“Oil Can Eddie” and the Battle for the Steelworkers’ Union

THE CHALLENGE TO THE ENTRENCHED LEADERSHIP of the large and powerful United Steelworkers of America (USWA) originated in the union's District 31 during the 1970s. District 31, which surpassed the Pittsburgh area in membership after World War II, included such key manufacturing cities as Chicago, Joliet, and Chicago Heights in northeastern Illinois and Gary and East Chicago in northwestern Indiana. Less a broad-based movement than a spontaneous crusade led by a charismatic reformer, the revolt within the union began with the challenge to authority issued by one defiant steelworker—Edward E. “Eddie” Sadlowski Jr. Initially relying largely on sustenance provided by family and friends, Sadlowski won the presidency of Local 65 in Southeast Chicago in 1963 and the directorship of District 31 in 1974. He became North America's foremost spokesman for progressive unionism and a leading figure in the nation's liberal politics. His attempt to capture the presidency of the international union three years later fell short, an important example of how progressive workers failed in their attempts to wrest control of hidebound unions away from their timid leaders. Sadlowski's loss to the establishment candidate in 1977, covered extensively by national media, marked an important road not taken by the USWA and a decisive turn away from social democracy by organized labor in the United States.1Born and raised in the heart of Southeast Chicago's steelmaking district, Sadlowski absorbed working-class culture from an early age. After a brief stint in the army, he went to work at the age of eighteen as a machinist apprentice at US Steel's mammoth South Works, where the Calumet River flows into Lake Michigan. Like his grandfather and father before him, both of whom toiled in area steel mills, he lived his entire life alongside the shot-and-a-beer taverns, chophouses, and cut-rate clothing stores that flanked the South Works. From the bedroom of his boyhood home, he could see the Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO) headquarters across the street. His nickname, “Oil Can Eddie,” owed to his early years on the job when he carried an oil can when making rounds as a troubleshooter fixing machinery on the shop floor. When the work pace slowed in the mill, Sadlowski later remembered, he hid in the toilet or an outdoor shanty to read books. After the elder Sadlowski finished his shift at midnight, father and son often bought seafood and beer at a nearby takeout shack, enjoyed a picnic on the rocks abutting the lake, and discussed union politics and baseball until the early hours of the morning. An unvarnished product of the Windy City's steelworker culture, young Sadlowski never deviated from his blue-collar roots.2Enthralled by the lore of trade unionism, Sadlowski became an ardent student of labor history who read extensively about the plight of the exploited working classes striving to improve their condition. He listed Eugene V. Debs, president of the American Railway Union, and John L. Lewis, founding president of the CIO, as his greatest heroes. He quoted from memory speeches by the fictional Tom Joad in John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath and the lyrics from old union songs. He curated in the basement of his tiny brick bungalow a collection of union memorabilia that included his prize possession, a loose-leaf binder of official union documents from the 1930s. Although Sadlowski liberally sprinkled his orations with four-letter words, he also made frequent allusions to the writings of sociologists and political theorists. A voracious reader with catholic interests and an unflagging fascination with politics, he strongly opposed the autocratic Democratic machine of Mayor Richard J. Daley while supporting the presidential candidacies of progressives George McGovern and Fred Harris—all of which endeared him to other dissidents in the union and later to members of the intelligentsia who saw in the free-thinking steelworker a kindred spirit.3Sadlowski's liberal politics and anti-authoritarianism clashed with the heavy hand of the USWA, which had been known from its inception as one of the most conservative affiliates of the CIO. Created in 1942 by the merger of the Steel Workers Organizing Committee (SWOC) and the Amalgamated Association of Iron, Steel, and Tin Workers, the union claimed approximately 1.4 million members in the United States and Canada at its peak during the early 1950s. From its formative days, the USWA centralized authority within the leadership at its tony Pittsburgh headquarters. The union president, surrounded by elected and appointed officials, wielded great authority in determining policies and procedures. Union locals played no role in negotiations with management, and the membership had no opportunity to ratify the basic steel contract. The leadership tightly controlled annual conventions, carefully scripting agendas and that challenge at made in the early dissidents within the USWA began to the role played in the a in shop and other members of the at the that the USWA and Steel during the War of labor and the and early a challenge to the in the to the had while as the union's his as a labor also as of the United Workers and the A and to him a figure in the trade union movement to his in His J. enjoyed no such to the union's for the to a with in steel and with USWA him in as an a for the union to labor and John L. as a the who and carried his A president and the social politics he The USWA president members that by with and to the that the union from the and with the American of or with in a labor of the with the to the for during presidency from to as for president of the union on the of in the of the and to members a in by a in an by of on both during the as a reformer, made no at union headquarters in the of of his as He and his centralized authority in the union as to the of in USWA leadership the of in the union on and young from the of the to the union of the and his saw the and the union and as an and to the had won for workers during the The the dissidents the such as with a of and in union politics began in when his him shop at the age of and years later when him one of the at the South Works. Sadlowski elected president of Southeast Chicago's Local 65 at the age of the to the that the interests of he won in and Sadlowski won from his for his work and when shop He Local 65 after a at the USWA in that US in Sadlowski elected in who made that of young in to the of that in he to in the The to his a of and the political and within the of in when as of District 31, the with approximately A figure in the labor had his 1942 from a in Although the area included and across into Gary or other steel and Illinois of to the powerful Democratic machine and to with the organized also his in the of other unions as and known to one of the most political in the he no within the the of a USWA official at the Steel in East Chicago, the his his as a job by opposed of in the union he for the in which Chicago and than one to in the to no one to his authority within the until he his within District 31 for the in three to to the he had in District 31, his a who had carried from the during his years as from to USWA president as a spokesman for the union that official family at Steel as for making had and at as in the of J. union the membership to a candidate of to a trade union short, the official family in Pittsburgh workers to their years had and the of the to authority had been the Sadlowski Steelworkers to challenge for the and Local he a an candidate by the of the international by a of the Chicago a on on Sadlowski an of whom he to as his from the and with at heavy the and his a that had to in the From Sadlowski's headquarters in the of the South Works, and The candidate speeches in union in and at by by social hours in beer and He with a and his with He one of his a Sadlowski his to also the union's national leadership for its to the that could been on of speeches in never failed to the USWA leadership for democracy within the union to the most important he members of the union been he on the opportunity to with as other unions and to that union leadership and he the opposed the of and from the union and the of in locals where had been to had been that the of the union with the of and by workers on the shop Sadlowski his with a that USWA president and the other Pittsburgh a to their of union he Sadlowski of his Like other Sadlowski he had to a great the J. as the president his to George a progressive District 31 steelworker who of not a and the to the policies of Steel A in the for by US Steel that the USWA president for the on to US Steel the Steelworkers how their union president had to with Sadlowski's and a and on the union to he from Chicago and largely at the steel in the Calumet speeches and made to in the Sadlowski and his to the establishment in the locals to the as when his from and for Union to the of the locals District 31, a for striving to the of on to on the and at Sadlowski his and to the for the of union in northeastern Illinois and northwestern in his which at to to Sadlowski led by approximately in the when the the The of the for the Union the by about Sadlowski that had been in Chicago, a known for its politics and to the Democratic machine of the to the international which the union's and other He L. Jr. to him in a the USWA for and other for the United Workers and for the the most labor of his to on the powerful on he had in the to the of the of The the US of to other that the the the that union at US Steel's Gary had A also for the in and to a by and USWA president to no the of District 31 a Sadlowski won by a that his in the and within the USWA no on his leadership His at with workers never after his as he a and to the from his of his to members at The of his Sadlowski a at headquarters. with the District 31 of and that of from the had no to see his the to and the workers of in a than saw of in he as a John and the elected of District 31, Sadlowski been to with great authority in the the union president and other him as a he by and The in his of a and to and that by international Sadlowski the and he had in Chicago for his in Sadlowski a of in the he while the other the on the not to he to to him at and went of his to with him at union and in Sadlowski that his could in the union when a movement the of District that the of a movement could in Sadlowski's by the dissidents District 31 an to in the locals as as in union to the John at Local 65 in Chicago's South and at Local in East Chicago's Steel mill, won that by and in East Chicago, Steel's in and Steel at for with Sadlowski of District 31, dissidents won as of the international leadership won at the and in and at the and in won in and other control at members of the steelmaking at the of in leadership at union a in the Sadlowski with not on on Sadlowski to the union presidency began as as he became District 31 The USWA from presidential in 1977, the opportunity to the old Steelworkers and who covered the labor no Sadlowski's years his and with politics a for at the of union Sadlowski had not in the of a with the steel a from the of official the union's with in basic steel mills, he enjoyed of a in the and manufacturing that in the USWA to a national he on from his in a area the He and with union in the United States and as with the District 31 the establishment candidate a in and other the to the candidate in Sadlowski his to the and no other or to on the The for a challenge to the union a that owed to Sadlowski Steelworkers across the and Canada about the politics, his capture of the District 31 directorship had made him an in national The a to the The a as the and His with a with a large a and not him for to quoted in a also of of his in the Sadlowski with the in the that he never his to work in the never a steelworker in his who he His a within the USWA where the of the young the that had provided opportunity to of Sadlowski's with members of the who the of the had with to hours and work in in for and a of in an that the of for the one steelworker can grandfather father to work in the father to work in the son to work in the father when of age and to to he the that the Sadlowski's of work in the steel mills, and his hidebound to the at he to his to an role in the in to the District 31 He to the Sadlowski movement as a within the the USWA in the president Sadlowski by strongly that the as a to the and union He the of who in an to control of the Sadlowski as a for on the union a on trade unionism and of who their with the an to their in the union and to their of the the the USWA as its a of establishment The of District had to work in the steel at the age of one of the nation's affiliates in elected president of his at age and his the leadership a he had a as a who carried and his to the A who to or his he the of a union who the with and and the Sadlowski made on the the when the in a by of the no about the of the and about their and the establishment candidate with a that the that he The to with A who in with Sadlowski to of at that Sadlowski the with of and Sadlowski with about the of workers he to He with both before and after his to Sadlowski's as a his with workers became as important as his the of when he for a at the in a of union George had than in the presidential in the taken by the USWA leadership during most the by in with the steel The by as a in that in a of for included a that the union from work until the in the Workers went steel and no to the product and steel in of work Steel to workers their and a in the that the of the one their by union with workers had no opportunity to Local a Sadlowski that the to a on and no Sadlowski never an opportunity to the which he had workers in their for and working He that US to and other not of the of of by American steel to the the presidential as Sadlowski strongly opposed a the in a of the membership had been no in the his in the USWA made and a annual at that of the of in to away at included about membership the that to to union about in union he that the of to a of the membership an of democracy that to also the USWA leadership for not to He that and his had on the of their who had in working while not to on Steel mills, he and with Sadlowski by the His American from Local in about the for who into the and most of the that a in the mills, of in the Sadlowski's of the USWA leadership to the of the leadership and the of democracy in such an He to the that a the at union headquarters at in Pittsburgh and the and who labor in the Sadlowski workers as the of US and union at He of and other of the as a and from the by management, he the union than to a in a with the of the of US in their for and their for the union's to the of and away from their of the union president and of which as the heart of his with the of the American steel large he the Steel's The United which had led in and steel the of World War II, its to and that and with could that by and at home, with the of the steel in the United Sadlowski that union which in turn by management, could the plight of steel in the Calumet and Sadlowski's labor had in the and as American and trade union membership had during to at the of as the USWA to who with the that for he Steel making as not making Sadlowski the as a example of how making in to with He that from union and at to improve and during Workers had their and of the and when and by that the of workers in American at the that he the USWA he and by elected in also the leadership of the for its of US in He that the to control of their their of and their in Sadlowski that national to interests and no made policies that can to he to a also the of and of the The of in the had of the of in the steel mills, of in and in the Sadlowski union to and to and and that and on he no can a union and a Sadlowski a of and to Steelworkers in the had and to and Sadlowski by in the and his also from progressives for in the USWA by He a to the union's an by with Local an early of in the Sadlowski the of a at the national District 31, with Sadlowski's the became in such as and on the and in union the the a that District 31 while as a for such in other a in the for Sadlowski by the of in the of his and his that and could to for the of in the the his on of and him to other for union the US policies and his to of and him the of a in a with which he his for he and his the that and other the of Steelworkers the A of Sadlowski's that members of the Workers and American on the of the of into the candidate years the a Sadlowski and to with of and the political Sadlowski's to to his frequent allusions to and of a of he the a of to the the the of had a such and claimed that the to a in US trade unions a Sadlowski and often the Sadlowski of with and the that in Local where his for union members to for for of in the Sadlowski became the of establishment in the union at the into the of Steelworkers from the of the by the the locals and went to the union's international headquarters at at to on the by at and in steelmaking in the Chicago also to for of or or a he claimed that a national he to his and for the Steelworkers one the US and for went to the American Union, to The and to the of such as Fred and US Sadlowski such as Democratic Richard and in and other while leading such as John political and also provided their to such as a of union the of control of the the from international from City's and a on the working and its leaders. liberal control of the about such as and important and to working and such as by the on the in union the the USWA membership its from his that in the presidential to and not to the USWA of other powerful unions a in the of Steelworkers and of and on of the USWA by Sadlowski's such union as president George American of president of president and that he had never before taken in the politics of an that he to about Sadlowski's of Sadlowski that a from and on that at the age of he of the nation's most labor opposed of the an in the that Steelworkers and the of in the that his of in that to for the in the by other labor went than to the of to his not USWA The of included of the union and of the Amalgamated and Workers the of America's trade unions in the USWA leadership away at his and of in the the for a with a and no of known Sadlowski for his of his of his by that his for on the of and union president J. largely his in the to the of a Sadlowski in of that he he how to of and his that The their to in the union's locals in the United States and Canada and steelworker and Sadlowski The in a union establishment and an area where the of had Sadlowski from and his The American South also of its of and in one of the most the USWA had never been by the of such as the An in 1977, Sadlowski of a US Steel in a union official a in an Steel in and an a Steelworkers from a a in the The in the South to at on in Sadlowski to in the to of locals in Canada and the 1977, won to a of three to Sadlowski his in the of basic in cities such as Chicago, and he of the from locals with one or He in the in the American South and work he to and his 1977, about of USWA workers in the and where Sadlowski had to a in the and labor discussed Sadlowski and the had not been who had a and the of an by the to that had played an important in the failed to for the in District 31, Steelworkers the to the in to large the Sadlowski a by his who than The candidate that and had of their and the of his the other making an in the and been in their than in the of politics that social that the with Steel had to the that union members could a and on a or he made the US steelworker in the workers the of the union World War to the by labor to that by union members Sadlowski's as a A figure who as a the Chicago steelworker at the of politics in that his and an of a a that who him the and to Sadlowski's made for and into that the a he could that the with the of his of and his of most the of most members in the nation's by the of the the candidate the labor to and to his of a unionism, Sadlowski of his that of to at union headquarters in Pittsburgh within one and Sadlowski a within the His that of and at on the the union the in The Sadlowski an by the US of of the union in and to The US of not to the in large on an by a of Industrial who had for the to a as no to who the a by Sadlowski and the that he had been Sadlowski the at the USWA the membership a for union from or from The his union a union and of his a that the the of and union the most other unions and that the of union the US District and the US of for the District of in of the the US in to the union The US of had that the the of dissidents to challenge union and of and the that the of a by that members not union The Sadlowski at the of the to of Sadlowski from the the elected of District 31, appointed him a a that a and Sadlowski into a life of in his Southeast Chicago He a of at the and to to and He on the Illinois from to after which the Illinois him to its Union of his Sadlowski and he about the years his He from the union in the that US Steel's South Sadlowski of by on at the age of a of of which his of into a union movement of which the of Steelworkers to his loss for the union the of his Sadlowski a the the and a national movement that could the by a of his as an the candidate to the and of The of became in the with which his the Steelworkers after Sadlowski's The in in a for a years in District 31 where Local of who carried the of unionism Sadlowski as the of Sadlowski as president of Chicago's Local 65 made the to that and in of the Calumet of the for the union that national in of Sadlowski's the of the USWA control and the to in the steelmaking in the for a union presidency union members such as Sadlowski and an of the at the to labor in a for to than the presidential that and of the fascination with the from Sadlowski's which the and by national who made him a liberal with union Sadlowski became to progressives the of the working a of the that had not unionism the political of American as a of the the Sadlowski in with an as their on that the steel of the a the in the Steelworkers Union a for the of a large of the American labor went an for president of the Steelworkers could the union who a and his control of trade unions the in a that had to the by and that the of in a to the of the to the of democracy in the at the Sadlowski in the working of his the most on the when to the Sadlowski's the official family control of the union's the the United States its in basic steel to other with or manufacturing cities in the and the of and in the of organized labor in the often as and for he and who the to the of Steel in in the of unionism and a for American the Calumet the to the Steel no Sadlowski the union's national leadership for its he also organized in the steel in the United His of the Pittsburgh who to interests the of unions for a manufacturing

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