Zachary John Ramsey
Revson Fellow 2000-2001
Deputy Administrator
District Council 37, AFSCME
Zachary Ramsey is the Deputy Administrator of District Council 37 of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO.
A Brooklyn native, Mr. Ramsey has been an activist since the age of ten, when he joined housing activists to picket Brownsville slumlords, and in his teens was active in protests against racism and police brutality. A graduate of New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn, Mr. Ramsey received his B.A. from the College of New Rochelle, New York. He worked for the Department of Finance for eight years, beginning in 1980, starting as Assistant Assessor, and was promoted to City Assessor in 1983. During this time, he joined Local 1757 of DC 37–an umbrella union with 56 autonomous locals and 125,000 members–and became active in influencing the department to adopt hiring and assignment practices that would better reflect the diversity of New York City. He became President of Local 1757 in 1987.
The mid-1990’s were troubled times for DC 37, and, in 1998, following investigations into financial mismanagement of membership dues and criminal activities involving ballot fraud, AFSCME placed DC 37 under administratorship. As a Deputy Administrator, Mr. Ramsey is part of a team of trade unionists that have been entrusted with the task of rebuilding the union by returning the union to its membership and reviving its historic role as an effective political advocate for working people.
While at Columbia, he intends to support these goals by pursuing studies in economics and political economy, including courses in the global labor market, labor and political struggles, and issues in developing public sector unions.
(The Revson Fellow’s biography that appears above was last updated in 2000. Revson Fellows may update their biographies on this site by sending email to: revson@columbia.edu)
The Revson experience is as rejuvenating as it is enriching. It widens our individual networks considerably and allows each of us the opportunity to be both a teacher and a learner. For many of us, the Program restores balance in our lives and renews our sense of commitment for the long haul.
