STX Senate Candidate Raymond T. James, Esq. Honors Contract Day Heroes and Trailblazers, Calls for Timely Union Contracts

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

October 1, 2026 

James Honors Contract Day Heroes and Trailblazers, Calls for Timely Union Contracts 

ST. CROIX, U.S. Virgin Islands — Raymond T. James, Esq., Republican candidate for Senate in the District of St. Croix, joined Governor Albert Bryan Jr. in honoring the workers behind the 1878 Fireburn uprising and called for carrying their legacy forward through greater opportunity for working families and responsible government budgeting. 

“Contract Day reminds us that dignity, fair wages, and opportunity were advanced through the courage and sacrifice of working people,” Mr. James said. “For me, this history is personal. As the grandson of a union dues collector, I feel a deep connection to the labor movement and to the working families whose sacrifices helped build our islands.” 

Mr. James noted that collecting union dues was part of the everyday work of sustaining collective action, giving workers a stronger voice and supporting their efforts to improve wages and working conditions. 

“I would be remiss if I did not also recognize my own mother, Hilarena B. James, a retired, longtime government school kitchen supervisor and farmer who carried on my grandfather’s farming tradition,” Mr. James said. “Her years of service and work on the land are part of my family’s connection to the working people of these islands.” 

Candidate for Senate, Raymond T. James paid tribute to Mary Thomas, Axeline “Agnes” Salomon, Mathilda McBean, and Susanna “Bottom Belly” Abrahamson, recognizing their enduring place in the history of the Fireburn uprising. 

He also recognized women across succeeding generations as trailblazers in their respective fields: Cleone Creque Hodge, Lorraine L. Berry, Annie de Chabert, Betty Sperber, Elizabeth Armstrong, Edith Bornn, Hortense Rowe, Maria Cabret, Ruth Beagles, Wilma Lewis, Ruby Rouss, Ruby Fleming, Leona Watson and Lilliann O’Neal. 

“Their stories deserve to be preserved and shared with our children,” Mr. James said. “They remind us that progress depends on people willing to serve, challenge barriers, and create opportunities for others.” 

Mr. James welcomed the Governor’s emphasis on fair pay, education, and homeownership, saying those aspirations must translate into lasting opportunities for Virgin Islands families. 

“If elected, I will propose a firm timetable for completing negotiations and signing new and renewal government union agreements before the fiscal year in which they take effect begins on October 1,” James said. “Their costs should be clearly identified and funding provided in the budget. Our workers deserve timely agreements they can rely on, and our taxpayers deserve to know how those commitments will be paid.” 

Mr. James emphasized that responsible budgeting must go hand in hand with honoring obligations to working families. 

“On this Contract Day, let us honor those who came before us through our commitment to the people working today—and to the generations who will follow,” he said. 

About Raymond T. James 

Raymond T. James, Esq., is a former Assistant Attorney General, former chairman of the Government Employees’ Retirement System Board, former horse racing administrator, and former chairman of Christiansted Credit Union. A graduate of Howard University School of Law, he holds a certificate in negotiations from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. He is a farmer and small business owner and is married to Lystra Roland James, a longtime educator. He is the Republican candidate for Senate in the District of St. Croix, ballot number 20. 

Media Contact: Raymond T. James, Esq. | 340-643-7822 | rjames_esq@yahoo.com 

Donate to the campaign: raymondforsenate.com 

Paid for by the Committee to Elect Raymond T. James, Esq. for Senate 

1101 Strand Street, Christiansted, VI 00820 

###