Cecelia Moriarity: 45 years building communist movement

By Edwin Fruit
August 16, 2021
Moriarity, SWP candidate for governor of Pennsylvania in 1998, campaigning at USX Clairton Works, where she worked.
Moriarity, SWP candidate for governor of Pennsylvania in 1998, campaigning at USX Clairton Works, where she worked.

SEATTLE — Cecelia Moriarity, a 45-year member of the Socialist Workers Party, died here July 23 after a prolonged illness. Moriarity built the party in cities across the country and served on the party’s National Committee for a number of years. She worked in aerospace, meatpacking, steel, garment, rail and coal mining, and was active in unions organizing workers in those industries.

Moriarity worked at the Wilberg Mine outside Orangeville, Utah, in 1984, where coal bosses had a long history of ignoring safety. An all-out drive to reach a production record on Dec. 19 led to a fire that left 19 members of the United Mine Workers and eight management personnel dead. Moriarity was an author of the widely read Militant on-the-scene article, “Company Greed Killed Coal Miners in Utah.”

Forty-one party members, supporters and friends attended a meeting here Aug. 1 to celebrate Cecelia Moriarity’s political life. Next week’s issue of the Militant will carry a full report.