Labour and education in the news

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January 26, 2026

Manitoba Government Invests $16.8 Million Toward University of Manitoba Research Facilities
Province of Manitoba
The Manitoba government is providing $16.8 million to the University of Manitoba (UM) to build two new biological research facilities, foster innovation, and create quality jobs and hands-on training opportunities for students, Advanced Education and Training Minister Renée Cable, Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation Minister Jamie Moses, and Innovation and New Technology Minister Mike Moroz announced today.

The case of the invisible teacher
Winnipeg Free Press
Braeden Martens was a ghost in plain sight.

‘You name it — it’s probably come across our desk’: Portage school touts effectiveness of anonymous tipline
Winnipeg Free Press
School leaders in Portage la Prairie are recommending the wider use of anonymous tiplines to monitor safety issues and other pressing concerns among students in Manitoba.

$5.5M daycare built with provincial funds still not open because government can't figure out who owns the land
CBC
A Winnipeg-area daycare built with $5.5 million worth of provincial funds has yet to care for a single child, because the NDP government says it can't figure out who owns the land.

Layoffs expected at Brandon research centre
Brandon Sun
The federal government’s plan to reduce the size of the public service is expected to affect employees at the Brandon Research and Development Centre, Agriculture Union’s president told the Sun.

Laurentian faculty strike continues with national rally (video)
CTV News
Laurentian University faculty, on strike for a fifth day on Friday, held a national solidarity rally. The union says it is ready to talk, while the school says its "strongest" offer is already tabled. Lyndsay Aelick has the latest.

‘Keep Carleton Human’: Carleton University staff rallies to push for protections from A.I.
CTV News
Artificial intelligence is a new frontier in labour negotiations, and as employers adopt the technology, workers are pushing for protections to ensure A.I. won’t replace their jobs.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada is closing seven of its research operations
Globe and Mail
The closing of a major federal government research centre in Guelph, Ont., is a “big blow” to food science and outbreak prevention in Canada, increasing the risk of food-borne illnesses at a precarious time for the North American food-safety system, a Canadian expert in the field is warning.

Quebec public service union says 93% of members oppose three days a week in office rule
CTV News
While the return to the office three days a week will become a reality on Monday for Quebec’s civil servants, some 93 per cent of members of the Quebec professional workers union group (SPGQ) oppose the idea.

Manitoba Government Recruits 13 U.S.-Trained Physicians to Improve Access to Care
Province of Manitoba
As of January 2026, the Manitoba government has recruited 13 U.S.-trained physicians through its Health Care Retention and Recruitment Office to practise in communities across the province, Premier Wab Kinew and Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced today, adding this builds on the historic increase of 285 doctors added to Manitoba’s health-care system in 2025.

Thirteen U.S. docs now practising in province
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba has doubled the number of U.S. doctors it has recruited since the fall, with 13 physicians now practising in the province.

‘Chained to a desk’: Dozens of OPS workers rally against Ford’s five-day office order
CTV News
On a Friday morning cold enough to empty sidewalks, dozens of Ontario public servants gathered outside the labour board to protest against the province’s five-day return-to-office order.

Executives will be among public service cuts as job notices roll out, deputy ministers say
Globe and Mail
Federal departments are highlighting that planned job cuts will also affect senior managers as thousands of public servants receive letters informing them that their positions might be eliminated.

How a shorter workweek can help solve some of our most stubborn social challenges
Globe and Mail
The five-day workweek was created for an industrial-era economy that no longer exists; one where fewer than 20 per cent of women participated in the labour force and where work was limited to fixed hours and physical locations. Today’s primarily dual-income economy with always-on expectations has created an enormous strain on family life, and it’s time to rebalance the scales.

Public sector unions say nearly 10K employees got layoff notices this week
Global News
Almost 10,000 federal public servants have received notices in the past week warning them that their jobs may be cut, say the unions representing them.

31,000 nurses to strike at Kaiser Permanente in California, Hawaii, union says
Reuters
Around 31,000 registered nurses and healthcare professionals will go on strike at Kaiser Permanente's facilities in California and Hawaii on Monday, a union said.

Cost of living is up. Paychecks are not. And workers are not OK.
USA Today
American workers have one big complaint about their jobs: They don’t get paid enough to keep up with the soaring cost of living. 

January 23, 2026

Division warns of double-digit tax hike
Winnipeg Free Press
St. Vital homeowners are being warned about a “worst case scenario” property education tax hike of nearly 12 per cent.

'Students are scared': Manitoban teaching in Minnesota says ICE presence disrupting classroom
CBC
A Manitoban now working as a teacher in Minnesota says the massive immigration crackdown happening in the U.S. state is taking a toll on her students.

University of Windsor sounds the alarm over funding — and it's not alone (video)
CBC
The University of Windsor says it is "confronting a future in which it may no longer be viable" without significant changes to how it is funded. As Chris Ensing reports, the school isn't the only one seeking more support.

Laurentian hopes talks with striking faculty will restart by week's end
Sudbury.com
After talks reached an impasse over the weekend and Laurentian University’s faculty hit the picket lines Jan. 19, the university says it’s hoping the two sides will be able to meet again soon with the help of an arbitrator.

Ontario universities warn international student caps threaten financial stability and talent pipeline
Queen's Journal
Changes to international student study permit allocations have raised concerns at Ontario universities, including Queen’s.

Laurentian administration's confrontational strategy led to strike
The Sudbury Star
Jan. 19, 2026, the first day of the Laurentian University faculty strike: In a penultimate communication, the university administration affirmed its desire to reach a fair agreement with its faculty and ensure the financial viability of the institution.Two statements that are met with skepticism.

‘Scandalous’ University of Sheffield bosses threaten to withhold pay after strikes, union warns
Morning Star
UNIVERSITY bosses have been condemned for threatening to withhold staff pay following 16 days of strikes over major job cut plans.

Man Dies in Workplace Accident Near Hamiota
ChrisD.ca
A 55-year-old man has died after a workplace accident on a construction site east of Hamiota.

Civil servants navigating job trades, buy-outs amid public service cuts
CBC
Plans to reduce the federal service mean thousands of roles will change or disappear, in a complicated process that thousands of employees across the civil service are navigating as they receive notices this month. 

Firefighters' union calls for resignation of AFL president, withdraws from coalition
CBC
The union representing firefighters in Lethbridge, Alta., is calling on the president of the Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) to resign as it formally withdraws its membership from the coalition.

Worker dead after heavy equipment sinks in muskeg at Suncor mine
CBC
A worker is dead after an incident at Suncor’s Fort Hills site near Fort McMurray, Alta., according to a statement from Alberta's Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration department.

Montreal migrant workers allege abuse by recruitment agency, call to abolish closed work permits
CityNews
Migrant workers who were employed through a private recruitment agency are speaking out against what they describe as systemic abuse, unpaid wages and immigration policies that have left them without legal status.

Health Canada the latest federal department to issue layoff notices
CTV News
More than 3,000 employees at Health Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada have been notified their jobs may be affected as federal departments continue to issue notices about possible layoffs in the public service.

Minnesotans strike to protest ICE surge in state: ‘No work, no school, no shopping’
The Guardian
A “no work, no school, no shopping” blackout day of protest was kicked off by community leaders, faith leaders and labor unions on Friday in protest against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) surge in the state.

Lack of pay transparency pushing workers out
Human Resources Director
More than half of employees would consider quitting if their salary concerns go unanswered, according to new research that positions pay transparency as a make‑or‑break factor in retaining staff.

2028 Olympics could bring big wins for Los Angeles labor unions
AP
As Los Angeles ramps up for the 2028 Olympics, local unions are drawing inspiration from the Paris Games when hotel workers went on strike a day before opening ceremonies.

NYSNA Nurses Citywide to Head Back to the Bargaining Table on Thursday, Jan. 22
New York State Nurses Association
NYSNA nurses at Montefiore, Mount Sinai Hospital, Mount Sinai Morningside and West, and NewYork-Presbyterian will resume bargaining on Thursdayafter being urged back to the negotiating table by Governor Hochul and Mayor Mamdani. Nurses stand ready to bargain to reach fair contracts and end the strike. With continued support of mediators, nurses plan on bargaining daily to settle fair contracts that protect patient and nurse safety. Nurses will continue to picket and strike until tentative agreements are reached with the hospitals.  

Striking Spanish Workers Just Showed That Amazon Is Not Invincible
Truthout
The latest flashpoint of resistance to global logistics juggernaut Amazon has proven, once again, that collective worker power can force the company into improving its miserable working conditions.

January 22, 2026

Half of U of M buildings in poor condition, audit finds
Winnipeg Free Press
The University of Manitoba is planning to tear down its largest library and require Indigenous architects be at the forefront of designing a new site, as well as all future campus construction projects.

The University of Manitoba strengthens engagement with retired academics
University Affairs
Last September, the University of Manitoba (UM) launched a new project to celebrate and strengthen the engagement of Emeriti and Senior Scholars.  

Teacher suspended without pay for mimicking child’s outburst
Winnipeg Free Press
A Winnipeg teacher has been reprimanded for mocking a nine-year-old who was having a meltdown and inspiring classmates to join in.

University of Guelph investigating “troubling event” involving racist and hateful symbols
CTV News
The University of Guelph said they are investigating a troubling on-campus incident.

Yukon University employees back strike mandate as disputes continue
Yukon News
Yukon University workers have voted in favour of job action, according to a release issued Jan. 16 by the Yukon Employees’ Union.

Ontario colleges, universities ask Ford government for billions in new funding
Global News
Ontario’s struggling universities and colleges are again sounding the alarm, begging the Ford government to set aside billions more for post-secondary education.

Saint Mary's University faculty union seeks strike mandate from members
The Chronicle Herald
The Saint Mary’s University Faculty Union is asking its members to support a strike mandate vote, which it says is necessary following a breakdown in negotiations with the university.

B.C. student unions lambast provincial post-secondary review as ‘performative’
The Ubyssey
Student groups continue to raise concerns over the rushed nature of the province’s recently announced post-secondary review, calling on the government to properly fund post-secondary institutions.

Dalhousie University strips Buffy Sainte-Marie of honorary degree
CBC
Dalhousie University in Halifax has revoked the honorary degree it awarded to Buffy Sainte-Marie in 2018 after a Mi’kmaw student raised concerns about the harms of maintaining the honour.

Lesson in labor? NYU faculty union threatens strike amid ‘slow walking’ contract talks
amNY
New York University (NYU) faculty, including associate professors, could walk off the job as early as next month if their union and university management do not see eye-to-eye on contract negotiations soon.

She lost her job after her maternity leave. Now she's been denied EI
CBC
First-time mom Celia Johnston was looking forward to going back to work after taking full advantage of her maternity and parental leave.

Toronto parks and rec worker dies on the job
CBC
A Toronto parks and recreation employee died on the job Wednesday morning after a suspected medical emergency at a community centre in Scarborough, according to the city.

Ontario's workplace safety board is spending over $800K on an ad blitz. Its own workers are questioning why
CBC
Ontario’s workplace safety board is defending an advertising campaign that critics say is designed to improve its reputation, with some saying the funds should be spent helping injured workers.

How Bad is Student/Youth Unemployment These Days?
Higher Education Strategy Associates
Interesting question. It’s a tricky answer. Let’s dive in.

Can Retail Workers Afford the Basics in Major U.S. Cities? The Data Says “No”
Finance Buzz
From stocking shelves to running registers, retail workers keep stores and the economy moving, especially during peak retail times like the holidays. Despite their essential role in keeping the country clothed, fed, entertained, and more, retail paychecks don't stretch far enough to cover basic needs in most major cities across the country.

January 21, 2026

Province backtracks on private nurse deadline
Winnipeg Free Press
The Manitoba government has backpedalled on a move to sever ties with all but four private nursing agencies by Jan. 15, while some rural hospitals struggle to fill vacant shifts during the transition.

Manitoba returns to the private agencies it dropped as it struggles to fill nursing shifts
CBC
Manitoba's health-care system is again working with some of the private nursing agencies it cut loose only days ago, after some rural hospitals struggled to fill shifts when it could only rely on a handful of agencies.

Manitoba respiratory therapists 'in crisis mode' amid staffing shortage, union says
CBC
A provincewide shortage of respiratory therapists threatens to get worse with a wave of retirees on the horizon and an inadequate number of graduates in the pipeline to replace them, warns a union that represents thousands of allied health-care workers in Manitoba.

Union calls on Manitoba to address shortage of respiratory therapists in hospitals
Winnipeg Free Press
Staffing vacancies of respiratory therapists at some Winnipeg hospitals have reached “dangerous levels,” with the union representing them warning the province that workers are stretched “beyond the breaking point.”

Organised labour gains in Alberta putting pressure on employers: report
Human Resources Director
Organised labour seems to be putting financial pressure on employers, as unionized workers are gaining pay increases unseen from non-unionized employees.

Impasse in bargaining: CUPE education support workers demand fair wages
CUPE
Negotiations between CUPE 2268 and 3730 – representing education support workers in the Greater Saskatoon Catholic School Division – have hit a stalemate over wages. The locals have filed for impasse as per The Saskatchewan Employment Act.

Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires call for higher taxes on super-rich
The Guardian
Nearly 400 millionaires and billionaires from 24 countries are calling on global leaders to increase taxes on the super-rich, amid growing concern that the wealthiest in society are buying political influence.

US senator calls veterans affairs’ data collection of non-citizen workers ‘thinly veiled effort to instill fear’
The Guardian
Adam Schiff, a Democratic US senator, is expressing alarm in a letter to the Departments of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Homeland Security (DHS), following a report from the Guardian that revealed the VA was gathering data on its “non-citizen” workforce.

Trump defends cutting nearly 300,000 feds from their ‘boring’ jobs
Government Executive
President Trump on Tuesday touted shedding nearly 300,000 employees from the federal payroll during his first year back in the White House as part of a rambling address to reporters largely devoted to defending his administration’s crackdown on immigrant communities and dissent and threatened expansionism.

Building Bold: UM's Capital Plan for People, Place and Possibility
University of Manitoba
UM’s 30-year master capital plan and prioritization framework establishes a bold vision for campus renewal and sustainability. It ensures that every dollar invested strengthens academic excellence, advances Reconciliation and supports UM’s long-term resilience. 

Facts matter: Education still pays — even when it’s not fashionable to say so
Winnipeg Sun
“When you ain’t got no education, you just got to use your brains.” — Kemmons Wilson, high school dropout and founder of Holiday Inn.  It’s a wonderful quote from a brilliant entrepreneur. There are many stories that mirror Wilson’s, but they are very much the exception rather than the rule. Few high school dropouts end up as multi-millionaires at the head of large companies. It happens, but only rarely.

Students facing competitive admissions rates to access university STEM programs
CTV News
STEM Innovation Academy Grade 12 student Asiya Iskander, who has a 93 per cent average, has been wait-listed to get into biological sciences at the University of Calgary.

Citizen recall petition against Alberta Education Minister fails
Globe and Mail
The first of more than two dozen recall petitions launched against members of Alberta’s legislature has come up short.

Laurentian strike highlights need for stable provincial funding: NDP
The Sudbury Star
Opposition MPPs are blaming provincial underfunding for the labour impasse that has brought classes to a standstill at Laurentian University, while the government is saying it has no role in the bargaining but is optimistic there will be a positive outcome.

To fix higher education, start small
Briarpatch
Education is a human right, and for good reason. It is essential to human flourishing, democratic decision-making, and the future of the planet. And yet many are now disillusioned with the higher education system. Between repression of pro-Palestinian activism, insufficient climate action, student debt, and increasingly anti-democratic university governance, it is hard to believe that higher education serves its stated ideals. 

AI has moved into universities’ engine room, but no one is at the controls
Times Higher Education
By now, most universities have an artificial intelligence policy. It probably mentions ChatGPT, urges students not to cheat, offers a few examples of “appropriate use” and promises that staff will get guidance and training.

The University of Minnesota Calls ‘Whiteness’ a Public Health Threat
Minding the Campus
A group of researchers affiliated with the University of Minnesota (U of M) has released a report claiming that the United States is afflicted by a pervasive “culture of Whiteness,” which it describes as a contagion requiring intervention.

Trump’s Billion-Dollar ‘Shakedown’ Targets Higher Education: An Investigation
Filmogaz
The Trump administration has embarked on a controversial initiative targeting higher education, described as a billion-dollar “shakedown.” This investigation affects numerous universities and is believed to have political motivations, fundamentally altering the landscape of academic freedom in the United States.

Survey: Faculty Say AI Is Impactful—but Not In a Good Way
Inside Higher Ed
Faculty overwhelmingly agree that generative artificial intelligence will have an impact on teaching and learning in higher education, but whether that impact is positive or negative is still up for debate.

University of Maryland, BCCC violated law in union negotiations, labor board finds
The Baltimore Banner
The University of Maryland in College Park and Baltimore City Community College violated state labor laws while bargaining with their unions, according to the Maryland Public Employee Relations Board.

January 20, 2026

Faculty strike at Laurentian
University Affairs
Four years after narrowly avoiding closure under bankruptcy proceedings, Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ont., is now engulfed in labour unrest.  

‘Just not monetizable’: humanities programs face existential crisis at US universities
The Guardian
Last month, students at Montclair State University in New Jersey held a mock funeral outside the university’s college of humanities and social sciences building. Carrying bouquets of flowers, they stood by a tombstone inscribed with the names of the school’s 15 departments, including English, history and sociology.

Organized labour continues to make gains in Canada’s most anti-union province
The Conversation
In October 2025, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith invoked back-to-work legislation to end a strike by tens of thousands of the province’s teachers who had walked off the job over disputes around wages, class sizes and working conditions.

Transport Canada aims to eliminate 600 jobs, deputy minister says in e-mail to staff
Globe and Mail
Transport Canada’s deputy minister informed staff Monday that the department is aiming to cut 600 jobs as part of its contribution to a government-wide effort to shrink the size of the federal public service.

Thousands of federal government workers receive layoff notices
Global News
Thousands of workers across the federal public service have received notices that their jobs may be cut, many of them landing in the last week.

CUPE enters arbitration on flight attendant wages with Air Canada
CUPE
The Air Canada Component of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) has begun its first day of arbitration with Air Canada and Arbitrator Paula Knopf to settle wages after flight attendants voted over 99% to reject Air Canada’s final wage offer in September 2025.

Alberta Unions Continue To Deliver For Workers Despite UCP Attacks
The Maple
A new report published by the Parkland Institute shows that despite persistent political attacks unions in Alberta continue to deliver material gains for members. 

Trump’s Xenophobic Crackdown Will Destroy Labour
The Maple
The Trump administration’s immigration enforcement crackdown has reached new levels of violence in Minneapolis, as residents escalate their protests following the killing of Renee Nicole Good, 37, by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer on January 7.   

Telus delivers voluntary severance package ‘gut punch’ to workers
Rabble
Nearly 700 workers for Telus in British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec have received voluntary severance packages in what the United Steelworkers (USW) is calling a “New Year gut punch.” 

Nearly 20% of workers do unpaid work for employer in free time: StatCan survey report
BNN Bloomberg
A new survey report by Statistics Canada on the working conditions in Canada found that nearly one-fifth of respondents spend their free time performing unpaid labour.

Canadian labour movement needs a wake-up call
Canadian Dimension
I have worked as a letter carrier at Canada Post for eight years. It’s the only union job I’ve ever had, and I have had plenty of jobs. Gas jockey. Dishwasher. Telemarketer. Burger flipper. You name a low-paying, thankless career and I have probably worked it. So, I am acutely aware, and thankful for, the reasonably good pay, job security and work conditions which I have enjoyed thanks to the Canadian Union of Postal Workers.

A New Low for American Workers
The American Prospect
Our K-shaped economy is growing K-er by the day.

The latest on ICE in Minnesota: Labor unions call for day of no work, school or shopping as protest
MPR News
Multiple labor unions are endorsing a “Day of Truth and Freedom” on Friday in Minnesota.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Sen. Bernie Sanders to join picketing nurses on ninth day of strike
ABC7
Still no deal on the table as thousands of nurses brave the cold to fight for a new contract. Negotiations are at a complete standstill.

Number of employed people in UK falls again as wage growth slows
The Guardian
The number of employed people in the UK has fallen, particularly in shops, restaurants, bars and hotels, reflecting weak hiring, while private sector wages grew at the slowest rate in five years, official figures show.

Female nurses win employment case over NHS changing-room use by trans colleague
The Guardian
A group of nurses who complained about a trans colleague using single-sex changing rooms at work suffered harassment, an employment tribunal judge has ruled.

January 19, 2026

Manitoba Government Hosts AI Summit to Foster Innovation in Education
Province of Manitoba
The Manitoba government hosted the province’s first Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Education Summit, bringing together kindergarten to Grade 12 and post‑secondary leaders, educators and industry partners to explore how AI can be used productively and responsibly in classrooms, Premier Wab Kinew and Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt announced today.

Future students will be wired differently, thanks to AI
Winnipeg Free Press
Teachers were urged to stop asking children what they want to be when they grow up and focus on building creative, self-directed and critical thinkers at Manitoba’s AI in Education Summit.

Quebec civility rules won’t be adopted in Manitoba schools
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba teachers are embracing the freedom to be called whatever they’d like at work while their colleagues elsewhere in Canada adjust to new civility rules.

Faculty on strike at Laurentian University, classes temporarily cancelled
CBC
Faculty, academic librarians and counsellors represented by the Laurentian University Faculty Association (LUFA) in Sudbury, Ont. are on strike.

Majority of Yukon University workers vote in favour of strike mandate
CBC
Yukon University staff voted in favour of a strike mandate earlier this month after the two parties failed to reach an agreement at the bargaining table.

University calls in alumni and artificial intelligence to help sift through overwhelming number of qualified candidates
CTV News
A university in Waterloo, Ont. is getting help from some of its alumni and artificial intelligence to review applications for some of its most competitive programs.

MUNSU Questions Funding After Surprise Tuition Freeze
VOCM
A freeze in tuition is something which students at Memorial University have been lobbying for for some time, but they have more questions than answers after an announcement by the minister of education out of the blue.

University of Minnesota to offer virtual learning options as feds continue immigration enforcement
MPR News
The University of Minnesota, which starts its spring 2026 semester on Tuesday, says it will offer virtual learning options for some students. 

Girls are banned from Afghan schools. Secret networks are teaching them anyway
CBC Radio
Mohaddesa Hassani was writing her tenth grade exams in Kabul a few years ago, when a teacher suddenly burst into the exam hall.

Swan Valley hospital ER struggling to fill nursing shifts after agency changes: union
CBC
The union that represents Manitoba nurses says the emergency department at the hospital in Swan River is running with half the nurses required, with some shifts having no nurses at all.

NAV CANADA bargaining: Headed to strike vote as conciliation falls short
PSAC
PSAC members working at NAV CANADA will be going to strike votes because members across the country deserve better. Your PSAC-UCTE bargaining team met with the employer for three days of conciliation, January 6–8, 2026. Despite serious efforts, very little progress was made.

Porter Dispatchers Secure Tentative Deal, Easing Strike Threat
OpenJaw.com
Porter Airlines has reached a tentative agreement with its flight dispatchers, easing the threat of strike action for now.

Peru state oil firm workers kick off three-day strike over privatization plan
Reuters
Workers at Peru's state-run oil company, Petroperu, launched a 72-hour strike on Monday to protest a plan to privatize parts of the firm, though the company asserted that operations remained normal and the government has declared the walkout unlawful.