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Earlier this month, the Union of National Employees raised $10,000 to create a series of high school bursaries. Thanks to donations from members at the All Presidents\u2019 Conference, Locals, the national executive and our union, ten lucky high school students will receive $1,000 to help them pursue higher education.<\/p>\n
Part of the money was raised through a raffle held at the All Presidents Conference. The first two winners won some rather cool prizes directly from Moscow: Russian nesting dolls and a jersey signed by Russian hockey legend Vladislav Tretiak. The next four names out of the hat won the opportunity to work with their regional team to identify a high school in their region worthy of our bursary.<\/p>\n
Allan Combres of Local 20214, whose name was third out of the hat, admits that even if his name had been picked first or second, he would still have jumped at the chance to be part of the high school bursary program\u2026 even if his son probably would have been blown away by the hockey jersey!<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s a good opportunity to get children exposed to the labour movement,\u201d said Combres.<\/p>\n
Combres admits that his own children don\u2019t hear much about the labour movement at school.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey learn that from their dad, here,\u201d he added, proudly.<\/p>\n
This bursary is the first of its kind at the Union of National Employees. Specifically, it\u2019s the first bursary that reaches out to the broader public, as opposed to only targeting members and their families.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s crucial to reach out and explain the work of unions to the general public, especially to those who aren\u2019t unionized,\u201d said Donald Parsons, who will be working with the Atlantic region to select a worthy high school.<\/p>\n
Parsons says that kind of work is especially important nowadays, since unions are increasingly being portrayed in a negative light.<\/p>\n
\u201cToo many people think \u2018I don\u2019t have that benefit; why should you?\u2019 when they should be thinking \u2018you have that benefit, why don\u2019t I?\u2019\u201d said Parsons.<\/p>\n
High school students who hope to be awarded a bursary will have to submit an essay detailing how unions have helped build a middle class in Canada and how they were (and continue to be!) a progressive force, fighting for values that would eventually become regarded as national values.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s important that young people understand and appreciate that the labour movement will be there for them as they begin their working careers,\u201d said Parsons.<\/p>\n
For more information on this bursary and others offered by the UNE, please click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Earlier this month, the Union of National Employees raised $10,000 to create a series of high school bursaries. Thanks to donations from members at the All Presidents\u2019 Conference, Locals, the national executive and our union, ten lucky high school students will receive $1,000 to help them pursue higher education. Part of the money was raised … <\/p>\n