Two HSAA young workers receive national union scholarships

Big congrats to Kirstie Muloin and Lillian Starchuk! The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) offered a total of nine $2,500 scholarships for 2021 that reflect its pursuit of equal opportunity for all workers. Two of them were awarded to HSAA members. The Young Worker Scholarship is awarded to two entrants who may be in any level of post-secondary studies but are under 30 years of age as of the scholarship deadline. 

Kirstie Muloin is a member of HSAA/NUPGE and a self-identified young worker. Kirstie’s essay, The Equalizing Force, covers the important role unions play by giving workers power against employers and governments. 

“As we face intense wage stagnation and aggressively increasing inflation, the importance of unions and a unified labour force has never been clearer. The impacts of large corporations like Amazon on the labour force can be felt by all workers, unionized and non-unionized. Anti-labour legislation such as Bill 32 has shown how important unions are in the workforce and the threat that governments fear that they pose. Modern unions are a necessary tool that acts as a balancing force against the looming threat of little government regulations and profit driven corporations.”

– Kirstie Muloin, HSAA Young Worker

Lillian Starchuk is a member of HSAA/NUPGE and a self-identified young worker. Lillian’s essay, In What Ways are Unions Still Important in the Contemporary Workplace?, details the ways unions protect jobs, lead to higher rates of democratization, increase wages for unionized and non-unionized workers, and more. 

“The importance of unions and collective bargaining agreements were demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically regarding safe-working practices for essential workers. Working as a paramedic myself, I witnessed the precarious working conditions due to shortages of PPE, ambiguous sick time policies, and staffing shortages. These points of contention
were alleviated by effective use of the collective bargaining agreement process and union-government arbitration. I am thankful the union stood in solidarity with us throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.”

– Lillian Starchuk, HSAA Young Worker