The Balanoff Family – The Balanoff family has played a defining role in shaping labor rights and progressive politics in Chicago and across the Midwest. With roots in the steel mills and a passion for standing up for the working class, their legacy spans four generations of fearless advocacy, public service, and grassroots organizing.
Miriam Balanoff broke barriers as a progressive candidate and fierce opponent of the political machine led by Ed Vrdolyak. She won two terms as an Illinois State Representative, where she championed social justice and government accountability initiates. She was an advocate of the Equal Rights Amendment and introduced the Employer Relocation Act which would have required that companies give advance notice before closing down, guarantee severance pay, and contribute to a special community fund for job retraining or development services. In the 1986 general election, she was elected to a judgeship on the Circuit Court of Cook County with the backing of Harold Washington whom she had supported for Mayor of Chicago.
As President Emeritus, Tom Balanoff has been an active force in the labor movement for 50 years. At a young age, he saw the world with the mind of an activist. His deep family roots in the engagement of the Anti-War, Civil Rights Movement, and the Labor Movement shaped his views and guided him on a path to being one of the longest service leaders for all working families. After 15 years of creating strategic plans and campaigns that positively and successfully impacted hardworking communities, Tom moved to Chicago in 1993 to become the Local 73 Trustee. In 1994, he was elected president, which helped shape the local’s perspective and strengthen its industrial and political power. Tom joined the SEIU International Executive Board in 1995 and became SEIU Vice President a year later. Tom served as president of SEIU Illinois State Council, where within five years, its membership doubled to grow by 90,000 more members. His vision restructured the union into industry-based locals, gaining the strength to win rights for more than 100,000 low-wage workers in the healthcare and childcare industries.
