2026 First Nations, Métis, Inuit Circle / Union Savings Indigenous Bursary

Press Release

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As Canada’s largest labour federation, the Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) fights for positive change in every area that affects people’s daily lives.

At the OFL, we know that a good, unionized job is the best way to provide a safe and stable life for Ontarians. We believe that true reconciliation must go beyond words and acknowledgements and move to action. This must involve work to support the education of Indigenous youth and to increase the representation of Indigenous people in the skilled workforce and the wider labour movement, including among union staff, activists and leaders.

To this end, the OFL First Nations, Métis, Inuit Circle / Union Savings Indigenous Bursary has been established to support Indigenous students to pursue post-secondary education, as a pathway to meaningful work, careers and activism in the labour movement.

The bursary has a value of $5,000 and will be offered to a First Nation, Metis, or Inuit student who is:

• The child / family member of an affiliated union or local, or;
• Is a member in good standing of an affiliated union or local of the OFL, and;
• Has been accepted and is enrolled in any accredited college or university in Ontario, or;
• Has a signed apprenticeship

The OFL FNMI Circle will review all submissions and select the winner.

Please submit answers to the following questions, as well as proof of admission or letter of intent by

Monday, April 13, 2026, to scholarships@ofl.ca.

*Submissions can be made in writing or by video or podcast.

Questions:

1. How did unions improve your life?
2. How AI might affect you, your job, your family?
3. Describe how your life has been positively impacted by your family’s involvement in a union.
4. Reflect on what you feel are the main societal issues that unions should be advocating for at this time.
5. As a child of unionized parents, how have union values and/or union organizing helped you overcome personal barriers related to your identity?

Please help us spread the word by sharing information about the new bursary with Indigenous members and contacts.

Find a shareable poster here.

In solidarity,
Laura Walton
OFL President

ILR4