The Local 150 Statesman of the Year Award is presented to elected officials, candidates for office, and other public figures who have distinguished themselves as friends of organized labor and the construction industry. Begun in 1987, the Statesmen of the Year Awards are given at a banquet held every fall. At that time, the honorees are given a plaque designating them as Statesmen of the Year as well as a contribution from the Statesmen of the Year Political Action Committee (PAC). Fundraising for the Statesmen of the Year Awards is primarily through the sale of tickets to the banquet and to the Local 150 golf outing conducted every August.

The Statesmen of the Year PAC has always advanced a by-partisan political agenda. As Samuel Gompers, the first President of the American Federation of Labor (AFL), used to say, “Organized labor should reward its friends and punish its enemies.” In the politically diverse states, counties, and municipalities throughout Local 150’s jurisdiction, we count among our many friends Republicans and Democrats alike. Over the years, prominent recipients of the Statesmen of the Year Awards have included U.S. Congressman William O. Lipinski (D-IL), Illinois Governor Jim Edgar, Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Illinois State Treasurer Judy Baar Topinka, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White, Illinois Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan (D-22nd District), Illinois Senate Republican Leader Frank Watson, Illinois House Republican Leader Tom Cross, Illinois Senator James F. Clayborne, Jr. (D-East St. Louis), Illinois Senator Debbie Halvorson (D-Crete), and many, many others. Local 150 has made similar awards to the friends and allies of organized labor and the construction industry in Indiana and Iowa. Prominent recipients of the Statesman of the Year Awards in Indiana include Governor Frank O’Bannan and Speaker of the House Pat Bauer.