NASA Award

NASA holds an annual essay competition open to members and/or dependents of active NASA members. This year, the competition was open to both post-secondary and high school students.

This year's post-secondary student essay topic was:

Recently, many public sector unions have been impacted by government mandates at their bargaining tables. For example, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers was forced back to work by the federal government, and mandates from the Alberta government have shaped discussions at multiple bargaining tables.

• Discuss the impacts of government interference in bargaining in recent years, using examples.
• What concerns does government involvement introduce to the integrity of the collective bargaining process?
• What can unions do to address these concerns? 

Congratulations to Kathleen Gilliland, Hala Moraich, and Shannon Lohner on winning the 2025 NASA Post-Secondary Award. 

This year's high school student essay topic was:

This past year, educational assistants went on strike, and the Alberta Teachers' Association is considering strike action.

• What are the reasons for these unions to consider strike?
• How does this impact your education and your understanding of unions? 

Congratulations to Nika Ardakani and Ilinca Tomuta on winning the 2025 NASA High School Award. 

You can read the winning student essays below.