Labour and education in the news
Below are recent news stories on labour and education related issues. Click the headline to be taken to the article. Some may require a subscription. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for article text.
November 6, 2025
Manitoba Government to Help Students Learn About Climate Change and Climate Action in Schools
Province of Manitoba
As part of its new Path to Net Zero strategy, the Manitoba government is developing a provincewide climate change education framework, including strengthening curriculum to enhance climate literacy and climate action education in classrooms from kindergarten to Grade 12 students, Environment and Climate Change Minister Mike Moyes and Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt announced today.
UM Announces Transformative $5.4 million Gift to Establish the Chiu Centre for Business Serving Community
Education News Canada
The University of Manitoba (UM) is proud to announce a transformative $5.4 million gift from Drs. Wayne [BSc(ME)/80, LLD/23] and Eleanor Chiu to establish the Chiu Centre for Business Serving Community, a visionary initiative housed within the I.H. Asper School of Business.
Plans to cut number of international students in Canada raises alarm bells at Manitoba universities
CBC
University officials and students in Manitoba say they are disappointed after the federal government announced plans to significantly decrease the number of international students who will be permitted to study in Canada.
Winnipeg police investigating ‘financial misconduct incident’ at high school
CTV News
A private high school in Winnipeg said it experienced a “financial misconduct incident” allegedly involving a former employee, prompting an investigation by police.
Over 5,000 researchers oppose order to share 25 years of federal grant applicant data
CTV News
More than 5,000 researchers have signed an open letter pushing back against a parliamentary committee order that they say draws parallels with the U.S. government’s crackdown on equity, diversity and inclusion funding in health and science research.
University of Alberta education students protest teachers being forced back to work
CBC
University of Alberta education students say they are weighing their future job options after the province legislated 51,000 teachers back to work using what they describe as a heavy-handed tool — the Charter’s notwithstanding clause.
Supreme Court to decide whether it will weigh in on Saskatchewan’s school pronoun law
Winnipeg Free Press
The Supreme Court of Canada is set to announce today whether it will hear appeals in a challenge of Saskatchewan’s school pronoun law.
Federal Budget 2025: Postsecondary schools cheer funds for talent, bemoan foreign student caps
Globe and Mail
Much lower caps on international students announced in Tuesday’s federal budget threaten to exacerbate financial strain in the postsecondary system, but the country’s big research universities say they’ll benefit from the major funding set aside for talent attraction and infrastructure.
Press Release – U15 Canada welcomes new investments in Budget 2025
U15 Canada
U15 Canada welcomes the ambitious talent recruitment strategy outlined in today’s budget. We are pleased to see the government recognize that investing in highly-qualified talent is the foundation for Canada’s future prosperity, resilience, and security.
Laurentian University welcomes new board vice-chair with financial expertise
Sudbury.com
Laurentian University alumna with expertise in the financial sector was recently appointed the vice-chair of the university’s board.
Budget cuts international student permit targets by 65 per cent in 2026
University Affairs
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government has slashed international study permit targets by 65 per cent for 2026 in its first federal budget, announced today.
Postal workers in tough position at outset of busy holiday season, labour expert says
CTV News
A year after a Canada Post strike brought mail and parcel delivery to a halt during the busy holiday season, postal workers remain at odds with their employer but now face bigger existential questions amid intervention from the federal government.
Employers asking labour minister to implement law and end STM public transit strike
CTV News
Major economic organizations joined forces on Wednesday to ask Labour Minister Jean Boulet to bring forward the implementation of his law, due to the impact of strikes at the Montreal public transit authority (Société de transport de Montréal - STM).
New Montreal mayor gives deadline to end transit strike as employers ask minister to intervene
CTV News
Montreal’s incoming mayor wants to get Metro and bus service moving again as the impasse between the STM and the maintenance workers’ union stretches into another day.
Liberal government wants to change arbitration rules for public servants
Ottawa Citizen
Within the federal budget tabled on Tuesday, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government said it will propose amendments to the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations Act to change arbitration for public servants.
Union representing 16,000 Alberta nurses and health care aides vote 98 per cent in favour of striking
Edmonton Journal
The union representing thousands of nurses and health care staff says 98 per cent of members have voted to strike.
‘Historic’ motion over worker violence
Yahoo
CFMEU NSW delegates have unanimously approved a landmark motion calling on state and federal governments to introduce pre-qualification checks on builders and contractors on government projects over fears of “violence and intimidation” against union officials.
November 5, 2025
Manitoba Government Strengthens Early Reading Screening and Supports for Young Students
Province of Manitoba
The Manitoba government has passed Bill 225, the Public Schools Amendment Act (Universal Screening for Learning Disabilities), which ensures every young student in the province receives early reading screenings to identify and address potential reading difficulties, Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt announced today.
Manitoba early reading screening legislation passes final test
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba’s poor literacy rate has prompted MLAs of all political stripes to unanimously endorse a private member’s bill to increase teacher monitoring and support for struggling readers.
Liberal bill on universal student screening for learning disabilities endorsed by NDP
CBC
Manitoba's NDP government has agreed to support a Liberal bill on universal screening for learning disabilities in early grades.
Ontario college support staff ratify new collective agreement after nearly 5-week strike
CBC
The union representing more than 10,000 full-time college support staff at Ontario's 24 public colleges says its members have ratified a new, three-year contract.
Budget proposes more than $1B for student and youth employment
University Affairs
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government proposes some investments in youth and students in its 2025 budget, which projects a $78 billion deficit for fiscal year 2025-26.
Fighting for the right to a public university
CCPA
The Dalhousie Faculty Association (DFA) was locked out by the university three weeks ago (August 20th). The DFA’s calls for fair wages and supportive measures for newer and precariously employed faculty resist right-wing trends experienced throughout the world that seek to limit intellectual freedom. By fighting for equitable salaries, the DFA is fighting for the integrity of education and helping ensure that academics will be fairly compensated for their labour.
U of T union to spend up to $100,000 on fightback against shift to in-person work
The Varsity
At the most recent membership general meeting of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 1998, the U of T administrative and technical staff’s union, the membership approved spending up to $100,000 on a fightback to U of T’s announcement that a “critical mass” of in-person administrative staff must work full-time five days a week.
Athabasca University: Employer's new wage offer still isn’t good enough
AUPE
AU refuses to move on other key issues
Alberta unions promise ‘big and bold’ response — but can they deliver?
CBC
Alberta’s labour movement is flirting with a tactic that its leaders say would be “big and bold and unprecedented,” but they’re still not quite ready to flip the switch.
Budget promises mean 40,000 job cuts, programs terminated: Canada's top public servant
CBC
The head of the federal public service says the budget commitment to spend less and invest more will result in the loss of 40,000 jobs as programs are scaled back or eliminated.
Young people are facing a crisis of high unemployment. Here’s how the budget addresses that
CBC
As Canada’s young people continue to struggle with a challenging labour market, the federal government has outlined its plans to address a crisis that has produced some of the highest youth unemployment rates in more than a decade.
Carney's first budget gives corporations a free ride and leaves working Canadians behind
CUPE
CUPE, Canada’s largest union, says Mark Carney’s first federal budget gives corporations a free ride while leaving working Canadians behind with major austerity and cuts to programs and services.
FIRST READING: Another NDP bill threatens to jail Canadians for speech
National Post
For the third time in two years, a member of the NDP has introduced a private member's bill that would jail Canadians for speech.
From the Shop Floor to “World Court”: the Right to Strike and the Scope of International Labor Law
OnLabor
Since 1919, the International Labor Organization (ILO) (now a UN specialized agency) has been setting global labor standards through a unique, tripartite process that involves not only governments but worker and employer organizations. Further, workers and employers also assist in the supervision of these standards through their participation in various committees. However, disputes over the interpretation of a convention occasionally arise and may eventually require judicial intervention. Per the ILO Constitution, this means a referral to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
November 4, 2025
Trustee suspended for third time in three years
Winnipeg Free Press
TRANSCONA’S school board has given a veteran member his third strike in as many years, but he’s not out of a job.
Open Letter to Protect Tri-Council EDI Data
The mandate of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research is to review and report on topics relating to science and research in Canada. However, in recent weeks the Committee has become an arena for a targeted attack on equity, diversity and inclusiveness in science and research. Conservative MPs and some high profile scholars such as Steven Pinker have used this committee to wage a battle against equity, diversity and inclusion in research. Recent developments point to an anti-EDI and anti-science trend on this committee.
How much are MPs entitled to know about research grants? Not as much as they think
Globe and Mail
Leaders of Canada’s three federal research-funding agencies were recently invited to the Standing Committee on Science and Research for what should have been a routine discussion of the state of the scientific enterprise in Canada, and how the allocation of federal dollars can promote excellence.
Universities may jump to hire foreign researchers if Ottawa allocates funds
Globe and Mail
Canadian universities expect to be able to move quickly to hire researchers from abroad if the federal government announces new money to attract top scientists in the coming budget.
Fearing fraud, Canada rejects most Indian study permit applicants
CTV News
Canada’s clampdown on international students has hit applicants from India particularly hard, government data shows, as what was once a preferred destination loses its allure for Indian students.
Alberta Forcing Teachers Back To Work Is A Historic Loss
The Maple
Here we are, once again. Another lawful strike has been crushed, after the Alberta government fast-tracked back-to-work legislation to end a province-wide teacher walkout that began on October 6.
Students, Unions to Protest Trump’s Higher Ed Agenda Friday
Inside Higher Ed
Members of the American Association of University Professors, the affiliated American Federation of Teachers and student groups are planning protests in more than 50 cities Friday against “the Trump administration’s broad assault” on higher ed, the AAUP announced in a news release.
UK university halted human rights research after pressure from China
The Guardian
A British university complied with a demand from Beijing to halt research about human rights abuses in China, leading to a major project being dropped, the Guardian can reveal.
Liberals set to deliver highly anticipated federal budget today
Winnipeg Free Press
The federal government is set to unveil its budget today — the Liberals’ first fiscal update in almost a year and the first summary of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s agenda since the party released its spring election platform.
Montreal transit strike could put Quebec’s new labour law to the test
Globe and Mail
A strike that is upending public transit in Montreal could be the first test of a new law that gives the Quebec government broad power to end labour disputes.
LCBO fined $80,000 for worker injury
Canadian Occupational Safety
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) has been fined $80,000 after a worker suffered a critical injury in the workplace, according to the Ontario government.
Canada will start dispute resolution process over Stellantis jobs lost to U.S., Joly says
CBC
A union that represents thousands of federal public workers fears Canadians will feel the impact both on the jobs and service quality side if Ottawa makes good on signalled cuts to the civil service in Tuesday's budget.
Cuban government stealing wages from its citizens in Canada, say ex-workers
CBC
The government of Cuba is forcing Cuban workers in Canada to send it the greater part of the salaries they are paid by their Canadian employer, according to two former workers who spoke to CBC News.
Declining union membership could be making working-class Americans less happy and more susceptible to drug overdoses
The Conversation
When fewer people belong to unions and unions have less power, the impact goes beyond wages and job security. Those changes can hurt public health and make people more unhappy.
November 3, 2025
Probe flags troubles in literacy education
Winnipeg Free Press
Human rights investigators have found that parents of struggling readers across Manitoba are being forced to take on “a full-time job” of advocacy so their children can become literate in local public schools.
Manitoba Teachers Society president critical of universal screening for learning disabilities in schools
CBC
More school-age children meet the criteria for a learning disability, but not everyone in Manitoba is on board with the idea of universal screening in schools.
Mount Saint Vincent University invites striking faculty back to bargaining table
CTV News
Mount Saint Vincent University (MSVU) has extended an invitation back to the bargaining table to roughly 200 part-time faculty members who have been striking for better wages and job security for more than a week.
University of Alberta and AASUA ratify renewal collective agreement
University of Alberta
The university is pleased to announce that the tentative agreement between the university and AASUA has been successfully ratified by both AASUA members and the university's Board of Governors. The agreement will now be put into its final form by the parties and submitted to the Alberta Labour Relations Board, bringing this round of bargaining to a conclusion.
Alberta panel shows the path toward sustainable universities
National Post
When it comes to how Canadian universities are funded, something has to give. It is simply not sustainable for governments to reduce or hold constant their contributions to university operating budgets while tightly controlling how much tuition may be charged to students: for years now, permissible tuition increases have fallen below increases in operating costs.
'I don't know what'll happen': Young Canadians anxiously await federal budget after Carney warns of 'sacrifices'
National Post
For many students across Canada, affordability is top of mind when it comes to the federal budget set to be tabled on Tuesday.
Alberta cancels January provincial exams due to time lost during teachers strike
CBC
High school students in Alberta will not be writing their provincial diploma exams in January, but can take them in April or June if they choose.
Academia has a freedom of speech problem that starts with professors
The Hill
In the aftermath of the Charlie Kirk assassination, several educators were disciplined for social media posts that were deemed inflammatory and contrary to the educational mission.
Province hires teens to ensure merchants check IDs
Winnipeg Free Press
Minors are being paid to try buying lottery tickets, cannabis and liquor from Manitoba retailers.
Transit proposes late service on 11 routes, new hires
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg Transit plans to spend millions of dollars each year and add 33.5 new staff positions to ensure buses on some of its fixed routes can run later into the night.
Automatic tax filing could pave the way to a universal basic income in Canada
Globe and Mail
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Canada will begin automatic tax filing in 2027, with a full rollout expecting to benefit 5.5 million individuals by 2029. This marks an important advancement for Canada’s tax-and-transfer system. Currently, many benefits earmarked for low-income Canadians go unclaimed, since those with low incomes are not legally required to file taxes. For instance, data from 2016 suggests that 10 to 12 per cent of Canadians do not file taxes, with roughly 20 per cent of Canadians below the official poverty line not filing.
Albertans shouldn’t expect a ‘general strike’ anytime soon
Global News
In the days after Alberta teachers were forced back to classrooms, leaders within the Alberta labour movement promised an unprecedented response from unions and workers across Alberta. And though Gil McGowan, president of the Alberta Federation of Labour, says that’s still the plan, it doesn’t mean an immediate general strike.
After No Kings, How Can We Escalate?
Labor Notes
American democracy is on the ropes. Trump and his billionaire backers are doing everything possible to transform our country into an authoritarian state like Hungary or Russia, where the trappings of institutional democracy mask brazen autocratic rule.
Workers replaced by AI have a dire warning for the world
The Real News Network
In this special crossover edition of Working People and The Marc Steiner Show, hosts Maximillian Alvarez and Marc Steiner examine how the “artificial intelligence” (AI) boom is shaping the economy and the impact it is already having—and will continue to have—on working people’s lives, livelihoods, and jobs. Alvarez and Steiner speak with two members of a new mutual aid and advocacy group called Stop Gen AI, which formed this year out of the critical need to provide material support for creatives, knowledge workers, and anyone else impacted by generative AI.
