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Dear Unifor Brothers and Sisters;
It has been a huge privilege to serve as Economist for Unifor, and before that the CAW, for a total of 22 years. I can’t imagine a better place for a progressive researcher to build a career – and more importantly, contribute to our shared struggle for a better Canada.
Last month I finished my job with Unifor, and am now relocating to Australia with my family for a few years. (My partner has started an exciting position with the University of Sydney, and we’ve decided to undertake this “foreign posting” together with our two kids.)
As we prepare to depart, I’ve been reflecting on my rich experiences with the union, the many campaigns we fought, the victories we won, the solidarity we built.
The greatest highlight of all, however, was getting to participate in the founding of Unifor in 2013 – culminating an unprecedented and creative process, as we together imagined how to energize and strengthen our union and the whole labour movement.
Even from Australia I will serve in an advisory capacity to Unifor’s leadership team, including occasional visits back to Canada. I will keep tweeting regularly (@jimbostanford), teaching occasional economics courses, and providing commentary for newspapers, CBC’s “Bottom Line” panel, and websites. In short, while my current job with Unifor has ended, I will remain fully engaged in the battle of ideas over how to build an inclusive, fair, productive economy.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve this great union!
In solidarity,
Jim Stanford
