page_title: Reuben G. Soderstrom
section_title: Reuben G. Soderstrom Plaza
hierarchical_section_title: Reuben G. Soderstrom / Death and legacy / Reuben G. Soderstrom Plaza
caption_attribution_description: English: Statue of Reuben G. Soderstrom in Streator, IL
context_page_description: Reuben George Soderstrom was an American leader of organized labor who served as President of the Illinois State Federation of Labor and Illinois AFL-CIO from 1930 to 1970. A key figure in Chicago and Illinois politics, he also played a pivotal role in American labor history by helping to define national labor policy after the fornation of the AFL–CIO in 1955. Soderstrom advised and was courted by multiple U.S. presidents seeking his endorsement and the votes of the over 1.3 million laborers he represented. The longest-serving state federation chief in American labor history, he passed seminal labor legislation and grew his organization's membership five-fold and transforming it into one of the most powerful labor bodies in the United States.
context_section_description: The Reuben G. Soderstrom Plaza was dedicated in Streator, Illinois on September 2, 2012. The date, officially proclaimed "Reuben Soderstrom Day" by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, featured a day-long celebration and Labor Day Parade in which Soderstrom was posthumously honored as Grand Marshall. The Plaza features a bronze statue of Soderstrom by Peoria sculptor Lonnie Stewart, and is adorned by 12 plaques containing selected quotes from Soderstrom. The plaza was built through labor donated by David Raikes and the men and women of Laborers’ Local #393, Bricklayers #6 and #21, Electricians #176, Plumbers #130, Operating Engineers #150, Cement Masons #11 and the Illinois Valley Building Trades. Landscaping was provided by Jeff Berfeld.
caption: Reuben G. Soderstrom statue in Streator, Illinois