HR1175 100TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR1175 LRB100 22449 MST 41337 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Edward "Ed" Sadlowski, who passed away on June 10, 2018; and

WHEREAS, Ed Sadlowski was a union activist and represented thousands of steelworkers in Chicago and Gary, Indiana; and

WHEREAS, Ed Sadlowski was born into a steelworker family on September 10, 1938 and grew up in the southeast side's South Chicago neighborhood, watching his father organize at the Inland Steel Company; and

WHEREAS, Ed Sadlowski earned the nickname "Oilcan Eddie" while following in his father's footsteps as a union organizer and working as a machinist at United States Steel South Works in 1956; and

WHEREAS, Ed Sadlowski worked his way up to the top position with the site's union in 1964, overseeing approximately 23,000 workers; and

WHEREAS, In 1975, with the platform "Steelworkers Fight Back", Ed Sadlowski became president of United Steelworkers District 31, its largest region, encompassing 128,000 members in Chicago and Gary; and

WHEREAS, Ed Sadlowski became a district union chief with United Steelworkers in 1977, gaining national attention as an insurgent during a bid for the union presidency; and

WHEREAS, Throughout his career, Ed Sadlowski championed workers' right to strike and to ratify their own contracts; and

WHEREAS, Ed Sadlowski served on the local panel of the Illinois Labor Relations Board from 1993 to 2012; he was inducted into the Illinois Labor History Society's Union Hall of Honor in 2012; and

WHEREAS, Ed Sadlowski was the voice of the working class and gave power to the men and women who work in the trenches in rank-and-file positions; and

WHEREAS, Ed Sadlowski worked his whole life for the ideals of trade unionism, creating a profound and lasting influence throughout all of organized labor; and

WHEREAS, Ed Sadlowski is survived by his wife, Marlene; his children, Chicago Alderman Susan Sadlowski Garza, Patricia Hoyt, Edward Sadlowski Jr., and Diane Agelson; 11 grandchildren; and two great grandchildren; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we mourn the passing of Edward "Ed" Sadlowski, and extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and all who knew and loved him; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the family of Ed Sadlowski as an expression of our deepest sympathy and sincerest appreciation for his life's work and achievements.