Unifor recognizes that the cost associated with post-secondary education is a challenge for many working families.  To assist in making education more accessible, we have established 28 scholarships of $2,000.00 each. Five of these scholarships are administered by the Quebec Council with a separate application process. Residents of Quebec must apply using that application process. See www.uniforquebec.org

The scholarships are awarded to children of Unifor members in good standing.  Students must be entering their first year of full-time post-secondary education (university, community college, technological institute, nursing school, trade college, etc.) in a public institution in Canada.  One of these scholarships will also be available to a Unifor member with at least one year seniority.  These are entrance scholarships only and are not renewable for students entering subsequent years of study. A more detailed description of eligibility criteria and the application process can be downloaded below.

A selection committee composed of Unifor National Staff and Local Union Discussion Leaders evaluates scholarship applications. The selection committee reviews hundreds of applications annually and considers many factors when evaluating applications including academic achievement, responses to essay questions, and a demonstrated commitment to social justice through extracurricular activities and volunteerism. In addition, the selection committee ensures that scholarship awards are distributed to best reflect the regional, sectoral, and membership diversity of Unifor.

2025 Scholarship Application Important Dates

Monday, March 31: Online scholarship application period opens

Friday, June 20: Application period closes

Tuesday, September 2: Scholarship recipients announced

Using the Online Application

Your application must be submitted using the online application form no later than Friday, June 20, 2025.

Click on the appropriate link below to complete your online application.  Please ensure that you have read the instructions carefully, and have the following documents ready on your device for upload with your application.

1.            Personal Statement
2.            Current Transcript/Record of Marks
3.            Essay Question Answers
4.            Local Union Officer Form

Please Note:  Any applications missing any of the required documents, will result in an error message and cannot be submitted.  Please ensure you have all documents available before submitting.

Apply as the Child of a Unifor Member Apply Now

Apply as a Unifor Member Apply Now

Local Union Officer Form

Details about eligibility and the full application procedure are contained in the following document: Scholarship Application Package

Questions?

Email scholarships@unifor.org

BRADFORD, ON – Unifor is condemning the decision by U.S.-based multinational Selig Group to relocate major industrial equipment from its Bradford, Ontario manufacturing facility to a plant in Chicago – threatening the livelihoods of dozens of workers.

“This is another example of the urgent need to protect Canadian jobs and stop companies from exploiting the U.S. trade war, using it as an excuse to gut Canadian manufacturing facilities,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Selig’s owners have long benefited from public funding to build up its operations in Bradford, only to now pull the rug out from under its loyal workforce and the community that supported it for years. It’s unacceptable.”

Unifor Local 333 represents 50 workers at the Bradford facility. The union local says the company has confirmed the transfer of critical heavy machinery—including a slitter and a laminator—that account for roughly 65% of the facility’s total production. The slitter is scheduled for removal in the coming weeks and the laminator will follow in July. Both are being shipped to Selig’s U.S. facility in Chicago.

The union warns that the sudden relocation of heavy machinery could result in the elimination of one of three production shifts and result in 20 unionized jobs being eliminated. The union is also concerned that the remaining machinery at the site relies heavily on output tied to the equipment being removed, risking further jobs.

“This isn’t just about moving equipment around, it’s about the future of our jobs, our facility, and our families,” said Lisa Marks, President of Unifor Local 333. “Our members are angry and anxious. We worked hard to build this plant from the ground up with years of loyalty, community support and government investment. Now, Selig is turning its back on all of us.”

Questions remain about the applicability of the tariffs under the U.S. International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and whether Selig is failing to comply with CUSMA (formerly NAFTA) requirements due to sourcing decisions or certification issues.

Selig opened the Bradford facility in 2021 after a multi-million dollar renovation, supported in part by municipal funding through the Industrial Areas Community Improvement Plan (IACIP). The facility produces sealing and venting materials for packaging across several sectors, including food and beverage, healthcare, chemicals, among others.

The potential job losses at Selig come at a time when Unifor is urging the federal government to enforce and expand the Foreign Extraterritorial Measures Act (FEMA) to penalize corporations that shift production out of Canada. Read Unifor’s media release on FEMA here.

“We simply can’t sit idly by while our jobs and are communities are under threat in this trade war,” said Payne. “Canada needs stronger tools to protect domestic manufacturing jobs and this situation exemplifies why we need to use FEMA to prevent more equipment from moving south putting more Canadian workers at risk of losing their jobs.”

LMI April 2025-EN

Toronto City Council is meeting today to consider bylaw changes that would restrict our Charter-protected rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly. Our union has already voiced strong opposition to these changes.

If passed, this bylaw could severely limit our ability to picket, protest, and take collective action—key tools we rely on to advocate for workers’ rights.

We stand with Progress Toronto in defending these fundamental freedoms. Please sign and share this urgent petition now:

https://www.progresstoronto.ca/petition-protect-our-freedom-to-picket-and-protest

Let’s act quickly to protect our rights.

In solidarity,