Koskie Minsky LLP Is a Proud Supporter of the Labour Movement
August 30, 2019
As Labour Day approaches, it is important and timely to remember the many positive contributions of trade unions and their members.
Like many of our other trade union clients, LIUNA Local 506 has a longstanding program of awarding scholarships and bursaries to the children of its members in order that they can continue their education. Ernie Schirru, the Coordinator of our Labour Department, sat on the 2019 Carmen Principato Scholarship Committee and recently spoke at the awards ceremony. Ernie’s thoughtful comments on the value of trade unions to our community and our country are worth remembering and repeating:
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On behalf of the scholarship review committee, I want to thank the Local 506 Executive Board with entrusting us with the task of awarding the 2019 Carmen Principato Scholarship Awards.
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The committee reviewed submissions from over 50 applicants, each of whom were worthy of recognition in their own right, making the task of identifying the 2019 award recipients that much more difficult.
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Tonight’s recipients identified themselves as standouts in terms of their grades, community service, references and essay which engaged in an analysis of the pros and cons of being a union member in 2019.
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The applicants did a marvelous job communicating their opinions in their essays.
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As a practicing union-side labour lawyer, this year’s essay topic was one very familiar to me. I am often challenged by nay-sayers in the course of my work day that are convinced unions no longer have a place in today’s labour market and no longer serve a purpose.
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Those nay-sayers don’t know LIUNA and Local 506. They don’t know how LIUNA trains its members to gain the skills to build the cities, streets and homes we live in, the schools we learn in and the hospitals our children are born in, that it works tirelessly to ensure members return home safely and without injury every night after a hard days’ work, that it fights to ensure its members are able to earn a liveable family wage and fights to ensure its members are able to retire with both dignity and economic stability, all the while giving back to the community and those less fortunate whenever it can.
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The nay sayers simply don’t know the facts.
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So, the one request I have of tonight’s recipients, as you go off on your academic journeys – when the opportunity presents itself, let those nay-sayers know that your life and the life of your family is better because of Local 506.
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On behalf of the 2019 Scholarship Committee, I want to congratulate each of tonight’s award recipients and wish each of you the best of luck in your studies for the upcoming academic year.
Practice Area
Labour Law