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Announcing the National Union Scholarship winners for 2016

"The contributions of these young people were so well written and filled with such insight that we hope this financial assistance will go some way to helping them achieve their dreams." — Larry Brown, NUPGE President

Ottawa (25 Oct. 2016) — Each year, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) offers 4 scholarships that reflect its pursuit of equal opportunity for all workers. They are offered to the children or grandchildren and foster children or grandchildren of current or retired NUPGE members who are starting a post-secondary education in a public educational institution. The National Union is pleased to announce the winners of these awards.

Scholarship for Aboriginal Canadians

Kirsten Webster is the daughter of Kari Webster, a member of the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA/NUPGE).  In recognizing the role public services play in the quality of life for Aboriginal Canadians, Kirsten pointed out that, “Accordingly, Aboriginal peoples prosper when they are introduced to quality public services without racial prejudice…[and that] we need to break down these racial barriers and focus on giving each and every Canadian citizen the best care we can provide.”

Scholarship for Visible Minorities

Kyla-Alexis Bailey is the daughter of Crystal Simmons, a member of the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU/NUPGE).  She commented on how employment equity positively impacts on both visible minorities and Aboriginal Canadians in the public services.  She pointed out that “When a government has a civil service that reflects the people that they serve, it makes the delivery of programs more effective as well as [producing] better responses and reactions to the programs.”

Terry Fox Memorial Scholarship

Eric Lonz is the son of Ines Lonz of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE).  Eric pointed out that bringing persons with disabilities “into the workplace creates an environment where diversity of thinking is embraced and encouraged, a valuable advantage in today’s knowledge-based economy.  However, these initiatives by government are doomed to fail if a strong public service, one that is free from political influence, is not available to provide the resources and program support.”

Tommy Douglas Scholarship

Kristopher Saarinen is the son of Deborah Saarinen of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE).  In his essay, Kristopher recognized Tommy Douglas’ contributions, in addition to former prime minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Nellie McClung, in promoting the equality of Canadians to ensure an equitable society in Canada.  “He [Tommy Douglas] left behind a legacy of fighting for equality….he fought for mothers, students, workers, minorities, the elderly and all Canadians.  He embodied the equality and fairness that Canada is known for today.”

More information: 

National Union Scholarships

NUPGE

The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 360,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE