SMART UnionUnion solidarity was on full display at the SMART Local 219 (Rockford, Ill.) union hall in August, where the local presented recipients with scholarships to help them continue their education.
“Our members are dedicated to supporting our own by investing $70,500 in scholarships for 47 family members enrolled full-time in college,” the local wrote on Facebook. “Each recipient received $1,500 to help pave the way for a brighter future.”
Thirty-one of the scholarship recipients, as well as Local 219 Recording Secretary Mike Sneed, President Todd Whitlock and Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Cook (right to left, to the left of the podium).
On Tuesday, July 26, SM Local 219 (Rockford, Ill.) awarded $1,500 academic scholarships to 38 local students — amounting to a total of $57,000.
“It means a lot to me, it means a lot that they were able to give out that amount of money, and I know it’s helping a lot of people — including me,” local student Brennen Cook told Rockford NBC affiliate WREX 13.
Creighton University is developing a program to aid those who will lose their jobs in the wake of ConAgra’s recent announcement that it will slash expenses by eliminating salaried positions and relocating its global headquarters from Omaha to Chicago.
ConAgra announced Thursday that it would uproot its Omaha headquarters next year. About 1,000 people are expected to be laid off in the coming weeks.
Those who lost their jobs at Union Pacific, which announced layoffs in August, also will be eligible for the program.
Click here for more information on the scholarship being offered by Creighton University.
Read more from Omaha World-Herald.
The Union Plus Scholarship Program is once again offering up scholarships ranging from $500 to $4,000 to help union members and their children attend college. These one-time cash awards are for study beginning in the Fall each year and students may re-apply every year that they are enrolled in school. The deadline to apply for the 2015 scholarship is Saturday, Jan. 31, 2015, at 12 p.m. (eastern time).
Since 1992, the program has awarded more than $3.6 million to students of union families. Applicants are evaluated according to academic ability, social awareness, financial need and appreciation of labor. It is recommended that students have a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
To apply, students, their parents or spouses must have been a union member for at least one year and this minimum must be satisfied by May 31, 2015. The applicant must also be accepted into a U.S. accredited college or university, community college or technical or trade school at the time the award is issued. The scholarship must be used for the 2015-2016 school year.
Scholarships will be awarded by May 31. During the first two weeks of June, award recipients will be individually notified by mail. To learn more or to apply for the scholarship, click here.
A Penn State alumnus has created a scholarship that will support students enrolled in the college’s rail transportation engineering (RTE) program, a groundbreaking academic initiative designed to prepare students for placement and career advancement within the rail industry.
Gerhard Thelen’s scholarship fund for Penn State Altoona will be given to a student who is a child or grandchild of a current or former employee of Norfolk Southern Corp. or Consolidated Rail Corp., organizations in which Thelen worked during his 36-year career in the rail industry.
“I have had an interesting and fulfilling career with both Conrail and Norfolk Southern, and I would like to help both students and the rail industry alike by ensuring the continued availability of qualified employees,” Thelen said. “The RTE program is exactly what the railroad industry needs to continue to grow and flourish.”
Read more from University Herald.
The AFL-CIO and Union Privilege (also known as Union Plus) announced today they have partnered together to offer students a chance to win scholarships commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.
They will award 50 scholarships of $5,000 each to high school seniors to help pay for college costs. To apply, students must fill out an application, write an essay and provide a letter of reference from a teacher or other adult familiar with their achievements.
The winners will be chosen from the sons or daughters of union families or of current members of an eligible community organization. Applicants must apply by July 1, 2013.
Click here for more information.