APWU Family Members Awarded 2021 Union Plus Scholarships

(This article first appeared in the November/December issue of the American Postal Worker magazine)

Since 1991, the annual Union Plus Scholarship Program has helped fund education for students of more than 3,200 union families. The Union Plus Scholarship awards are presented annually to union members or members of their families who want to begin or continue their post-secondary education.

In 2021, Union Plus awarded $250,000 in scholarships to 199 students. Two winners who are dependents of APWU members were awarded $1,000: Abeera Saeed, daughter of Muhammad Akhtar, member of the New York Metro Area Postal Union, and Corey White, son of Timothy White, member of the Boston Metro Area Local.

Both winners spoke about the important impact that the APWU had on their lives. “APWU worked hard to make sure my father’s mental health, physical health, and job were protected,” Saeed said. “They also gave him the freedom to have some say in the locations and times he worked, which meant he could stay closer to home and properly raise me during my early years of development. This time together was a gift from APWU that I can never repay.”

“My father receives many important benefits, including collective bargaining, workplace safety, and fair health care programs,” White said. “These benefits mean that APWU workers have rights, and they have a collective voice. As I pursue a career in the trades, I am excited about the opportunity to be part of a union.”