William Lacy Clay, Jr.

From KeyWiki

William (Lacy) Clay is a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 1st district of Missouri. His father William Lacy Clay, Sr. held the seat before Jr. was first elected to the in 2000. Prior to his election, Clay served for 17 years in both chambers of the Missouri Legislature.

Clay is the father of Carol and Will. He resides in St. Louis and attends St. Nicholas Catholic Church.

Committees

• Financial Services
• Oversight and Government Reform Committee
• Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives, Chairman

Advisers

In his successful 2000, Congressional campaign Clay was aided by veteran campaign manager Pearlie Evans, headquarters manager Gwen Reed, Committeewoman Virginia Cook, Committeewoman Colleen Roche and consultant Mark Odom as field coordinators and Representative Pat O'Connor, former state senator John Bass and unionist and Communist Party USA affiliate Lew Moye as campaign advisers.^[1]

Staffer's 2004 trip to Cuba

In May 2004, Robert Odom from the office of Congressman William Lacy Clay spent four days in Havana, Cuba, for the purpose of "fact finding", as a part of a Congressional staff delegation. The trip cost $1,340.16 and was paid for by the Christopher Reynolds Foundation.^[2]

Supported student hunger strike

In April 2005, Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, commited at least $1 million over the next two years toward higher salaries and better benefits for low-paid contract employees as a result of a 19-day sit-in by students demanding a living wage for service workers. Wash U’s Student Worker Alliance reached a groundbreaking agreement with campus officials April 22. “We won more in the last 19 days than we won in the last 18 months put together,” said SWA member Ojiugo Uzoma.

The new agreement is a significant step towards a living wage for campus service workers, who were making an average of $7.50 an hour. The university agreed to continue working towards a living wage and to form a joint student-university committee, with SWA representation, to improve university policy of freedom of association for all workers directly or indirectly employed by the university. Also, the university will join the Workers’ Rights Consortium, which ensures that factories producing university clothing and other goods respect workers’ rights.

At the April 22 victory rally, Rep. William Lacy Clay (D-Mo.) told SWA members, “You students risked a lot. But it was a worthwhile victory.”

Missouri state Rep. Maria Chappelle-Nadal told the Communist Party USA's Peoples World, “These courageous students fought their butts off. Never, for one moment, did they think about giving up.” During the last weekend of the sit-in, Chappelle-Nadal joined the students on the hunger strike and slept in the admissions office with the students.

Throughout the sit-in, community and labor support was strong. On April 7, Missouri AFL-CIO President Hugh McVey led a rally at Washington U in support of the students. John Sweeney, president of the AFL-CIO, sent a letter of support. Every day during the sit-in, labor and community groups, including the Missouri-Kansas Communist Party, brought the students lunch and dinner, and helped organize noon and 5 p.m. rallies. Throughout the hunger strike, religious leaders kept a 24-hour vigil outside of the admissions office.

“Nineteen days is a long time,” said Joan Suarez, a member of Democratic Socialists of America, the Workers Rights Board and Jobs with Justice “Everyone talks about the courage of these students.” Suarez said that as the students were leaving the admissions office, workers walked up to them and told them, “Thank you.” Many had tears in their eyes, she said.

The Washington U victory came just weeks after students at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., went on a hunger strike and won living wages for campus employees there. “SWA learned from like-minded groups across the country,” said Danielle Christmas, an SWA member. “We saw other students take power into their own hands. We knew that if things were going to change here, we had to take power into our hands,”^[3]

Congressional Progressive Caucus

As of February 20 2009 William (Lacy) Clay was listed as a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.^[4]

Staff

The following have worked as staff members for William Lacy Clay:^[5]

External links

• Clay's website with the House of Representatives

References