement.
  Born in St. Paul, MN, Bill Robertson was a man with humble 
beginnings. He lost both his parents when he was a child and lived in 
an orphanage for a brief period. Growing up in difficult circumstances 
in the middle of the Great Depression shaped Bill's social and personal 
beliefs. He intimately understood the struggle that working men and 
women faced to achieve dignity in the United States.
  Bill led the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor for nearly two 
decades. During his tenure, he fought for the rights of working people 
with passion and great success. In 1975, Bill

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Robertson became secretary-treasurer for the Los Angeles County 
Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. Under his leadership, The Los Angeles 
County Federation of Labor saw phenomenal growth. He coordinated many 
successful labor rights victories and spent a great deal of time 
building the labor movement and fighting for fairness and equality. In 
addition to his efforts to further the labor movement, Bill Robertson 
took steps to assist the city of Los Angeles' homeless population. In 
the winter of 1985, the city of Los Angeles had authorized a temporary 
tent shelter to be erected for the city's homeless population. Bill 
Robertson found this solution to be inadequate and successfully 
persuaded then Mayor Tom Bradley to authorize construction of a 
temporary structure to house the 138-bed shelter. Bill Robertson 
rallied volunteer laborers and secured union funds to buy the 
construction materials.
  Bill also played a major role in bringing prominence and recognition 
to the city of Los Angeles. In addition to assisting city officials 
with securing the rights to host the 1984 Olympic Games, Bill also 
played a pivotal role in establishing a home for a professional 
football team in Los Angeles. It was through his role as chief 
negotiator in the $6.7-million deal in 1980 that brought the Raiders 
football team from Oakland to the Los Angeles Coliseum. Bill Robertson 
considered this achievement as one of the proudest of his career.
  I invite all of my colleagues to join me and the many members of the 
labor community in recognizing and honoring Bill Robertson for his 
guidance and lifelong effort in fighting to improve the lives of 
working people. He is survived by his wife, Dresden Graham Robertson; 
his two sons, William and Robert; three grandchildren; and four great-
grandchildren.

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