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.

July 10, 2026

Canada needs stronger unions, not more labour bashing from governments
Globe and Mail
The number of labour disruptions has risen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as workers facing a cost-of-living crisis attempt to make up for decades of stagnating wages and eroding job quality. Alongside these struggles, anti-union discourse has increased, as have anti-union policies at the federal and provincial levels. As representatives of a group of 70 labour scholars from a wide array of disciplines (law, industrial relations, labour studies and social sciences) across Canada, we are concerned that governments and employers are seeking to weaken unions precisely when workers need them most.

Canada added 18,000 jobs in June as unemployment rate edged down
CBC
Canada's economy added 18,000 jobs in June, continuing the momentum in the job market seen the month before.

Canada posts modest job gains in June, unemployment rate edges down
Globe and Mail
A better start to the youth summer jobs market helped the economy record steady employment gains in June, Statistics Canada said Friday.

Talks between B.C. nurses and employer at impasse, union wants the province to help
Winnipeg Free Press
The BC Nurses’ Union said Thursday that negotiations with the employer have broken down, and the group is calling on the provincial government to step in to help end their dispute that triggered job action last week. 

Beyond player pay: How collective bargaining is transforming the economics of professional and collegiate sports
McDermottLaw.com
Collective bargaining has become one of the principal economic drivers in modern sports. What gets decided in labor negotiations shapes franchise valuations, media rights deals, sponsorship revenue, and investor confidence. The 2025–26 season has shown this repeatedly: The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) concluded a transformative collective bargaining agreement (CBA), Major League Baseball (MLB) opened high-stakes successor negotiations, the National Football League (NFL) and its referees ratified a seven-year agreement, and college athletes continued to press employee status and unionization claims. Increasingly, CBAs determine how league revenue is allocated, how labor costs are managed, and how franchises plan for growth – not simply the terms and conditions of employment.

Postal union calls for more action after employee deaths at Atlanta USPS mail distribution center
CBS News
Four U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employees have died at the Atlanta Regional Processing and Distribution Center since it opened in 2024.

Nurse Strikes Have Quadrupled Since 2017. Here's Why It Keeps Growing
Nurse.org
If it feels like nurses are walking out more often than they used to, you are not imagining it. The numbers prove it, and the pace is picking up.

Union transparency rules are only as strong as their enforcement
The Hill
The AFL-CIO just became the latest labor organization to fight against reforms that would help rank-and-file union members find out how union officials spend their money.

City seeks to shut down delivery app over alleged wage violations
The Chief
The Mamdani administration is asking a federal court to block a delivery app from operating in New York City, alleging the company paid workers as little as $3.67 an hour in violation of the city's minimum wage laws.

US and Canadian Courts Reshape Workers’ Compensation Law in Landmark Week
AdHoc News
A series of court rulings and administrative decisions across North America this week have significantly altered the landscape of workers’ compensation, from workplace violence eligibility in Florida to holiday pay rights in Ontario. The decisions carry important implications for employers and their insurance obligations.

From Vienna to Zurich: A Summer of Labor Discontent as Part-Time Workers, Transit Staff and Hospital Employees Demand Change
AdHoc News
Every year, the roughly 1.4 million part-time workers in Austria clock an estimated 7.2 million unpaid overtime hours. Women make up more than three-quarters of that workforce. On July 8, the Austrian Chamber of Labour (AK) handed a petition titled “Mehr Respekt für Teilzeit” to politicians, backed by 36,200 signatures. It demands a legal right to increase weekly hours when overtime becomes regular, and a 50 percent pay premium from the first extra hour worked. “Women do not work less—they are just paid worse,” an ÖGB representative stressed.

Japanese cabin crew union wins landmark victory on fatigue, safety and union rights
International Transport Workers' Federation
Japanese cabin crew have won an important legal victory reinforcing a core principle of aviation safety: fatigue protections and rest cannot be sacrificed to commercial pressure and union rights are fundamental to safety too.

Faculty sue Texas Tech, claiming censorship of teaching about race, gender
Washington Post
Faculty unions sued Texas Tech University System leaders Wednesday over directives that they say stifle debate and undermine their teaching.

Some Yale professors threaten legal action if university settles admissions complaint with DOJ
CT Insider
An organization representing some 200 Yale professors is considering legal action against the university if it enters into a reported settlement with the Trump administration.

West Virginia spent $3M on an ‘anti-woke’ college program. One student is enrolled
Independent
Just one student is reportedly enrolled at a new West Virginia University center designed to push back on “woke” ideology ahead of its opening this fall.

July 9, 2026

Assiniboine College projects deficit
Winnipeg Free Press
Assiniboine College has projected a $2.109-million operating deficit for the 2026-27 academic year.

International student enrolment at university drops again
Winnipeg Sun
International student enrolment at the University of Manitoba has dropped for a third straight year, mirroring a trend playing out across Canada and the United States as both countries clamp down on foreign student visas and permits.

Charges laid against 2 accused of defrauding international students of $126K in southwestern Ontario
CBC
Two individuals in southwestern Ontario face 12 charges related to an alleged immigration scheme that involved defrauding international students of approximately $126,000, according to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

Education advocate says New Brunswick school system ‘is in crisis’
CTV News
An education advocate says the New Brunswick school system “is in crisis” as it deals with poor literacy and attendance rates.

Technical problems in accessing Quebec ministry exams results leaves students, parents frustrated
CityNews
Quebec high school students and parents had more than their share of a nail-biter Tuesday as technical problems delayed accessing the online portal for results of the ministry exams.

Canada, U.S. both roll back welcome mat for international students
National Post
Stricter immigration policies, tightening visa allowances and political rhetoric have impacted international enrolment in both Canadian and U.S. universities.

Disbanding Faculty Senates Does Not Negate the Speech Rights of Public University Professors
The EDU Ledger
Since 2025, university faculty senates have been disbanded or reduced to largely ceremonial or advisory roles in at least five states. In Texas, for instance, this was accomplished through legislation covering all public universities. In other states, institutional governing boards, such as those at Auburn University in Alabama and the University of Kentucky, voted to dissolve existing faculty senates.

Ottawa extends permits for 2,700 foreign workers in Manitoba after months of pleas from immigration minister
CBC
Federal work permits set to expire for thousands for international workers in Manitoba are being extended after months of protests and pleas from people fearful they would be forced to leave.

Trucking companies deemed unsafe permitted to employ temporary foreign workers
Globe and Mail
Nearly 100 trucking companies with a history of safety infractions, labour violations and other regulatory failures have been granted approval by Ottawa to hire temporary foreign workers since 2019, a Globe and Mail investigation has found.

Canada needs stronger unions, not more labour bashing from governments
Globe and Mail
The number of labour disruptions has risen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, as workers facing a cost-of-living crisis attempt to make up for decades of stagnating wages and eroding job quality. Alongside these struggles, anti-union discourse has increased, as have anti-union policies at the federal and provincial levels. As representatives of a group of 70 labour scholars from a wide array of disciplines (law, industrial relations, labour studies and social sciences) across Canada, we are concerned that governments and employers are seeking to weaken unions precisely when workers need them most.

Major win: Bank of Canada decision shows that anti-scab legislation works
PSAC
In a precedent setting decision, the Canada Industrial Relations Board has ruled that the Bank of Canada broke the new anti-scab legislation by using replacement workers to try to keep operating during the PSAC Local 71250 strike. After 16 days on the picket line, this is a big win for workers and clearly demonstrates that no employer, including the government, is above the law.  

WestJet flight attendants open strike vote as contract talks intensify
PAX News
The union representing WestJet’s 4,600 flight attendants officially opened a strike vote on Wednesday (July 8), asking members to back a strike mandate as contract negotiations with the airline continue.

Striking workers descend on the Treasury Board with a strong message for Premier Ford: “Come to the table, fund our services, end the strike.”
OPSEU
More than 1,000 striking community, health and social services workers showed up at the doorstep of Ontario’s Treasury Board today to call on the Ford government to do the right thing and end the strike.

Brigham and Women's Hospital nurses locked out after ending one-day strike in Boston: "Let us in!"
CBS
The one-day nurses strike at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston ended Thursday morning, but a four-day lockout began, keeping the 4,000 union nurses out of the facility.

US weekly claims for unemployment benefits fall, suggesting stable labour market conditions
Globe and Mail
The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits fell last week, suggesting the labour market remained stable despite a slowdown in job growth in June. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits slipped 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 215,000 for the week ended July 4, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 218,000 claims for the latest week.

Workers keep leaving the US labor force. Experts can't agree why
USA Today
Whether it was caregiving responsibilities, feeling discouraged after a long stretch of unemployment or the realization they’re sitting on a pile of money, many Americans have left the workforce entirely.

‘Major conflict’: Union rings warning bells as Volkswagen eyes job cuts
CTV News
Volkswagen workers staged protests nationwide Thursday as unions warned of “major conflict” if the struggling German car giant pushes ahead with what could be the global auto industry’s biggest restructuring.

Some health workers in Congo’s Ebola outbreak go on strike over pay issues as deaths near 600
CityNews
The healthcare workers at the epicenter of Congo’s Ebola outbreak are walking off their jobs to protest delays in their payments, threatening efforts to slow the outbreak that officials said continues to spread faster than the response.

July 8, 2026

Agency nurse pleads guilty to working in ICU without training, credentials
Winnipeg Free Press
A Manitoba nurse has pleaded guilty to professional misconduct after she worked shifts at an Intensive Care Unit in the province without the proper training and misrepresented her credentials at her business.

Union urges voters to make buy local civic election issue
Winnipeg Free Press
The City of Winnipeg’s largest union is calling on voters to demand local-first practices from candidates running in the civic election in October.

Bank of Canada ordered to stop using replacement workers during strike
CTV News
The Bank of Canada has been ordered to stop using the services of contracted Garda workers while its security officers are on strike.

Rogers cuts 230 jobs, closes radio stations in Vancouver, Calgary, Halifax and Kitchener
CBC
Rogers Sports & Media is shuttering six radio stations in four Canadian cities, as part of cutbacks to eliminate 230 jobs.

Canada says there's no basis for Trump's forced labour tariffs
CBC
The Canadian government told the Trump administration that new legislation combatting forced labour in supply chains should shield Canada from new tariffs.

'We're worth fighting for': Morale remains high as strike enters 7th week
TBNewsWatch.com
About 100 Community Living unionized employees lined up on the Central Avenue bridge Monday morning to send the province a message.

Quebec unions file international complaint over labour law
CTV News
Quebec’s nine largest labour unions have just filed a complaint with the International Labour Organization against a law introduced by Labour Minister Jean Boulet.

B.C. nurses expand pickets and file labour board complaint, citing intimidation
Nanaimo News Now
British Columbia’s nurses union says it has received more than 1,400 reports of intimidation by employers against its members since job action started, prompting a complaint to the labour board.

PSAC takes concerns about federal job cuts and employment equity to the Senate
PSAC
Earlier this year, PSAC National President Sharon DeSousa appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights to discuss employment equity in the federal public service. PSAC also submitted detailed recommendations to the committee on how the government can better protect workers from equity-deserving groups during workforce adjustment. 

Unions in Europe press for new worker protections to counter heat stress
The Guardian
As Europe’s sweltering summer continues, trades unions are mounting a push for new laws to counter deadly heat stress that is linked to an estimated 230 workplace deaths a year.

Australia dock workers call for 28-hour week in AI talks
BBC
Australian dock workers are demanding a 28-hour work week with no loss of pay as the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and automation expands across the country's ports.

Winnipeg high school football coach subject of hazing investigation
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba’s independent teacher commissioner is investigating the head coach of the Grant Park Pirates football program amid allegations of team hazing.

First report from Yukon education review finds fear, miscommunication and dysfunction in schools
CBC
Early returns from a review of the Yukon's school system paint a grim picture of relations between the education department and frontline educators.

University of King's College eyes workforce reductions to cut costs
CBC
The University of King's College says "hard choices" may be necessary as it aims to reduce its workforce due to budgetary concerns.

Mount Royal University says data was stolen, deleted in June cyberattack
CityNews
Calgary’s Mount Royal University says a cyber incident last month has now been confirmed as a targeted data breach affecting both students and staff. Henna Saeed reports.

Minister Joly announces over $630 million federal investment in Canadian research to strengthen innovation at home
PR Newswire
Today, the Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions along with Karim Bardeesy, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Industry, and Dominique O'Rourke, Member of Parliament for Guelph, announced $630 million in funding to natural sciences and engineering researchers nationwide. This funding supports discovery research across Canada and helps create research environments where students and researchers can develop valuable skills. The global economy is rapidly changing and the Government of Canada is investing in the talent that will advance the research that will define the future of our industries, economy and sovereignty. 

Faculty association airs concerns as Acadia University confirms restructuring
CBC
Acadia University's board of governors is moving forward with a plan to restructure its faculties starting in the 2027-2028 academic year.

Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down Florida’s Unconstitutional Classroom Censorship Law
Legal Defense Fund
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit today struck down the higher education provisions of the Stop W.O.K.E. Act, a classroom censorship law in Florida that severely restricted educators from teaching about race and gender in schools and workplaces. The court ruled the higher education provision of the law was unconstitutional, saying: “Florida’s salary-for-speech rule is a breathtaking assertion of power to ban unpopular ideas from public discourse in the very places the State’s own statutes recognize as centers of inquiry—classrooms where students are trusted to puzzle through ideas that are good and bad, easy and hard, ideally getting ever closer to the truth.”

July 7, 2026

A prince among graduates
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba’s public school system is receiving high praise from a Nigerian king who sent his only son to Grade 12 in Transcona.

TRU senate strikes group to better work with board, questions raised around transparency
Castanet
A working group has been struck to get two of Thompson Rivers University's governing bodies more in sync with each other.

When collegiality breeds contempt
University Affairs
Psychological harassment and mental health are growing concerns across universities, and rightly so. Faculty unions see this first-hand as they contend with more complaints and a growing need to support both the members who file complaints and those who face them. Since employers are now legally required to prevent psychosocial risks, understanding the circumstances that either fuel or prevent harmful behaviour has become all the more urgent.

US Higher Education Students Outsourcing Writing to AI at Twice the Rate of UK, Australian Peers
PR Newswire
Turnitin today released its latest Learning Integrity Insights Report revealing a gap in how students use AI for writing and a clear shift toward educators taking ownership of how AI is used in their classrooms and lecture halls.

UNBC and UNBC Faculty Association ratify 2025 collective agreement
UNBC
The University of Northern British Columbia and the University of Northern British Columbia Faculty Association (UNBC-FA) have successfully ratified a new collective agreement based on the Province’s Balanced Measures Mandate, and in accordance with the mandate given to the UNBC-FA by its members. The UNBC-FA represents approximately 375 faculty, including professors, instructors, lecturers, sessional lecturers, librarians and senior lab instructors. 

Universities are relying on AI-detection software to catch cheating. How well do the programs work?
Nature
Last November, Lauren Jager, a chemistry undergraduate student at Idaho State University in Pocatello, was applying to PhD programmes when she noticed that some application portals warned students about using generative artificial-intelligence tools for their personal statements. They informed students that they would use detectors to sniff out applications that contained AI-generated text. The portals weren’t specific about which detectors they were using. But they were clear on one thing: “They said that if they felt that the personal statement had been written with AI, then they would disregard your entire application,” Jager says.

Work permits extended to 2027 for international grads
Winnipeg Free Press
The federal government is offering a reprieve for international graduates who found work and settled in Manitoba, giving the province more time to process a backlog of provincial nominee applications.

Microsoft to cut 4,800 jobs, overhaul Xbox unit
CBC
Microsoft said Monday it would cut 4,800 jobs, or about 2.1 per cent of its global workforce, as part of a restructuring that includes an overhaul of its Xbox gaming business and ‌the divestment of up to five studios. The company is looking to boost returns after years of heavy investment in the division.

Federal union adding millions to strike fund ahead of ‘challenging’ contract talks
Nanaimo News Now
A federal union is planning to add millions of dollars to its strike fund ahead of what it expects to be “challenging” contract talks this fall.

Talks with Ford enter 'critical' week ahead of Friday deadline: automakers' union
CTV News
The union representing Canadian autoworkers says it is in a critical week as it seeks to hammer out a new three-year deal with Ford Motor Co.

Wildland firefighters are firefighters: Union speaks out against misclassificaiton
Rabble
Wildland firefighters are navigating wildfire season without access to the same pension and benefits that other public safety professionals get. The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) has been pushing the government to change the National Occupational Classification because it currently excludes wildland firefighters from the firefighter classification.

Public servants protest return-to-office plan outside Prime Minister’s Office
Globe and Mail
Federal public servants marked the first day of a new requirement to work in the office four days a week with a small protest outside the Prime Minister’s Office, criticizing the plan as a waste of taxpayer dollars.

How curbing immigration is hurting the U.S. economy
Globe and Mail
From her offices in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Tex., immigration lawyer Sharadha Kodem has seen President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigrants eliminate U.S. jobs.

Toxic bananas  - Chiquita’s broken bodies
Public Eye
At dawn, the banana plantation begins to stir even before the sun pierces through the damp mist of Guatemala’s southern coast. On these plantations subcontracted by Chiquita, agricultural workers with gaunt faces thread their way between banana trees, rubber boots sinking into black mud, machetes sharpened and strapped to their belts. They know the day will be long: 10 hours, sometimes 12, for a paltry wage – often below the legal minimum.

July 6, 2026

Major payouts to health authority CEOs seem part of a trend, U of M business instructor says
CBC
The former CEO of Manitoba Shared Health earned nearly $1 million last year, while her counterpart at Winnipeg's health authority made more than $725,000, despite the fact they both only worked one month.

Federal workers return to the office 4 days a week. Will it be smooth sailing or 'another hot mess'?
CBC
It’s the first day of the first week federal employees are expected to return to the office for a minimum of four days a week.

Feds to weigh guardrails, alternatives to 'contentious' labour code tool: Hajdu
CBC
The country's jobs minister says the federal government is exploring possible guardrails or alternatives to using what she says is a "contentious" section of the Canada Labour Code that allows Ottawa to intervene in bitter bargaining conflicts.

Quebec government engineers begin indefinite general strike
CityNews
The general and indefinite strike by government engineers began as planned on Monday morning. It follows a strike that had been taking place every Thursday, as well as in the evenings and on weekends.

These brothers who are temporary foreign workers say they’ll never return to Canada after $178,000 wage theft
Toronto Star
Garick and Ramesh Ramsook are still waiting on more than $178,000 in stolen wages and damages owed to them by a Canadian construction company where they were hired as temporary foreign workers — more than two months after the Ontario Labour Relations Board ordered the company to pay.

Metro Vancouver regional parks workers walk off the job, warn strike could be next: union
CTV News
Unionized workers who operate Metro Vancouver Regional Parks escalated job action on Sunday, walking off the job in hopes of working towards a new collective agreement, according to the union.

Uncovering The ‘Billionaire Coup Against Democracy’
The Maple
For more than a decade, the International Trade Union Confederation’s (ITUC) Global Rights Index has documented the deterioration of workers’ rights around the world. Each year brings new records for attacks on unions, restrictions on collective bargaining and governments willing to intervene on behalf of employers.

Ottawa opens another round of Labour Code consultations
Canadian HR Reporter
Federally regulated employers will be affected by a new round of consultations that could alter collective bargaining rules, grievance timelines and leave entitlements.

8 years after Janus, unions are still trying to keep workers in the dark
The Hill
Last month, we marked eight years since the Supreme Court ruled in Janus v. AFSCME that public employees cannot be forced to pay union dues as a condition of keeping their jobs. Until then, those dues had been mandatory for millions of government workers.

Job seekers giving up: Labor force participation rate falls to lowest in 50 years, outside of Covid era
CNBC
On the surface, a June drop in the unemployment rate helped provide some upside to what was an otherwise downbeat jobs report — but it was for all the wrong reasons.

‘Why take those jobs away?’: the unionized workers decrying Trump’s war on wind
The Guardian
Donald Trump has blamed everything – from “national security” issues, the deaths of birds and whales, and cancer – in his decades-long campaign against windfarms. But as the Trump administration continues to undermine the industry, what worries workers most are their jobs.

Millennial Samsung union leader’s $26 billion bonus victory turns to bitterness
Japan Times
As recently as late May, Choi Seung-ho was hailed as a hero. Rallying workers at Samsung Electronics to demand a greater share of profits, the union leader secured a staggering windfall, particularly for some semiconductor workers who were promised bonuses of roughly $400,000 this year.

It’s time to recognize higher education as a matter of national security for Canada
Globe and Mail
Canada needs to understand its universities and colleges as crucial instruments of national security. Allowing them to decline, during this time of national emergency, would jeopardize us economically, socially, politically and materially.

Digital poverty is holding university students back
The Conversation
When a student can’t submit their essay because the household’s only device is being used by three siblings for school, or because their mobile data ran out mid-lecture, they are experiencing digital poverty.

From Policy To Practice: National Strategies To Scale AI In Education
Forbes
The shift toward AI-based education is evident worldwide as early-stage AI-learning initiatives gain funding and schools experiment with adaptive learning. According to the Digital Education Council Global AI Student Survey 2024, 86% of students globally are already using AI in their studies, with more than half engaging with it weekly.

Cutting language courses puts social mobility at risk, say UK experts
The Guardian
Cutting language courses at universities and schools risks undermining social mobility and vocational skills, former education secretaries and experts in the UK have warned.

July 3, 2026

Payroll reveal: 18 school staff cleared $200K
Winnipeg Free Press
Chief superintendents and a divisional kookum were among 18 public school board employees in Winnipeg who earned more than $200,000 last year.

Teacher feels 'violated' after she says student sent AI-made nude images of her for months
CBC
A woman who received dozens of sexually explicit messages over Instagram, including AI-generated nude photos of her and threats of rape, says she was harassed by one of her students for more than two months while working in Winnipeg's River East Transcona School Division.

U of T faculty wins 3% pay boost after ‘sharply adversarial’ negotiations
TorontoToday.ca
Thousands of faculty members at the University of Toronto will receive a 3 per cent raise — effective today — after an arbitrator ruled the pay bump is necessary to retain the school’s “top of market” status among Canadian institutions.

B.C. nurses begin job action, employer agrees to resume negotiations
CBC
B.C. nurses are beginning job action after their Thursday 12 p.m. strike deadline passed without movement on a new contract.

London youth face some of the highest unemployment in Canada, but they aren't giving up
CBC
John Alimasi, 16, has spent the last five months searching for work, handing out resumes for summer jobs at restaurants and shopping malls. But, he has yet to hear back from an employer.

Union calls for action from TTC board (video)
CTV News
Workers who clean TTC facilities are protesting against alleged violations of labour and employment laws.

Extreme heat forces Windsor food trucks to close or cut hours to protect workers
CTV News
Several food trucks in Windsor are delaying their opening times or temporarily closing as extreme heat makes conditions inside and around the mobile kitchens unsafe for employees.

Labour unions have the right to worry for their future
The Gateway
While Prime Minister Mark Carney has gone to great lengths to protect, grow and diversify the Canadian economy, has he taken it too far? From April 17 to May 25, the federal government quietly held consultations regarding proposed changes to the Canadian Labour Code. Unions are raising warning flags about this brief, suspiciously quiet move to change the law. Some of these changes mark important updates to the inevitably outdated law enacted in 1968, but others appear to allow regression of Charter-given rights under the pretext of improving productivity. Canadians need to pay particular attention to these changes to protect their rights and ensure that workers’ rights do not regress.

Air Canada workers split on new agreement
Alberta Worker
Last month, Local 2323 of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers published an update regarding contract negotiations for workers employed by Air Canada.

Union workers are funding lavish lifestyles for unqualified big labor bosses
Washington Examiner
For generations, the leaders who represented American workers in unions earned their positions the hard way, whether it be on the job site, in the classroom, or at the bedside. And that’s because the promise of the American labor union was simple: workers standing together who understood the job, the risks, and what it meant to punch a clock or pull a shift. Skilled tradespeople, nurses, teachers, and electrical workers organized because they had skin in the game.

US job growth misses expectations in June; unemployment rate falls to 4.2%
Yahoo
U.S. job growth slowed more than expected in June and data for the prior month was revised lower, but the unemployment rate fell to ‌4.2%, pointing to continued labor market stability.

'I'm worried about my safety': Amazon worker says Suffolk warehouse still reaches 90 degrees despite cooling efforts
13 News
An Amazon employee said conditions inside the company's ORF3 fulfillment center in Suffolk remain dangerously hot, despite new cooling equipment being installed as federal inspectors visited the facility.

Learning, Recharging, Uniting at Labor Notes 2026
Labor Notes
In a time when there’s real cause for fear and despair—and when the Trump administration is pushing hard to divide us—the Labor Notes Conference June 12-14 in Chicago was an oasis of inspiration and solidarity.

German car industry faces union fury ahead of 'hot summer' of protests
Yahoo
Thousands of Mercedes-Benz workers are set to stage protests across Germany on Friday against the carmaker's cost-cutting drive, with the IG Metall engineering union warning of a "hot summer" of industrial action across the automotive sector.

Germany looks to ban calling in sick, would require doctors’ notes immediately
CTV News
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz outlined a package of pension, tax and labor reforms on Thursday, along with measures to cut red tape that he said would boost growth, jobs and competitiveness while maintaining social welfare protections.

Peabody Energy fined after worker trapped inside bulldozer in coal void
ABC News
A Queensland magistrate has criticised a mining company for allowing workers to use a faulty GPS system that resulted in a bulldozer falling through the bottom of a coal stockpile, trapping the driver.