David Rathke
David (Dave) J. Rathke is an Illinois socialist activist. 20 yrs Bd- In These Times; recently retired union organizer (40 years); Eugene V. Debs Foundation, Mother Jones Heritage Project. Joined DSA in 1982.[1]
Education
Michigan State '77.
DSA At-Large Delegate list
DSA At-Large Delegates, 2019 Convention included David Rathke Illinois.
DSA Members Organizing Against Trump
DSA Members Organizing Against Trump was a letter released early October 2010 to shore up Democratic Socialists of America support for Joe Biden.
Signatories included David Rathke, Northern Illinois Democratic Socialists of America.
DSOC
Victoria Cross was in 1982 serving on the National Executive Committee of then Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee , Chair of the Detroit Local and working at the UAW.
- Sketch for a poster for the first DSA conference, March 1982. Delegates from DSOC and NAM met in Detroit to form the Democratic Socialists of America.
- Victoria Cross Blushing. Just been an active democratic-socialist all my life. And, I tried to do all I could in the "Dee" and I try to do all I might here on the other side of the border. I married a Canadian and am an immigrant in this fair land, and have "done some time" with the New Democrats, too. I am of the Penny Schantz, Miriam Bensman, Joseph Schwartz, Mark Levinson, Rafael PiRoman, Ben Tafoya, David Rathke et al, generation of DSOC peeps. With many mentors of the previous generations, including Roger Robinson and Oscar Pascal. Mike was so right when he used to tell our summer school and winter conferences for the Youth Section to look around and see that "these are your life-comrades; you may argue, you may get angry, you may have differing points of view at one given minute or another, but please, remember that we are all socialists." And yes, I've met Bernie, and Cornel, Barbara, Dorothy Healey, Saul Wellman, and all sorts of trade union activists and leaders and all of "the folks" from all sorts of social movements who have never stopped working. And yes, we still argue, but we are on the Arc Toward Justice. I try to respect them all, and well, when I got "here" I worked as a constituency rep for years and years and had the joy and pleasure of working with many solid New Democrats. I have the joy of having known Howard Pawley well, and continue in the joy of being friends with Adele Pawley and the Pawley family, for example.
DSA Conference delegate
In 1983 David Rathke was a St. Louis, Missouri delegate to the Democratic Socialists of America conference in New York City, October 14-16, 1983[2]
"Single payer" healthcare
In 1991, Dave Rathke was a member of Democratic Socialists of America and president of Missouri Citizen Action.[3]
- We introduced a Canadian-style single-payer bill in the Missouri state legislature for the first time last year. We have re-introduced it this year and are currently gathering as many co-sponsors as possible.
Birthday Greetings to William "Red" Davis
In December 1995 the Communist Party USA newspaper Peoples Weekly World published a page of 75th birthday greetings to William (Red) Davis - "Lifelong working class fighter and Communist"
- In the fight for the unity and integrity of the Party in St. Louis, Missouri, in the post-war years, "Red" has been a rock of confidence and commitment to building the Communist Party.
Greetings were sent from David Rathke of Missouri[4].
Democratic Socialists of America
In 1997, Dave Rathke was the St. Louis contact for Democratic Socialists of America.[5]
In These Times
As of 2009 Dave Rathke was a member of the Publishing Consortium of Chicago based socialist journal In These Times.[6]
IEA
In 2009, Dave Rathke was on the staff of the Illinois Education Association[7].
Northern Illinois DSA Organizing Committee
In February 2017, David Rathke was the contact for Northern Illinois Democratic Socialist Organizing Committee.[8]
DSA Labor Statement of Support for Danny Fetonte
In August 2017 a group of Democratic Socialists of America labor activists issued a joint statement of support for newly elected DSA NPC member Danny Fetonte. The group was fighting back against other DSAers wanting to remove Fetonte for his past work for a Texas law enforcement union.
Signatories included David Rathke, In These Times board member for 20 years. Democratic Socialists of America member for forty years. [9]
References
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ DSA Conference delegate list Oct. 12 1983 update
- ↑ Democratic Left, Jan/Feb 1991, page 6
- ↑ Peoples Weekly World December 9, 1995 page 19
- ↑ [2] DSA website 1997, accessed May 27, 2010
- ↑ In These Times website: About
- ↑ http://www.Facebook.com/PotomacGuy#!/DaveRathke?ref=sgm
- ↑ [3]
- ↑ DSA Labor Statement of Support for Danny Fetonte