Last night, at a special celebration, we inaugurated the USW Leo Gerard Chair in Collective Bargaining and Worker Representation thanks to the support of 23 local unions and governing bodies, as well as 24 individual donors, 19 corporate donors, and matching support from the Faculty of Arts and Science. We also celebrated the achievements of its namesake, Leo W. Gerard, who was recently awarded the Order of Canada, and is considered to be one of the most influential labour leaders in modern history.
“It’s a great honour for the United Steelworkers to be recognized in the establishment of this Chair at the University of Toronto,” said Mr. Gerard. “While I'm of course happy to be recognized as well, the truth is that it's the members of our union who are the basis for all of our achievements.” He went on to say that:
"My life in the union has been defined by the certainty that workers deserve a voice in the decisions that affect them. That voice comes from effective, democratic representation by unions and the right to engage in collective bargaining. Positive labour relations and better outcomes for workers also mean good things for forward-thinking corporations, employers, and for our broader society. Please extend my heartfelt appreciation to all donors to this great initiative at the University of Toronto."
The USW Leo Gerard Chair will solidify teaching and research in the traditional areas of labour relations and collective bargaining; support teaching and research in emerging areas of collective representation; and fund a new tenure-track faculty position to advance research in and around collective bargaining and foster improved relations between management, unions, and other relevant stakeholders.
We offer our deepest thanks to all the donors who have supported and endorsed this initiative, and we extend our profound gratitude to Leo Gerard for his decades of activism and his dedication to improving the lives of workers and their families worldwide.