This is an archive of news stories and research from the National Union of Public and General Employees. Please see our new site - https://nupge.ca - for the most current information.
"Thank you for honouring some of the issues we all care so much about with your time and with your words." - James Clancy, NUPGE National President.
Ottawa (18 Sept. 2014) — Each year, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) offers four scholarships that reflect its pursuit of equal opportunity for all workers. They are open to the children, grandchildren or foster children or grandchildren of a current or retired National Union member who are starting a post-secondary education and who plan to enter the first year of a Canadian public, post-secondary, educational institution as a full-time student.
"On behalf of the National Union, I want to congratulate the winners of the 2014 scholarships but most importantly, I want to thank everyone who submitted essays," said James Clancy, NUPGE National President. "We are impressed, year after year, at the quality of the writing and the passion applicants have for making our world a better place. Thank you for honouring some of the issues we all care so much about with your time and with your words."
NUPGE Scholarship winners
The National Union is pleased to announce that this year entries were received for all four scholarships.
Tommy Douglas Scholarship
Katherine Bennett Goss is the daughter of Julia Bennett of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU/NUPGE) Local 526. In her essay, Katherine not only recognized Tommy Douglas as the father of Medicare but also lauded his contribution to a just and equitable society in Canada: “I am a product of Tommy Douglas, though I never met him....My mother and father are both union members and the importance of supporting community is a lasting value of our family. My goals in life are to develop my passion of science, math and music, and use them to solve medical problems in biomedical engineering. Whenever Canadians break down barriers, they are living the legacy of Thomas Clement Douglas.”
Scholarship for Aboriginal Canadians
Nicole Kennedy is the daughter of John Kennedy, a member of the Newfoundland and Labrador Association of Public and Private Employees (NAPE/NUPGE) Local 7104. In her essay, Nicole commented on how public services supported Aboriginal peoples in Canada in the areas of education, housing, employment and justice systems, pointing out that “it is the effective delivery of (public service) supports..that enhance the quality of life of Aboriginal Canadians.... (While recognizing that) disparities exist between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal populations in Canada....recognition is first and foremost key in continuing to provide and build upon public services afforded to our Aboriginal population.”
Scholarship for Visible Minorities
Victoria Vargas is the daughter of Karina Rengifo, a member of the British Columbia Government and Service Employees' Union (BCGEU/NUPGE). Reflecting upon her own experience immigrating to Canada in Grade 2, Victoria wrote about the importance of quality public services in enhancing her family's quality of life as visible minorities and immigrants. Victoria writes, “We defeated our own struggles, and we all agree that if it had not been for the welcoming atmosphere that we were presented with through public services, we would be in a different place right now. These programs helped us in ways that we cannot express and we are extremely grateful for them.”
Terry Fox Memorial Scholarship
Mathew Baldwin is the son of Jannice Baldwin of the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union (MGEU/NUPGE). Mathew concluded his very personal essay writing, “public services have always been there to help me overcome life's obstacles...Thanks to public services, I consider myself a normal person living a normal life...oh yeah, and I just happen to have a disability.”
More information:
NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 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