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In 1936, Soderstrom threw his full support behind President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt|Franklin D. Roosevelt.]] When polling showed FDR losing Illinois to challenger Alfred Landon 52% to 48%, he helped organize an unprecedented rally at the [[Chicago Stadium]] for the President, later dubbed the “Meeting at the Madhouse.”<ref>{{Cite news|url=|title=Roosevelt Address Tonight Last Opportunity to Swing Illinois' 29 Votes Into Line|last=Storm|first=Frederick|date=October 14, 1936|work=Oakland Tribune|access-date=}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=|title=Roosevelt Given Tumultuous Reception by Chicago Crowd|last=Storm|first=Frederick|date=October 15, 1936|work=Marshall Evening Chronicle|access-date=}}</ref> While Roosevelt won Illinois, Soderstrom lost his re-election—a defeat generally attributed to his support for the Democratic President.<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.fortygavels.com/|title=Forty Gavels: The Life of Reuben Soderstrom and the Illinois AFL-CIO|last=Soderstrom|first=Carl|last2=Soderstrom|first2=Robert|last3=Stevens|first3=Chris|last4=Burt|first4=Andrew|publisher=CWS Publishing|year=2018|isbn=978-0998257532|volume=2|___location=Peoria, IL|pages=116}}</ref> Though no longer a state representative, Soderstrom continued to serve as President of the ISFL and Illinois AFL-CIO.
From that point forward, he generally pursued the unaffiliated, non-partisan approach favored by AFL founder [[Samuel Gompers]] (popularly known as "elect our friends"), endorsing both Republican and Democratic politicians throughout his tenure. Soderstrom became an advisor to several administrations on both the state and national level. He worked closely with Secretary of Labor [[Frances Perkins]] on President Roosevelt's National Conference on Labor Legislation during the Great Depression and World War II.<ref>Soderstrom, Carl; Soderstrom, Robert; Stevens, Chris; Burt, Andrew (2018). [http://www.fortygavels.com/ ''Forty Gavels: The Life of Reuben Soderstrom and the Illinois AFL-CIO''.] '''2.''' Peoria, IL: CWS Publishing. pp. 127.
== Presidency ==
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Just as the miners’ crisis began to abate, a larger threat emerged: The Great Depression. By 1933, one out of every four laborers were idle.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Great Depression of the 1930s: Lessons for Today|last=Crafts|first=Nicholas|last2=Fearon|first2=Peterr|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=2013|isbn=|___location=Oxford|pages=75, 330}}</ref> Reuben combated the crisis with a mix of legislation, agitation, and recruitment. He fought for relief legislation, including unemployment insurance and a shorter work week, declaring every laborer had a “right to work which must not be taken away.”<ref>{{Cite book|title=Proceedings of the 1936 Illinois State Federation of Labor Convention|last=|first=|publisher=Illinois State Federation of Labor|year=1936|isbn=|___location=Chicago, IL|pages=22}}</ref> He strengthened union efforts on the ground, traveling across Illinois to give support to strikes and organizing efforts.<ref>Soderstrom, Reuben Soderstrom. [http://www.reubengsoderstromfoundation.com/downloads/Reuben_Interview.pdf Interview by Milton Derber]. Transcript, May 23, 1958, University of Illinois Archives. p. 34.</ref> He also ran a relentless recruitment campaign, focusing not only on unorganized workers, but on established unions not previously affiliated with the ISFL.<ref>Soderstrom, Reuben. “Essay: The Federation Is Growing,” August 1952. Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library.</ref> As a result, Soderstrom saw his membership surge despite the Great Depression and the formation of the Congress of Industrial Organization (CIO), a rival organization to Reuben’s American Federation of Labor (AFL).<ref>{{Cite news|url=|title=Illinois Labor Federation Head Defends His Work|last=|first=|date=August 7, 1941|work=Freeport Journal-Standard|access-date=}}</ref>
Soderstrom also undertook efforts to combat organized crime and its influence on labor. Working closely with [[Chicago Federation of Labor]] President [[John Fitzpatrick (unionist)|John Fitzpatrick]], he sought to identify and arrest "labor racketeers" who falsely claimed to be representatives of organized labor in order to extort illegal "fees" from workers and businesses alike.<ref>Soderstrom, Carl; Soderstrom, Robert; Stevens, Chris; Burt, Andrew (2018). ''Forty Gavels: The Life of Reuben Soderstrom and the Illinois AFL-CIO''. '''2'''. Peoria, IL: CWS Publishing. pp. 237-238.
=== World War II ===
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