Dear CIRHR Community,
As we enter the fall term, I’m reminded that we are in a milestone year, celebrating 60 years of the CIRHR, 50 years of our MIRHR program, and 40 years of our PhD and Undergraduate programs. There’s much to celebrate, many people deserving of acknowledgment and, as always, it has been an eventful spring and summer at the Centre. Allow me to share just a few of the highlights.
CENTRE ACTIVITIES
As winter turned to spring and Toronto typically had its obligatory early April snowstorm, we held our annual Morley Gunderson Lecture delivered by Professor Daniel S. Hamermesh, one of the world's foremost labour economists. Professor Hamermesh spoke about the economics of 'time', our most precious (and finite) commodity.
His focus was on how time use differs across different demographic groups (the young and old, but also those in work and those retired) and how the shortage of time affects behaviour. We also awarded the Morley Gunderson Prize to a very deserving alumnus, Professor Tony Fang. You can watch the full recording on our YouTube channel.
I’m delighted to report that next year we will be celebrating the ten-year anniversary of our Morley Gunderson Lecture with Professor Magne Mogstad from the University of Chicago. Stay tuned for more details!
HONOURS AND MILESTONES
This past summer, in celebration of our 60th year, we brought together alumni, staff, faculty, and librarians from across the decades for a very special two-day homecoming reunion.
Beforehand, we asked our community to name the people who made their time at the Centre uniquely special, and we were very pleased to recognize the contributions of 15 people and 1 organization: educators, Ann Armstrong, Bob Thompson, Rajesh Uttamchandani, Morley Gunderson, and Frank Reid; staff members, Deborah Campbell, Carol Canzano-Hamala, and Hilary Shelton; librarians, Victoria Skelton, Elizabeth Perry, Bruce Pearce, and Manda Vrkljan; library technicians, Monica Hypher and Sarah Clark Morgan; and last but certainly not least, Paula Puddy and Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP for their longtime support of Bob Thompson’s mock arbitration exercise for the IRE1610HF: Industrial Relations course.
We thank all who were able to attend the celebration, and hope to reconnect in the future with those who were unable to join us. You can access photos from our evening (credit to Felipe Karmel) at this link.
This past summer also saw Professor Santiago Campero granted tenure and the rank of Associate Professor at the CIRHR, and Professor Elizabeth Dhuey was awarded the CWEC/CFÉC Sylvia Ostry Award!
The Canadian Women Economists Committee (CWEC) writes that "Elizabeth Dhuey is a scholar whose research, leadership, and commitment truly embodies the very spirit of the Sylvia Ostry Award. Through her research, her leadership, and her involvement in the community, she has made a profound difference in the fields of economics for women." To read the full citation, please visit: https://www.economics.ca/cwec-awards
Our Librarian, Danielle Van Wagner, has also been awarded permanent status as a librarian at the University of Toronto, a milestone that reflects Danielle's outstanding contributions to the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies, the Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources, and to the broader University of Toronto Library system.
UPCOMING ACTIVITIES
The final report from our National Assembly on Workplace Democracy (NAWD) will be made available shortly and speaks directly to what can be done to help workers reach their full potential and enable stronger worker voice in Canada.
We are also in the process of coordinating our NAWD regional forums to be held across Canada this fall in collaboration with academic institutions, industry partners, and key stakeholders to discuss the assembly process and worker voice, followed by panel discussions and an audience Q&A. Keep an eye on our NAWD website for the most up-to-date details: https://www.workplacedemocracyproject.ca/index.html
This fall, Lancaster House Publishing, in association with Turnpenney Milne LLP and the CIRHR, will be delivering a two-day, interactive program for investigators, managers, and HR professionals who are comfortable with the basics of workplace investigations and want to focus on more advanced topics and skills development. Registration is available at: https://lancasterhouse.com/event/advanced-workplace-investigation-skills/
IN MEMORIAM
Finally, I would be remiss not to acknowledge the passing of two former colleagues and friends of the Centre, Jeffrey G. Reitz and Mark Thompson.
CIRHR graduate coordinator, professor, and much-loved colleague, Jeffrey G. Reitz made an indelible impression during his tenure at the Centre, and a commemorative page has been created to honour his memory and the impact he’s made on members of our CIRHR community.
Mark Thompson was also a longtime friend of the Centre and a colleague to many who have come through our doors. Plans have been in motion for some time to replace our PWR Newsletter with a new, quarterly publication that highlights the work of our community members, and it is our hope that the inaugural issue will feature Mark’s unique contributions to our field.
As I reflect on this past year and anticipate the year ahead, I’m reminded that the Centre is more than a community of current and former students, faculty, staff, instructors, and supporters. The CIRHR is a fellowship, and “fellowship” is at the heart of what we do — in our teaching and in our research, with the collaborative end-goal of making the lives of workers, and the relationship between workers and employers, better. As we begin another term at the CIRHR, I’m grateful to the founders of the CIRHR; to the many staff and faculty colleagues who have leant their talents and expertise to the Centre over the years; and to all of our students, past, present, and those yet to come.
Best,
Rafael
***********************************************************************
Dr. Rafael Gomez, Professor
Director, Centre for Industrial Relations and Human Resources
University of Toronto