Evelyn Moniz Memorial Scholarship

Evelyn Moniz

Evelyn Moniz Scholarship Program

The Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council Evelyn Moniz Scholarship is available to union members living in Southeastern Massachusetts, or Cape Cod and the Islands of a labor union affiliated with the Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council.

The most important element of the selection criteria in the essay is the commitment to future action by the applicant.

All scholarship applicants MUST include ALL five of the following elements in their application packet:

  1. Be an active member of a labor union affiliated with the Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council. NOTE: Please contact The Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council President Lisa Lemieux at [email protected] if you have any questions or want to verify your union’s membership in The Greater Southeastern Mass Labor Council.
  2. Be enrolled in a degree-granting program, including online, or continuing education/certificate program, or plan to enroll in a program, including online labor certificate programs such as Cornell University Industrial and Labor Relations programs.
  3. Submit a completed scholarship application form which can be found here
  4. Submit TWO letters of recommendation from your union officials (shop steward, business agent, union representative, union president, or business manager).
  5. Submit a completed essay.

SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY

Write a 700-word essay describing the history of your family’s union involvement and how you plan to use your education to benefit and strengthen the union movement. You MUST refer to the following five areas:

  1.  How and why you became involved in organized labor
  2. Describe any special moments in which you have benefited from involvement in your labor union
  3. Describe what you believe to be the value of belonging to a labor union.
  4. Explain your understanding of the union movement in America today.
  5. How do you plan to use your education to benefit and strengthen the union movement?
     
  • The essay must be typed using 12 pt. font.  Margins should be no more than 1 inch on all sides. All lines must be double-spaced.
  • Scholarships are reviewed on a rolling basis.
  • Failure to submit any of the required items by the deadline will result in disqualification.
  • All recipients must be present to be awarded a scholarship at a future Labor Council meeting
  • All recipients must have proof of acceptance to an accredited institution of higher education.

Evelyn Moniz  - Union Biography

Evelyn was one of the original founders of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union in Fall River in 1935.  She went on to organize thousands of immigrant garment workers across the city, making Fall River one of the strongest union cities in the Northeast. She continued to work in the garment factories of Fall River and held many elected offices in the union, including Joint Board Delegate, International Convention Delegate, President of Locals 178 and 361, Recording Secretary of the New England Joint Board, and Chaplain for the Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council. Her career of service to her union spanned 61 years, during which time she helped guide our union through two mergers. She retired from union leadership in 2011. She received too many awards from various organizations to even list, but she was proud of each and every one. She was passionate about her city and was active in civic life for decades.

Evelyn was one of the strongest labor leaders in Massachusetts. She had an unbreakable courage and a keen sense of right and wrong. Her passion was giving a voice to those without one, and she did this unflaggingly. She was known for her unique and infectious sense of humor and her unrelenting loyalty to her union and the cause of the labor movement. She was a union woman to her core. We will forever be grateful for her sacrifice and loyalty to our union. Her work serves to inspire us all. Her spirit will live on in every factory where workers struggle to make a living and in every union hall where workers stand together for justice.