 He married Marlene Sadlowski, who survived him, as did their son Edward Sadlowski Jr. and daughters Susan Sadlowski Garza, Patricia Hoyt and Diane Agelson.In 1956, Sadlowski started work as a machinist's apprentice at U.S. Steel in Chicago, which was represented by Local 65 of the United Steelworkers of America (USWA).He got his nickname "Oil can Eddie" because he often carried an oil can while walking around plants and talking with rank-and-file members.