Slater, the Minister of Home Affairs in St Vincent deemed Josie, together with other activists as Dave Darbeau, Geddes Granger (now Makandal Daaga) and Robert "Bobby" Clarke, to be a prohibited immigrant.
He served from 1974 to 1982 as a Member of Parliament for Castries East on the ticket of the Saint Lucia Labour Party.
It was with the latter he was always associated as they led an agricultural workers trade union and galvanised the then marginalised rural farm labourers.
When this coalition floundered and the Alliance splintered he took to the hustings in 2001 and to make an impression in his old stomping grounds, Castries East on the platform of the National Front.
On 11 February 2012 Josie launched his autobiography, Shattered Dreams at the Bay Gardens Hotel.
Josie is now closely associated with the campaign of Allen Chastanet, both in attaining the leadership of the opposition United Workers Party and in becoming Prime Minister of St Lucia.