Illinois historical societies seeking relatives of Joliet iron worker ‘Big Steve’ Sutton

The Illinois State Historical Society will unveil a plaque April 28 to honor protesting local union workers who were ambushed on July 19, 1932, in Marseilles.

The union workers were protesting the hiring of out-of-state workers for the dam project. One worker, Steve Sutton of Joliet, was killed.

Mike Matejka, vice president of the Illinois Labor History Society, reached out to The Herald-News hoping to connect with Sutton’s relatives and notify them of this event. Matejka also is a retired governmental affairs director for the Great Plains Laborers District Council in Peoria and a member of the Laborers International Union of North America Local 362 in Bloomington.

According to Matejka’s research, more than 300 unemployed construction workers from Grundy and LaSalle counties protested on that day because the companies who won the federal contract for the dam project hired workers from other states. The companies also paid these out-of-state workers less than the “prevailing wage” for the area, he said.

“You’re talking about the Great Depression with high unemployment,” Matejka said. “And then a federally funded, large-scale job comes to Marseilles. And nobody local gets the job. People from Arizona, Mississippi and Wisconsin, they get the work, but the local people were left standing.”

So on the day of the second demonstration, the out-of-state workers were armed and, at one point, suddenly started shooting, he said. Twenty-one demonstrators were wounded and treated, he said. Sutton collapsed and died after bullets went into a lung and his stomach, Matejka said.

None of these workers knew that the company had reached an agreement with the local laborers and electricians to hire local workers, Matejka said.

“I think one reason this really resonates with folks today is just the idea of sustaining local employment and the idea of people standing up to say, ‘Hey, we deserve a job in our own back yard,’” Matejka said. “And then somebody’s killed and multiple people are injured in the process.”

The unveiling of the plaque to honor these local workers will be held at 5 p.m. at the Illinois Valley Cellular parking lot, located at 200 Riverfront Drive in Marseilles. Rock musician Tom Morello will provide the music. Speakers include ULLICO Inc. CEO Edward M. Smith.

According to Matejka, the Laborers International Union of North America Local 393 in Marseilles helped coordinate the plaque unveiling, along with landscaping and site preparation for the historic marker, with the city of Marseilles, Matejka said.

Local 393 has also fund-raised for the marker and “persistently has kept the story alive,” Matejka said.

Matejka said the llinois State Historical Society helped with plaque development and foundry casting. ULLICO Inc. provided overall coordination support and financial underwriting. The Illinois Labor History Society also helped with event coordination, he added.

For information about the event, email Matejka at matejka53@aol.com.