AFL-CIO Gives Over $1 Million in Scholarships

Staff -- New England Construction, 7/14/2008

More than 250 students were the recipients of scholarships funded by building trades unions through the Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship Program, which held its annual awards ceremony in Boston in May. The building trades' contribution of over $500,000 helped the AFL-CIO surpass its $1-million mark this year, setting a record for the number of scholarships granted since the program began 50 years ago. The Massachusetts AFL-CIO Scholarship Program is just one of many scholarship opportunities to assist working families with the escalating costs of obtaining a college education. Jay Hurley of the Iron Workers District Council of New England noted that the Iron Workers District Council gave out $72,000 in other scholarship awards. The Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Contractors of Greater Boston recently awarded over $26,000 in scholarships to high school seniors who are enrolling in an accredited four-year college or university. The New England Mechanical Contractors Association and the Building Trades Employers Association and its affiliates each expect to grant $60,000 in scholarships to high school seniors and college students this summer. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 103 awards a total of $20,000 in Local 103 direct scholarships per year.