ED SMITH TRIBUTE
We lost one of the best — former leader of the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) Ed Smith passed away in January.
Ed Smith joined LiUNA at the age of 13, rising to the rank of International Union Vice President and Midwest Regional Manager, fighting for the rights of over 58,000 of his members. He went on to become the President and Chief Executive Officer of Ullico, Inc., a labor-owned financial services company headquartered in Washington, D.C.
No matter how high Ed rose, the Cairo native always had his feet humbly on the ground and his heart squarely rooted in his beloved Southern Illinois. He still lived there and commanded the respect of the union members he led for decades.
Upon his death, Comptroller Mendoza issued the following statement:
“I truly loved Ed Smith and always will. He believed in me from the beginning and was a partner of mine, mentor, and cheerleader in all I’ve done to help turn our state around. Most importantly, he was my beloved friend who I will miss dearly with every cell of my being. He is truly irreplaceable.
Outside of his deep love and commitment to his beautiful family which had no bounds, his next biggest love was organized labor. Ed Smith was the most ferocious fighter for his brothers and sisters in the labor movement. He always fought for the underdog — and always won.
I will do my best to honor Ed’s legacy by continuing to fight for the little guy, for our brothers and sisters in organized labor, and for Southern Illinois.”
Ed passed away on January 3rd with his family by his side. He was 69 years young.
