Larry Ray

Director District 8

Larry Ray is the newly elected Director of District 8, serving USW members in Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland.

A second-generation Steelworker who has a daughter and three nephews currently working in USW-represented plants, Ray got his start as a labor activist nearly 30 years ago as a production operator at American Synthetic Rubber Co. in Louisville, Ky.

After the 1995 merger between the United Rubber Workers (URW) and the USW, Ray’s local transitioned from URW Local 423 to USW Local 1693. Over the course of his career, Ray was elected to a number of local union leadership positions, including vice president and president.

When he joined the USW staff in 2002, one of his early assignments was organizing rallies in support of the Bridgestone/Firestone campaign. As Staff Representative, Ray bargained in a wide range of industries and worked on master agreements with major employers like Alcoa and Domtar. He also participated in Building Power trainings to help local unions capitalize on their collective strength during negotiations.

As Director, Ray intends to build on this momentum, continuing to help local union members throughout the District in a hands-on capacity wherever needed. This will include facilitating regional and local union trainings and ensuring constitutional committees are up and running and at full power.

Over the course of his career, Ray has been active in the Louisville Central Labor Council and on the executive board of the Kentucky AFL-CIO, while also participating in donation drives and other work serving the greater Louisville community.

Ray is happily married with three daughters and five grandchildren.