Ray Markey

Ray Markey

Raymond (Ray) Markey is retired in Honolulu Hawaii. Born and raised in New York City he was a participant in the anti-Vietnam war struggles, the movement for civil rights in Ireland, and the fight for democratic rights in the labor movement. He ran for many political offices as a member of the Socialist Workers Party. He was an active member of the National Association for Irish Justice which was a support group for the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association.

He helped found The New York Public Library Guild, Local 1930, DC37, AFSCME in 1968 and was a rank and file member who served in many elected positions and was President when he retired. During his time as President he was a leader in many of the labor struggles that took place In New York City during the 1990's and late

SWP rebel

Peter Camejo with Ray Markey and Victor Nieto, had advanced an innovative proposal for the 1981 New York City elections—that the Socialist Workers Party attempt to initiate a broad “united front electoral campaign by those willing to break with bourgeois politics now,” geared at drawing together left-wing (non-Stalinist and non-Social Democratic) forces, particularly those “in the labor movement, Black and Latino organizations, etc.” A campaign of violent denunciation was unleashed by Barnes against this proposal, and Camejo suddenly found himself isolated. Shaken, he requested a leave of absence in the summer of 1981 and went to spend some time in Venezuela, where he had spent much of his childhood. The SWP leadership then asserted that he had “resigned” and refused to “re-admit to membership” such an “irresponsible” element. After returning to the United States, Camejo drifted away from the Trotskyist movement—seeking to draw together a grouping of ex-Trotskyists, ex-Maoists, and others into a nonsectarian, Fidelista-oriented “North Star Network” in 1984, which soon collapsed. (Camejo also maintained close ties with the Australian Socialist Workers Party, which walked out of the Fourth International in 1985.)

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.

Conference on Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the 90s

The Conference on Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the 90s was the Committees of Correspondence's first national conference held in Berkeley, California July 17-19, 1992.

Workshops that were held at the conference on Saturday, July 18 included:

Standing Together - Community Standing together and showing support. How to respond to racism, sexism and anti-immigrant prejudice and other divisions among our communities? How to build solidarity and links among nationally oppressed an other communities?

• Laura Head, Professor of Black Studies, SF State University
• Ray Markey, president, NY Public Library Guild Local 1930, AFSCME, NY
• Carmen Rumbaut, worker and immigrant rights attorney, San Antonio

Committees of Correspondence

At the Committees of Correspondence conference, Berkeley California, July 17-19, 1992, Ray Markey was a candidatefor the CoC National Coordinating Committee-from New York, president American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), local 1930

In 1997 Raymond Markey served on the National Co-Ordinating Committee of the Committees of Correspondence.

In 2002 Ray Markey was listedon the Advisory Board of Committees of Correspondence for Democracy and Socialism.

Center for the Study of Working Class Life

In 2009 Ray Markey, past-President of Local 1930, DC 37 AFSCME served on the Advisory board of the Center for the Study of Working Class Life.

References

Template:Reflist Template:Endorsers of the Conference on Perspectives for Democracy and Socialism in the 90s