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=== Miners' crisis ===
In 1930, the Illinois State Federation of Labor (ISFL) faced a crisis when its largest union, the United Mine Workers of America (UMWA), broke apart under the heavy-handed leadership of [[John L. Lewis]]. ISFL President John Walker, himself a UMWA member, was forced to resign after he and his Progressive Miners of America (PMA) withdrew from the UMWA and claimed to be the “legitimate” miners’ union. As many as 85% of Illinois UMWA miners sided with Walker, and ISFL membership plummeted to under 200,000.<ref>{{Cite book|title=John L Lewis: A Biography|last=Dubofsky|first=Melvyn|last2=Van Tine|first2=Warren|publisher=University of Illinois Press|year=1986|isbn=0-252-01287-9|___location=Urbana IL|pages=[https://archive.org/details/johnllewisbiogra00dubo/page/116 116–118]|url=https://archive.org/details/johnllewisbiogra00dubo/page/116}}</ref>
With no clear successor, the ISFL Executive Committee approached the 42-year-old Soderstrom, hoping his political acumen could help stabilize the crisis. He accepted, and was named interim president, pending a formal vote.<ref>Soderstrom, Reuben. [http://www.reubengsoderstromfoundation.com/downloads/Reuben_Interview.pdf Interview by Milton Derber]. Transcript, May 23, 1958. University of Illinois Archives. p. 17.</ref> Soderstrom acted decisively against the PMA (despite his friendship with Walker), refusing to seat them at the 1930 ISFL Convention. The move marginalized the PMA and helped stabilize the UMWA at a critical moment.<ref>{{Cite news|url=|title=Labor Convention Bars Insurgent Miner Delegates|last=|first=|date=September 16, 1930|work=Alton Evening Telegraph|access-date=}}</ref> Soderstrom was formally elected ISFL President soon thereafter.
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