Remember Gotbaum for Toughness, Guts, Vision and Some Blind Spots

Victor Gotbaum, who built District Council 37 into one of the most-formidable public employee unions in the nation during a 22-year tenure that began with the city welfare strike in January 1965, following his death April 5 at 93 was lionized by tabloid editorial writers and columnists who never much liked him while he held power—and the feeling was mutual.

A more-heartfelt tribute came from American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten, who got her start in the union world as a young lawyer working for Albert Shanker—with whom Mr. Gotbaum famously feuded even when they were working together during the fiscal crisis to rescue the city from the lip of bankruptcy in 1975.