The Megan Whitfield Bursary

The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) established a $5,000 bursary in memory of Megan Whitfield, a long-time postal worker and labour activist, who passed away in 2020. Sister Whitfield dedicated her life to improving the lives of working people. She was the first Black woman elected President of CUPW’s Toronto Local, the largest Local in the country, and was involved in anti-racism work at CUPW, through the Ontario Federation of Labour, and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. The labour movement across the country is stronger because Megan argued for a powerful, inclusive, and anti-racist trade union movement. The bursary, which will be awarded annually, will help carry her legacy. 

Application deadline: July 19, 2021

Who can apply:

This scholarship is open to CUPW members in good standing, or their dependents, who are studying at a publicly-funded, publicly-run post-secondary institution in Canada for the 2021-2022 academic year. 

How to apply:

The following items must be submitted with your application and received by CUPW on or before July 19, 2021. Applications received after July 19, 2021 will not be considered.

• Complete the fillable application form, save the document, and send along with the rest of the application material
  
  
• 1,500-word essay or a photo series, short video, poem, audio file, or visual art piece. responding to the following question:

“Why is worker activism and union involvement important to make meaningful improvements in a workplace?”

• A brief resume indicating your recent community, union, or other volunteer work, which helps to build awareness of workplace, community, or environmental health and safety

Please fill out this application form in its entirety, and use the checklist on page two to ensure your application is complete. 

Please note: If your application bounced back or gave an error when trying to send by email, please resend to: jlouisseize@cupw-sttp.org