BRS Family Member Awarded 2016 Union Plus Scholarship

Winner Honored for Achievement and Union Values

Washington, D.C. — Union Plus recently awarded $150,000 in scholarships to 104 students representing 32 unions, including one winner representing the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS). This year’s group of scholarship recipients includes university, college, and trade or technical school students from 32 states. The BRS winner is:

• Austin Lewandowski of Rosholt, Wisconsin.
  Lewandowski, whose father, Thomas Lewandowski, is a member of BRS Local 239, has been awarded a $500 scholarship.

Meet the 2016 BRS Honoree

Austin Lewandowski

Austin is an accounting major at Northcentral Technical College in Wausau, Wisconsin, and expects to complete his associate’s degree in May 2017. He hopes to work for the Canadian National Railroad in Wisconsin. Austin is a member of the Rosholt American Legion and volunteers with the Salvation Army. He works for the United States Postal Service and previously worked in construction and masonry. Austin was heavily involved with Future Farmers of America while in high school, serving as FFA reporter (sophomore), treasurer (junior), and vice president (senior) and earning the FFA Star Agribusiness award and FFA State Degree in 2015. He chose to attend a technical college in order to keep college expenses low and has managed to remain debt free. Both of his parents are union members (mother, Mary Lewandowski, American Postal Workers Union (APWU), Local 4532), and he plans to eventually join a union as well. “The union helps out with solutions to problems or even gives better opportunities with jobs having better wages,” Austin said.

Learn More About the Union Plus Scholarship Program

The Union Plus Scholarship Program, now in its 25th year, awards scholarships based on outstanding academic achievement, personal character, financial need and commitment to the values of organized labor. The program is offered through the Union Plus Education Foundation.

Since starting the program in 1991, Union Plus has awarded more than $4 million in educational funding to more than 2,700 union members, spouses and dependent children. Union Plus Scholarship awards are granted to students attending a two-year college, four-year college, graduate school, or recognized technical or trade school. The selection process is very competitive, and this year over 5,700 applications were received from 55 unions and all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and three U.S. territories.

Visit UnionPlus.org/Scholarship for applications and benefit eligibility.

In addition to the scholarship program, Union Plus provides a wide range of money-saving programs and services for union members and families, including discounts on wireless services from AT&T, the only nationwide unionized wireless carrier, savings on travel and recreation, and more. Visit UnionPlus.org for details.

About Union Plus

Union Plus is a brand of Union Privilege. Backed by the AFL-CIO, the Union Plus brand promises the value, quality service and competitive cost-savings that union members deserve. Since Union Privilege started in 1986, union members and their families have expanded and tailored Union Plus programs to serve today's working families in their lives off-the-job. At Union Privilege, we are committed to improving the quality of life of working families through our unique products and services. We achieve our mission through savings, service and solidarity.