Robin Lee
Housekeeper, Facilities Services
Robin Lee is a caring, committed leader who has resolved to improve working conditions for housekeepers at Carolina. Lee uses her voice and story to bring attention to a group of hard workers whose daily labor often goes unnoticed.
Lee has worked for the state of North Carolina for 20 years, and she joined UNC-Chapel Hill in 2019 as a housekeeper in Kenan Residence Hall. She keeps all the common areas clean for the 120 Carolina students who call the building home.
Kenan Residence Hall is named for Mary Lily Kenan Flagler Bingham, who in 1917 donated money to ensure Carolina professors received competitive salaries — a move that helped the University become one of the nation’s leading institutions of higher education.
Lee is also motivated to increase salaries — for herself and her fellow housekeepers. She has advocated for higher wages, becoming the public voice of the effort. She has shared her personal story with the media and encouraged others to do the same. She organizes and attends rallies and often speaks for others who are afraid to. She has traveled to Raleigh to meet with lawmakers and ask for their support.
Known for her dedication and commitment, Lee currently puts in extra hours because the housekeeping department is short staffed. She mentors other members of the Zone 13 team and serves on the recognition committee to ensure that her co-workers know that they are seen and valued. Lee calls herself a fighter and has invested her time and effort in advocating on behalf of all housekeepers at Carolina in their quest for fair wages.
