José Soler Memorial Scholarship

The JOSE SOLER MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP will be given to a student, of any age, seeking to continue their post-high school/GED education in a certified technical and/or higher education program, including undergraduate and graduate-level studies. Ideal candidates will embody the traits that José personified- community engagement, social consciousness, activism, artistic & intellectual excellence, and ‘telling truth to power.’ José believed in the power of education, but his passion was also fueled by his lived experience. All candidates will be considered, but those with experience in community organizing are encouraged to apply.

About José Soler
Described as an intellectual, relentless advocate and organizer, and award-winning photographer, José Soler fought for Puerto Rican independence, people of color, traditional public education, workers rights, as well as, racial, social and economic justice.

José Soler (b.1945) served as national (US) president of the Puerto Rican Socialist Party (PSP) and supported decolonization efforts in the Americas and Africa. He worked as a labor organizer and labor journalist and was also an active member of or associate of the International Organization of Journalists, Clergy and Concerned Laity, the Black Berets, the Puerto Rican Independence Movement, and was co-chair of the U.S. Peace Council's March against Nuclear Weapons, as well as internationally and organizationally active in the Anti-Apartheid Movement.

José was a long-time executive board member of the Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council and director of the Arnold M. Dubin Labor Education Center at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth for 22 years. He most recently served as co-chair of the New Bedford Coalition to Save Our Schools and helped lead the group’s fight against charter school expansion in New Bedford.

He was giving, humble, empathetic, a loving and proud father and grandfather and worked up until his last days. José was married to the struggle.

Application Instructions

Submit a complete application packet by May Day/International Workers Day (May 1st) each year. Any late or incomplete scholarship application packet will be automatically rejected. One $1,000 scholarship will be awarded to the students selected as winners during the competition.

All students MUST:

Be an active member of a labor union affiliated with the Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council, or have a parent, stepparent, legal guardian, brother, sister, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or student applicant be a 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
Be enrolled in a degree-granting program, including online, or a continuing education/certificate program, or plan to enroll in a program
Submit a completed scholarship application form which can be found here
Submit a completed essay

SOLER 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:

How and why you became involved in organized labor
Describe any special moments in which you have benefited from involvement in your labor union
Describe what you believe to be the value of belonging to a labor union
Explain your understanding of the union movement in America today
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. Please return the completed essay and completed application form by International Workers Day/May Day each year (May 1). Failure to submit any of the required items by the deadline will result in disqualification.
All recipients must have proof of acceptance to an accredited institution of higher education
All recipients must be present to be awarded a scholarship at a Labor Council meeting the third Monday of June each year, 6 pm-8 pm.

The Mission of the Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council is:

To fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the working people of America through the democratic process within the framework of our constitutional government.
To responsibly serve the interests of all the American people at the collective bargaining table, in the community, and the rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
To pledge ourselves to be a more effective organization of working men and women; to the achievement of even higher standards of living and working conditions; to the attainment of security for all the people; to the enjoyment of the leisure which their skills make possible, and to strengthen our way of life and the fundamental freedoms which are the basis of our democratic society.

The application can be mailed to:
The Greater Southeastern Massachusetts Labor Council
560 Pleasant St.
New Bedford, MA 02740-6236

Or materials can be e-mailed to [email protected] with the subject line "Scholarship Application."