Jay Schaffner

Jay Schaffner is one of the founding moderators of ”Portside". He is a member of the State Committee of the ”New York Working Families Party". For twenty years he was the supervisor of the Recording Department of Local 802, American Federation of Musicians. He is now retired.

Portside crew

The entire Portside crew 2021.

Judy Atkins, Mark Brody, Peter Carroll, Barry Cohen, David Cohen, Ira Cohen, Jeannette Ferrary, Marti Garza, Greg Heires, Michael Hirsch, Geoffrey Jacques, Timothy V. Johnson, Will Jones, Maureen LaMar, Stephanie Luce, Ray Markey, Leanna Noble, John P. Pittman, Natalie Reuss, Nan Rubin, Meredith Schafer, Jay Schaffner, Kurt Stand, Ethan Young.

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 Jay Schaffner, New York City Democratic Socialists of America.

Socialist Majority Caucus

DSA's Socialist Majority Caucus signatories list as of April 25 2019 included Jay Schaffner of New York City Democratic Socialists of America.

WEB DuBois Clubs of America

In 2014, Jay Schaffner, was listed a a friend on the DuBois Clubs Facebook page.

We Will Make Peace Prevail!

On March 28, 1982 the New World Review organized a gala luncheon "We Will Make Peace Prevail! Disarmament Over Confrontation, Life Over Death", at the Grand Ballroom, Hotel Roosevelt, New York City. Virtually all participants were identified as Communist Party USA.

Jay Schaffner was listed on the Committee of Sponsors.

Communist Party dissidents

On November 15-16 1991, 30 dissident members of the National Committee of the Communist Party USA convened a meeting to "sign a statement of events" - most or all signatories were soon to break with the party and were later to form Committees of Correspondence.

The signatories included Jay Schaffner, New York;

Communist Party reformer

In 1991, Jay Schaffner, New York, was one of several hundred Communist Party USA members to sign the a paper "An initiative to Unite and Renew the Party" - most signatories left the Party after the December 1991 conference to found Committees of Correspondence.

Committees of Correspondence

In 1992 Jay Schaffner, CoC Implementation Committee, New York, endorsed the Committees of Correspondence national conference Conference on Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the 90s held at Berkeley California July 17-19.

On February 26 1994 a Midwest Regional Meeting of Committees of Correspondence was held at West Lafayette Indiana.

Participants included Jay Schaffner, New York, New York.

In July 1994 Schaffner (NYC) was electedto the 15 member National Co-ordinating Committee of Committees of Correspondence at CoC's founding conference in Chicago.

In 1995 Jay Schaffner and Judith Schaffner were listed as two of the "CoC members and friends" donating to Committees of Correspondence. They contributed $25.

In 1997 Jay Schaffner served on the National Co-Ordinating Committee of the Committees of Correspondence.

In 2006 members of the Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism National Coordinating Committee were;

Marilyn Albert, Mael Apollon, Carl Bloice, Barbara Blong, Barry Cohen, David Cohen, Otis Cunningham, Carl Davidson, Mort Frank, Todd Freeberg, Pat Fry, Marian Gordon, Ira Grupper, June Hemmingson, Ed Hemmingson, Fred Hicks, Duncan McFarland, Anne Mitchell, Maxine Orris, Ted Pearson, Gina Pesulima-Palencar, Edith Pollach, Marty Price, Merle Ratner, Jay Schaffner, Jae Scharlin, Mike Stein, Harry Targ, Walter Teague, Meta Van Sickle, Steve Willett and Mildred Williamson.

"Viewpoints on Socialism"

4/22 1997 - Viewpoints on Socialism Series: "Reform and Revolution? Reform or Revolution?" w/David McReynolds (Socialist Party USA), Rebecca Minnich (Freedom Road Socialist Organization), Jay Schaffner (Committees of Correspondence), Ethan Young (Monthly Review Press), moderated by Pat Fry (CoC). At Brecht Forum, 122 W 27th. St.

Open letter to Andy Stern

On May 1 2008, Jay Schaffner, signed an open letter to SEIU president Andy Stern in protest at SEIU move to force its local United Healthcare Workers into trusteeship.

"We are writing to express our deep concern about SEIU's threatened trusteeship over its third largest local, United Healthcare Workers (UHW). We believe that there must always be room within organized labor for legitimate and principled dissent, if our movement is to survive and grow. Putting UHW under trusteeship would send a very troubling message and be viewed, by many, as a sign that internal democracy is not valued or tolerated within SEIU. In our view, this would have negative consequences for the workers directly affected, the SEIU itself, and the labor movement as a whole. We strongly urge you to avoid such a tragedy."

Open Letter to Obama on Iran

In 2008 Jay Schaffner of New York signed an online petition “A Open Letter to Barack Obama on Iran”.

Progressives for Obama

In 2009 Jay Schaffner Local 802 American Federation of Musicians was listed as a signer of the Progressives for Obama website.

Center for Labor Renewal

In 2009 Jay Schaffner was listed as an endorser of the Center for Labor Renewal.

Campaign for Peace and Democracy

Schaffner is listed as an endorser of the Campaign for Peace and Democracy, as of March 15, 2010.

DSA Boston Public Facebook Group

Members of Boston Democratic Socialists of America Public Facebook Group, in January 2017 included Jay Schaffner.

Jewish Solidarity Caucus

Members of the Jewish Solidarity Caucus Members, Facebook group, as of February 8, 2018 included Jay Schaffner.

Stand with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

We Stand with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was a 2018 letter signed by several Democratic Socialists of America members mainly from the DSA North Star in response to attacks on Ocasio-Cortez over remarks she made on Palestine.

A recent petition circulated by some DSA members criticizes Ocasio-Cortez for supporting a two state solution to the Palestine-Israel question and not aligning with a long list of demands regarding Palestine and Israel. Should Ocasio-Cortez fail to agree with this list of demands, the petitioners are calling for DSA to revoke her endorsement. These attacks on Ocasio-Cortez have come despite the fact that she has staked out positions which will make her one of the strongest advocates of Palestinian rights and self-determination in Congress.

We stand with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. The position she has taken on Israel and Palestine are principled stances, worthy of a democratic socialist, in its recognition of both Palestinian humanity and rights and Israeli humanity and rights. On this issue, as many, she will be a voice for the voiceless in Congress.

Signatures included Jay Schaffner.

DSA North Star

In 2018 Jay Schaffner was an original signatory of the DSA North Star founding principles statement.

DSA-JSC in Solidarity with Ilhan Omar

Jewish Solidarity Caucus 2019, Feb 14 2019.

As Jews on the left, we are in solidarity with Representative Ilhan Omar and her statements regarding the American Israel Public Affairs Committee’s (AIPAC) influence over US lawmakers and foreign policy.

Signatories of the letter included Jay Schaffner.

Toward Radical Democracy

Toward Radical Democracy was a 2018 "Proposal for Internal Voting Reform in Boston DSA".

If you would like to sign on in support of this proposal, please click here. To date, over 100 members of Boston DSA have endorsed it. We also welcome support from DSA comrades in other chapters.

Signatories also included non Boston comrades such as Jay Schaffner.

Endorsing Cynthia Nixon and Jumaane Williams

The Case for Endorsing Cynthia Nixon and Jumaane Williams (And How To Do It Strategically) was a letter Drafted by: Danya Lagos (CBK/Labor), and circulated among New York Democratic Socialists of America members in July 2018.[1]

CoSigners, as of July 23 2018 were: Jay Schaffner.

External links

• Campaign for Peace and Democracy website