A champion of the American Labor Movement from southern Illinois has passed away.
Ullico reports Ed Smith died with family at his side on Wednesday.
The company says the Cairo native left a tremendous impact on the labor world from his earliest days at LiUNA, through his tenure as Chairman and CEO at Ullico.
His father, Connell Smith, served as the Laborers’ Local 773 business manager from 1942-1976. Ed Smith joined the union at age 13, worked as a laborer not long after, and took over as Local 773 business manager by age 21.
Over the course of his career, Smith won election for the Southern Illinois Laborers’ District Council Business Manager in 1985 and later became Chairman of the Central Laborers’ Pension Fund. In 1994, he was appointed Midwest Regional Manager.
Smith joined Ullico in 2008.
