The new director of Memorial University’s top-ranked human resources program brings a background in labour and climate challenges to the role.

Dr. John Peters became the new director of the Master of Employment Relations (MER) Program in July. He replaced Dr. Lynn Gambin, who held the role since 2020.

Dr. Peters is an associate professor of employment relations at the Faculty of Business Administration and the Department of Sociology at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS).

“. . . the MER is one of Canada’s best labour and employment programs, engaged with the innovative thinking and the needed solutions to labour market inequality and a fair economy.”— Dr. John Peters

He says he is “very happy” to take on the role.

“For more than 20 years, this program has served as a hub for training the next generation of professionals, policy-makers and educators in employment leadership,” he said. “Whether for industrial relations specialists or human resource managers, the MER is one of Canada’s best labour and employment programs, engaged with the innovative thinking and the needed solutions to labour market inequality and a fair economy.”

The MER program is a unique interdisciplinary graduate program that’s jointly offered by Business Administration and HSS.

It addresses contemporary issues in labour and employment through practitioner and academic expertise, deepening the knowledge and strengthening the skills of human resources professionals, policy-makers and community leaders.

The director’s role alternates between Business Administration and HSS.

Unions, policy and decarbonization

Dr. Peters holds a PhD from York University and a master of arts degree from the University of Michigan.

His research interests include trade unions and labour relations, inequality and comparative public policy, and decarbonization and environmental labour studies.

He’s an executive board member of the Canadian Industrial Relations Association, which promotes research and education on work, employment and industrial relations.

He is also a research fellow at the Inter-University Research Centre on Globalization and Work at the University of Montreal, and co-investigator on a three-year, federally funded project called What Can Unions do about Climate Change? Union Strategies for a Just Transition.

The project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

Dr. Peters says he is looking forward to bringing his background in labour and sustainability to the program and aims to develop graduates who contribute to a clean energy economy.

“As someone who has worked in construction, as well as researched labour and climate issues over the past 20 years, I firmly believe that good jobs and strong labour protections have a critical role to play in driving sustainable change and creating a more resilient future.”

Evolving world of work

Dr. Amy Warren, dean of the School of Graduate Studies, says the MER program’s interdisciplinary nature ensures the curriculum remains relevant to the ever-evolving world of work.

“The variety of perspectives ensures students are getting a well-rounded experience that prepares them for many types of employment post-graduation,” said Dr. Warren. “Dr. Peters’ experience and interest in sustainability will help students enter a workforce that’s seeing increasing effects of climate change, both within organizations and on employees.

“Our graduates have an important role in helping organizations adjust to these issues, and they are well prepared to meet that challenge,” she added.