Meet the 2021 Contest Winners!

Congratulations, Johnny Walker of SMART, the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers for winning the $15,000 grand prize! Johnny’s story exemplifies what it means to be a union member. When he lost his job in the railroad industry, he refused to give up. Johnny remained active in his union, took advantage of the Union Plus Free College benefit, and started looking for new opportunities. He’s now a first-year sheet metal apprentice and a full-time student planning to graduate at the same time as his son.

Congratulations, Wei Kai Xiang of AFSCME-CSEA, the Civil Service Employees Association, for winning the $5,000 second prize! Wei Kai is a first responder EMT with the New York City Fire Department. When the pandemic began, New York City experienced a shortage of personal protective equipment. Wei Kai jumped into action and reached out to the Chinese community to obtain donations of gowns, goggles, face shields, gloves, and masks. Wei Kai was so committed to helping patients that he found another place to live so he could continue treating sick people without putting his own family at risk.