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.

May 13, 2026

Cardiac-testing staff at clinic issue strike notice over wages
Winnipeg Free Press
The union representing cardiology technicians and technologists warn a looming strike at a private clinic could impact a system already facing job vacancies.

Rural employers competing harder than ever for talent
Winnipeg Free Press
Across Manitoba and much of Canada, rural employers are facing a hiring challenge that goes well beyond having open positions.

Canada’s Unions Take Aim at Corporate Greed and the Cost-of-Living Crisis at the 31st Constitutional Convention
Canadian Labour Congress
Canadians are working harder than ever, but too many still can’t afford the basics. Rising grocery bills, rent, gas, and prescription costs are putting enormous pressure on workers and their families while corporate profits continue to climb.

Unions press Ottawa to make companies consult employees before adopting AI
Globe and Mail
Labour leaders are calling on the federal government to enact legislation that would mandate employers to consult with employees and unions before they introduce artificial intelligence systems in the workplace.

Government extends contracts of 750 pay centre workers to manage job cuts
CityNews
The federal government is extending the contracts of about 750 term workers at its pay centre to manage a surge in expected job cuts.

Report finds Siemens illegally using replacement workers
United Steelworkers
After locking out 105 workers at its facility in Trois-Rivières on April 15, Siemens Energy is adding insult to injury by illegally using replacement workers, or “scabs” in common language, to do their jobs. The company’s use of replacement workers has been revealed in a report by investigators from Quebec’s Ministry of Labour.

One in three Canadian workers carries high mental health risk
Benefits and Pensions Monitor
More than one in three carries high mental health risk, and the bill — measured in lost productivity — keeps climbing.

New Express White Paper: Canada’s Shrinking Entry-Level Job Market Raises Long-Term Economic Concerns
Globe and Mail
Entry-level work has long been the first rung on Canada’s economic ladder, but new research from an Express Employment Professionals–Harris Poll survey suggests that rung is slipping away, creating ripple effects that extend beyond today’s job seekers to the workforce of the future.

Walmart Cuts Hundreds Of Corporate Jobs As AI-Driven Efficiency Push Accelerates: Report
Yahoo
Walmart Inc. (NYSE:WMT) will eliminate or relocate 1,000 corporate workers as part of its plan to combine its global technology and product teams to boost efficiency.

Meta workers storm their own offices over AI surveillance
HRD
Meta Platforms employees at multiple United States offices staged an extraordinary workplace protest on Tuesday, distributing anonymous flyers urging colleagues to sign a petition against the company's recent installation of mouse-tracking software on their work computers – a technology many staff believe is being used to train the very AI systems intended to replace them.

Samsung Electronics fails to reach deal with union; PM says strike must be averted
Reuters
Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), opens new tab and its union failed to reach a pay deal on Wednesday, heightening the risk of a long strike that threatens not only chip production and the semiconductor giant's standing, but also the health of the export-reliant South ‌Korean economy.

Tens of Thousands of Tech Workers Are Being Laid Off in 2026. The $725 Billion That Replaced Them Is Going to Four Companies.
Yahoo
You are being shown one number. Mark Zuckerberg told 8,000 Meta employees in early May that their jobs were a casualty of the company's AI infrastructure budget. Amazon has cut roughly 30,000 roles in the last five months. Microsoft has shed about 125,000 through "voluntary" departures. Alphabet is in the middle of an ongoing 1,500.

Red Deer Polytechnic cutting 47 positions
The Advocate
Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) is cutting 47 positions as it tries to balance its budget.

Education funding isn’t keeping up with soaring number of students with special needs, Ontario A-G says
Globe and Mail
The number of students in Ontario with special education needs is growing, and school boards are spending hundreds of millions of dollars more than they get from the province to support them, according to a new report from Ontario’s Auditor-General.

Here's where Canada ranks in higher education | Explained (video)
CTV News
A recent analysis ranks Canada high in a list of 100 countries when it comes to research and higher education – but not as high as the United States.

Tens of thousands protest in Argentina over Milei university cuts
AlJazeera
Tens of thousands of Argentines have taken to the streets in cities across the country to protest funding cuts by Javier Milei’s government to the public university system.

University puts 2,700 staff at risk of redundancy
BBC
Nearly 2,700 staff at the University of Nottingham have been placed at risk of redundancy amid "significant financial challenges".

University staff to 'escalate' strike action
BBC
Nearly 600 University of Cambridge staff are expected to stage 10 more days of strikes this month.

Budget misses chance to scrap a damaging university funding model
NTEU
The federal Budget has delivered needed tax reforms but has missed an opportunity to fix Australia's universities, with the government failing to take the urgent action needed to fix a disastrous funding model.

May 12, 2026

Employers receive another windfall from WCB even though workplace health and safety trends are going in the wrong direction
Manitoba Federation of Labour
The Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL) is calling on the provincial government to legislate an end to the Workers Compensation Board’s (WCB) annual surplus payouts to employers until several concerning workplace health and safety trends are reversed, MFL president Kevin Rebeck said today.

WCB returns $90M in surplus rebates
Winnipeg Free Press
The Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba has returned $90 million in premiums after a “positive 2025 year-end financial performance.”

Saskatoon delivery drivers walk off the job alleging unsafe working conditions, repeated pay cuts
CBC
When a dog bit Dhrumit Desai while he was out delivering a package, he said he called his supervisor.

Ontario nurses launch constitutional challenge over lack of right to strike
Sudbury.com
The Ontario Nurses' Association is launching a constitutional challenge of a law that prevents them from taking any form of job action during the bargaining process, a move hospitals are calling deeply troubling.

Union heads to Quebec labour tribunal after investigation shows Metro broke anti-scab rules
The Gazette
A union representing 550 striking Metro workers is taking their employer to Quebec’s labour tribunal after investigators found the grocer hired illegal replacement workers.

BC Nurses’ Union strike vote results expected Tuesday morning
CityNews
The province is set to find out Tuesday morning whether nearly 55,000 B.C. nurses will begin job action.

Dragonfly drivers in Saskatoon say dozens fired after walkout
CTV News
Dozens of delivery drivers for Dragonfly in Saskatoon say they were laid off after walking off the job Friday over concerns about falling pay and working conditions.

More than a third of CRA offices don't have space for four-day return to office: union
Ottawa Citizen
The Canada Revenue Agency will not be ready to implement a four-day return to office come July 6 alongside many other federal departments and agencies, according to the union that represents tax workers.

Workers Have a Secret Weapon Against the AI Build-Out
Jacobin
“We’re really going into what we believe is the early chapters of an investment supercycle in the US for electricity growth,” Scott Strazik, CEO of GE Vernova, told Barron’s during an interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year. “If you take a step back, we probably haven’t seen an analogous period of time like this since 1945.”

US workers overwhelmingly support union-backed policies on AI, poll says
The Guardian
US workers overwhelmingly support pro-worker policies on artificial intelligence (AI) and view labor unions as the most reliable protectors of workers from the effects of AI, according to a new poll released by the AFL-CIO, the largest federation of labor unions in the US.

40,000 people took part in national union demonstration in Brussels
Belga News Agency
Around 40,000 people took part in the national trade union demonstration in Brussels on Tuesday. The protest passed off without any major incidents. The trade unions criticised the fact that the federal government is implementing reforms without social consultation and denounced what they call “social dismantling”.

New teacher conduct czar critic of registry
Winnipeg Free Press
A high-profile leader in the child protection sector who has been an outspoken critic of Manitoba’s teacher registry has been tapped to run it.

Boys are falling behind in school, and some experts say it starts in kindergarten
CBC
Jessica Sabatini is worried about her six-year-old’s success in school.

TDSB lays off more than 200 admin workers, cuts 91 other vacant positions
Toronto Today
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is laying off 218 staff and cutting 91 vacant positions in what it calls a move to “modernize and right-size” central administration.

Deal reached with hackers after Canadian universities hit by security breach
Global News
The company that operates Canvas, a popular online learning system, has struck a deal with hackers to delete the data stolen in a cyberattack last week.

‘It’s Getting Unfriendlier’: International Students Race to Find Jobs
New York Times
For decades, international students hoping to stay in the United States after graduation faced relatively few barriers. Temporary employment programs designed to attract skilled talent made it easy to transition from studying to working. And employers were eager to hire these students, especially those with STEM degrees.

May 11, 2026

Job-site policy cited in cost of Brandon school construction
Winnipeg Free Press
The Construction Association of Rural Manitoba has said it will cost as much as 20 per cent more to build a school in Brandon because of the labour policy introduced by the provincial government in 2025.

Siloam Mission lays off 16, plans to reduce hours
CTV News
Siloam Mission announced a layoff of 16 people after a reduction in donations and an increase in demand for its services.

Ontario doctor claims recruiters misled him about western Manitoba hospital job in lawsuit
CBC
An Ontario doctor who was recruited to work in a western Manitoba hospital has filed a lawsuit against his recruiters and others, claiming they misled him about the position and pay, while not disclosing they were being paid to enlist doctors at the rural health centre.

B.C. daycare worker dismayed by changes to provincial nominee program, warns of worker shortages
CBC
A daycare worker in Nanaimo, B.C., is speaking out against recent changes made to B.C.'s provincial nominee program that now exclude her job from a possible pathway to permanent residency.

Morale low among paramedics as union's 3-year contract dispute continues in Quebec
CBC
Morale is low among Quebec paramedics in the Laurentians and Lanaudière region as a contract dispute over compensation and staff work overload, continues into its third year.

Rogers offering voluntary buyouts to thousands of employees: 3 key severance rights
Global News
As part of a major restructuring, Rogers Communications is looking to significantly scale back its staffing levels—offering voluntary buyouts to thousands of employees.

Saskatoon Amazon delivery drivers strike over falling pay, working conditions
CTV News
Dozens of drivers responsible for delivering packages on behalf of Amazon walked off the job Friday to protest decreasing pay and challenging working conditions.

N.S. government, long-term care union remain in a stalemate as strike drags on
Canadian Press
The union representing long-term care workers in Nova Scotia and the provincial government remain in a stalemate as a strike extended into the 27th day.

Red Deer nurse practitioners file to unionize
Alberta Worker
Last week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their final new applications report of April 2026. It covered all the applications they received between the 21st and 26th of April.

NFL and referees agree on a 7-year collective bargaining agreement, avoiding potential work stoppage
AP
The NFL and the NFL Referees Association agreed Friday on a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement that avoids a potential work stoppage and use of replacement officials.

Writers Guild staff union reaches deal, ending strike after nearly three months
Los Angeles Times
The union representing workers employed by the Writers Guild of America has reached an agreement on its first contract, ending a strike that lasted nearly three months.

Qantas union clash is a warning shot for every HR leader deploying AI
HRD
The Australian Services Union (ASU) has put Qantas on notice. In a letter to chief executive Vanessa Hudson, the union representing thousands of the airline's clerical and call centre workers demanded urgent consultation after Hudson publicly committed to accelerating artificial intelligence adoption across the group – comments the ASU says amount to an open declaration of workforce change.

‘Working with heads, hearts, and hands’
Winnipeg Free Press
More than 700 students will be able to hop between high schools for different courses and extracurriculars next year as part of a new inner-city initiative.

Spending cuts close organic research program, sparking concern for farming sustainability
Globe and Mail
Allison Squires spends her day working in fields of lentils, wheat and chickpeas on her organic farm in Wood Mountain, Sask. But with the recent closing of a one-of-a-kind federal research program, she worries the knowledge that helped grow her crops will be lost in the weeds.

Humber Polytechnic axes theatre, performance programs in latest blow to Ontario arts education
Globe and Mail
In the latest blow to postsecondary performing arts education in Ontario, Humber Polytechnic announced that it will cancel a number of programs in its faculty of media, creative arts and design.

Unions call for transparency and to suspend layoffs following audit of Conestoga College
CTV News
The board of governors has been ousted and a provincially appointed administrator will be working at Conestoga College.

Recognition is not power: the battle for the soul of McGill
Canadian Dimension
On a cold, grey April afternoon, faculty from across McGill departments gathered on the steps of the Arts Building to issue an ultimatum. Under the banner of the Confederation of Faculty Associations of McGill (COFAM)—an alliance uniting the university’s newly unionized faculty associations—they set a deadline: after nine months of stalled first-contract negotiations, they wanted a full counter-offer by April 10, rather than the incremental, article by article responses which have left bargaining at a standstill.

May 8, 2026

U of T, OCAD amongst Ontario universities impacted by Canvas cyber breach
CBC
Postsecondary institutes in Ontario, such as the University of Toronto, are amongst thousands of schools impacted by a cybersecurity incident involving learning software Canvas.

UBC, SFU among thousands of universities affected by Canvas software cyber breach
CBC
The University of British Columbia (UBC) and Simon Fraser University (SFU) are among thousands of learning institutions around the world that say a cyber breach of the Canvas learning software could affect students' personal information.

Ontario appoints administrator to run Conestoga College, alleges financial mismanagement
Globe and Mail
The Ontario government says it has found evidence of serious financial mismanagement at Conestoga College and appointed an administrator to take control of the postsecondary school after dismissing its board of governors.

Canada’s plan for affordable child care is a very unruly five-year-old
Globe and Mail
Taryn Greig can’t recall exactly when she first heard about the federal plan to create a national child-care program that promised to reduce fees to an average of $10 a day.

Canada’s first Inuit‑led university is coming to Nunavut — here’s why it matters
The Conversation
The small community of Arviat, Nvt., has reportedly been selected to host the main campus of Inuit Nunangat University, the first Inuit-led university in Canada. The institution is expected to open in 2030.

Cyberattack disrupts Canvas access at universities nationwide, including UM, MSU
NBC
A platform used by universities and school systems across the nation, including the University of Montana and Montana State University, has become the victim of a cyberattack.

How a Professor Turned His Firing Into a Nationwide Fight for Academic Freedom
Inside Higher Ed
By six o’clock on Monday, April 27, the City University of New York Graduate Center’s aptly named Skylight Room was humming with dozens of graduate students, professors and staff eager to hear from Tom Alter, a former Texas State University history professor who was fired in September after speaking at an online socialism conference. Some wore union swag. Several wore Palestinian keffiyehs. Others sported gray T-shirts with the words “Reinstate the CUNY fired four” splashed across the front—a reference to the four adjunct professors at Brooklyn College who were let go in June, allegedly for their pro-Palestinian activism.

Assault on Manitoba retail worker renews calls for more employee safety
MSN
An attack on a cannabis store employee who was working alone at night has renewed calls for improved worker safety in Manitoba.

‘Bad faith bargaining’ application goes before Ontario Labour Relations Board
CTV News
The president of Unifor Local 195 says the union is left with no other options.

Second federal department delays 4-day office mandate for some public servants
CTV News
A second federal department is delaying the four-day in-office mandate for some federal public servants this summer due to a lack of office space, while the Department of National Defence says workspace will “be limited” for employees.

As AI creeps into telecoms, call centre agents worry they'll be replaced
CBC
Some call centre agents at a major Canadian telecommunications company say they fear for their jobs as artificial intelligence takes on an increasing presence in their workplace.

Canada's economy dropped 18,000 jobs in April as unemployment rose to 6-month high
CBC
Canada's unemployment ‌rate rose to a six-month high in April to 6.9 per cent as the economy lost a net of 17,700 jobs in March, Statistics Canada data showed on Friday, indicating a continued weakness in the labour market, which has struggled in the face of U.S tariffs and trade uncertainty.

Wanted: Jobs for teenagers
Globe and Mail
The job market for Canadian youth has been lacklustre for years. And the younger the job seeker, the worse it gets.

U.S. job growth beats expectations in April; unemployment rate steady at 4.3%
Globe and Mail
U.S. employment increased more than expected in ⁠April while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.3 per cent, pointing to labor market resilience and reinforcing expectations that the Federal Reserve would leave interest rates unchanged for some time.

May 7, 2026

U of M fundraising $30K for dedicated breastfeeding space
Winnipeg Free Press
The University of Manitoba is fundraising $30,000 for a lactation pod in an effort to address gaps in academia which have led to a “leaky pipeline.”

Memorial University is shrinking to become more financially stable (audio)
CBC Radio
Memorial University is looking for a more financially stable future. What could that mean for the number of faculties operating at the school? This morning we spoke with faculty association president Lisa Moores.

NSCC eliminates 91 positions as it grapples with $15M deficit
CBC
The Nova Scotia Community College has laid off 45 employees as it attempts to balance its budget and face down a $15-million deficit.

Low pay, reduced hours, unsafe schools: Education support workers demand better
CUPE
Education support workers from CUPE locals across Saskatchewan rallied today outside the office of the Minister of Education, calling on the provincial government to address low wages, unsafe working conditions, and the lack of respect for the critical role they play in Saskatchewan schools.

More than 50,000 pupils expected to strike over German rearmament policy
The Guardian
Tens of thousands of pupils across Germany are expected to boycott the classroom and take to the streets in a nationwide protest organisers say is to stop the government’s rearmament policy turning young people into “cannon fodder”.

Assault at city pot store reinforces union’s safety demands
Winnipeg Free Press
The sexual assault of a woman while she worked at a cannabis shop has reignited calls to bolster safety requirements at city pot shops, where some in the sector say employees are at risk.

Construction union faces internal probe over purchase of $4-million Toronto-area house
Globe and Mail
The Carpenters’ Regional Council, one of Canada’s largest construction unions, has been placed under the supervision of its U.S. parent organization and will undergo an internal probe after The Globe and Mail reported that it had quietly purchased a $4-million Toronto-area home for the use of its top official.

Bell parent BCE fires ‘small number’ of employees who falsified workplace attendance
Globe and Mail
Bell Canada parent company BCE Inc. has terminated “a small number” of employees who it says violated its code of conduct by intentionally and repeatedly falsifying workplace attendance.

Care workers say company scrambling to replace staff as long-standing workers leave
CBC
Workers at a private company the Nova Scotia government contracts to care for deeply vulnerable people say Arden Professional Client Care is scrambling to replace some of its most experienced staff.

CUPE warns against political pressure to send home care workers back into unsafe conditions
CUPE
The Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) is warning against reckless calls from the Progressive Conservatives to force front-line health care workers back into unsafe environments, following the decision by the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) to suspend in-home services at a North End housing building due to serious safety concerns.

Maritime union calls out DP World’s AI union-busting push
Greenleft
Warren Smith, deputy national secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) told Green Left that the union is involved in a critical struggle against multinational corporation Dubai Port World’s (DPW) push to automate its container terminal operations at four terminals across the country. It is a union busting exercise, he said.

Telecom workers call for restrictions over use of artificial intelligence
CFJC Today
Telecommunications workers are calling for government restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence in the sector, suggesting the technology is being used to monitor workers and disguise the accents of overseas call centre workers.

Employee mental health concerns now at the core of workplace litigation
Financial Post
There has been a quiet but unmistakable shift in Canadian workplaces — one that many employers do not fully grasp until it is too late.

Victoria Uber drivers ratify first ever union contract
CHEK News
Uber drivers in Victoria have officially ratified their union contract, becoming the first in Canada to do so.

‘We’re ready to meet’: CUPE president visits striking N.S. long-term care workers
CTV News
The national president of the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) visited striking long-term care workers in Nova Scotia Wednesday.

Colombia claims union reparations law is imminent at May Day rally in Medellín
The Bogota Post
Colombian Minister of Labor, Antonio Sanguino, said the government was “on the verge” of issuing a decree outlining a path to collective reparations for trade unions at a rally in Medellín on May 1.

AI era forces Korea’s labor, capital to negotiate new ‘survival pact’
The Korea Times
As artificial intelligence (AI) spreads from coding assistants to factory robots and hiring tools, experts say Korea’s familiar labor disputes over wages and bonuses are giving way to a more existential question: How labor and capital will share the costs and gains of this once-in-a-generation technological shift.

May 6, 2026

University of Guelph receives $51M investment for business school
CTV News
The University of Guelph has received a $51 million investment for the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics (LANG).

MUN puts faculty, school structure under the microscope
CBC
Memorial University is doing a review of its faculty and school structure. It's a move the president hopes will give the struggling institution some control over factors such as decreasing enrollment.

Manufacturing silence on Canadian campuses
Briarpatch
“They are well known in their field and I was afraid that rejecting them (more than once) would lead me to be unable to continue my studies in the field but also to ruin my reputation among other scholars that I would eventually meet. In the long run it seemed simpler to go along with it than to keep trying to stop it because of the long-term repercussions I felt I would face.”

Canada is losing to the U.S. in these five categories, report on higher education finds
Unpublished
A recent global ranking of the top higher education and research systems sees Canada come in at an impressive fifth place worldwide — but it’s still behind the United States.

‘Close to zero impact’: US study casts doubt on effect of phone ban in schools
The Guardian
Strict bans on mobile phones in schools have “close to zero” impact on student learning and show no evidence of improvements in attendance or online bullying, a study has found.

Florida’s largest teacher union sues state over education funding
WCTV
Florida’s largest teacher union is suing the state, accusing it of not investing enough in schools.

How Administration’s 2026 Immigration Crackdown Is Changing U.S. Higher Education
Forbes
American higher education confronts an existential crisis. Universities have relied on international students and scholars for innovation, research, and revenue. Aggressive policy moves by the Trump administration in 2025 and early 2026 have triggered fear, judicial turmoil, and projected financial losses of nearly $7 billion. In this uncertainty, higher education administrators must act. Immediate steps include convening crisis response teams and scenario planning for different outcomes. Administrators should strengthen communication to support international students. They must also use financial modeling to assess and reduce risks. By proactively adapting, institutions can better protect their academic missions and communities.

Australian Education Union cancels strikes in Victoria to impose Labor’s austerity agenda
World Socialist Web Site
The Australian Education Union (AEU) has taken a major step toward completely selling out the struggle by public school educators in Victoria against their low pay and intolerable conditions, by calling off even the limited regional half-day stoppages scheduled over the next two weeks.

Winnipeggers honour workplace injury victims at annual fundraising event
CBC
Hundreds of Winnipeggers came together to raise money for Canadians whose lives have been impacted by workplace injuries — and to honour those who've died.

Telecom workers say AI being used to monitor employees, disguise accents of offshore agents
CBC
Telecommunications workers are calling for government restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence in the sector, suggesting the technology is being used to monitor workers and disguise the accents of overseas call centre workers.

Nearly 9,000 Hydro-Québec workers set to strike as unions escalate standoff
The Gazette
Two of Hydro-Québec’s largest unions representing nearly 9,000 workers have moved in tandem to escalate pressure on the Crown corporation.

Is Canada really one of the world’s most dangerous places to work?
Canadian Occupational Safety
A report from an American safety equipment retailer has ranked Canada among the most dangerous countries in the world for workers – a claim that occupational health and safety experts say is built on unreliable data, inconsistent definitions, and a methodology that obscures more than it reveals.

Gen Z workers face distinct challenges. Here’s how and why employers should help
Globe and Mail
Over the past few years, companies across Canada have been seeing rising numbers of Gen Z workers reporting stress in the workplace and taking mental health leaves. Some older workers have dismissed this as an indication that younger workers aren’t willing to put in the effort or ‘can’t cut it.’ But they miss the real and distinct challenges faced by Gen Z compared to previous generations.

Vocational Nurses, Techs Ready 30,000-Worker California Strike
Bloomberg Law
An impending strike at the University of California hospital system adds to a growing list of high-profile work stoppages among healthcare employees faced with a tightening labor market and rising consumer costs.

May 5, 2026

Manitoba teachers face rise in students with complex needs, 'erosion' of support staff: union
CBC
The majority of public school educators in Manitoba who responded to a recent survey say they're facing a growing number of students with complex needs in their classrooms as support staff dwindle, the head of the union says.

Class sizes, more students with complex needs among teachers’ biggest challenges: survey
Winnipeg Free Press
New research suggests it’s no longer unusual for seven or more students with “complex needs” to be learning in a public school classroom in Manitoba.

Classroom antisemitism in full swing, U.S. academic tells city synagogue
Winnipeg Free Press
Universities and colleges are fertile ground for promoting antisemitism, an American academic told an audience at Congregation Shaarey Zedek recently.

MUN President Tasked with Reviewing Faculty and School Structure
VOCM
Memorial University’s Board of Regents has instructed president Janet Morrison to review the faculty and school structure.

France serves up €1 meals to all university students in effort to cut hardship
The Guardian
French universities have begun offering €1 (86p) meals to all students regardless of income in a measure designed to address financial hardship.

One in four humanities students in Australia to take more than 25 years to pay off student loans, Treasury finds
The Guardian
One in four humanities students will take more than 25 years to fully repay their student loans because of Morrison government changes to university fees, newly public Treasury modelling reveals.

How UK universities ‘spy’ on pro-Palestine students (video)
Al Jazeera
A joint investigation by Al Jazeera and Liberty Investigates has found that 12 universities paid a private company, led by ex-military intelligence officials, to profile academics and scan social media use by students.

Manitoba Nurses Union reacts after 3 workers were assaulted at Grace Hospital last week
CityNews
After three healthcare workers were threatened and assaulted at Grace Hospital last week, the president of the Manitoba Nurses Union, Darlene Jackson, is frustrated with the normalization of abuse towards frontline workers.

Federal public service union calls wage offers ‘insulting’ and ‘unacceptable’
iPolitics
A union representing more than 120,000 federal public servants whose contracts are up for renegotiation says wage offers presented by the federal government are “insulting” and “unacceptable.”

Up to 33,000 temporary foreign workers to be fast-tracked for permanent residency
CTV News
Up to 33,000 temporary foreign workers who live in rural and remote communities are now eligible for an accelerated transition to permanent residency.

The Safety Net Isn’t Ready for Artificial Intelligence
The New York Times
Economists aren’t sure if or when artificial intelligence will cause widespread job losses. But they do agree on one thing: The federal safety net isn’t ready for such a shock.

Spirit Airlines Closure a Devastating Blow to More Than 2,000 Pilots, Thousands More Workers
ALPA
Capt. Jason Ambrosi, president of the Air Line Pilots Association, Int'l (ALPA), issued the following statement today after Spirit Airlines ceased operations:

‘Almost every Fortune 500 is tracking overall AI usage’: What that means for employees
CNBC
With companies spending more than ever on artificial intelligence, they are also tracking how employees use AI in unprecedented detail. Yet many CEOs hope, but still can’t tell, if it’s making workers more productive.

May 4, 2026

U of W students advocate for elimination of sick notes
Winnipeg Free Press
Sick notes sought for missed exams and other student absences are under growing scrutiny.

Study probes experiences of Indigenous grads
Winnipeg Free Press
Brandon Murdock recalled thinking in 2020 that, despite his struggling academic performance, he had “a solid case” to remain enrolled at the University of Winnipeg.

Algoma University’s $16M deficit forces tough decisions, including layoffs
CTV News
Algoma University says it expects to run a $16.45 million deficit in the coming year, driven by plunging international student enrolment, something that is behind revenue shortfalls for institutions across the province.

"Historic" $78.5M funding for Canadore College, Nipissing University
North Bay Nugget
A $78.5 million “historic” post-secondary investment was announced Friday.

University Health Network recruits senior NIH investigator, more than 70 global scientists
Globe and Mail
American neuroscientist Ariel Levine was at a point in her career when she was open to change – and a tenuous science research landscape in her country played into her calculation.

Canadian professors on how AI is changing education
Globe and Mail
A big issue hangs over university students and professors, and that’s artificial intelligence. There are some rules and guidelines, but professors are largely left on their own to determine how much they want to adopt AI or not – and that’s created a wide range of opinions.

U of L refuses to sign off on 12% wage increase
Alberta Worker
Earlier this week, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees posted an update on their website regarding contract negotiations for workers employed by the University of Lethbridge.

TTC says it's prepared to lock out workers after labour ministry fast-tracks bargaining ahead of FIFA
Toronto Today
The TTC says it is prepared to lock out over 700 technical and trades workers after the provincial labour ministry granted the transit agency’s request for a no-board report, speeding up negotiations and triggering a 17-day countdown to potential work stoppages.

FedEx Workers in Fort McMurray Win Their Union, Join Teamsters
Globe and Mail
Approximately 50 workers at FedEx Express in Fort McMurray have won their union, joining Teamsters Local Union 362 after a lengthy legal battle.

Public service executives return to office on full-time basis
Globe and Mail
Starting today, executives in the federal public service are expected to work on-site in the office five days a week.

Canada lags global peers and is falling when it comes to gender equity, study shows
Globe and Mail
In recent years, American businesses have scaled back their diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives and there are signs the trend has crossed the border into Canada.

Study ties government policies to youth unemployment
HRD
A new study published by the Fraser Institute links Canadian government policies to a sharp rise in youth unemployment, warning the situation could have lasting consequences for an entire generation of workers.

‘Insulting wage offer’: Federal union slams 4 year, 3.5% raise proposal for public servants
CTV News
Canada’s largest public sector union is calling the federal government’s contract offer to tens of thousands of public servants “insulting,” saying the proposal “amounts to less than one per cent per year.”

Strength in numbers: what have 50 years of labor union documentaries shown us?
The Guardian
“We better start pulling together or, by God, they’re going to bury us,” says a meat packer during a union meeting in Barbara Kopple’s 1990 documentary American Dream. It’s a desperate plea for survival; “they” are the Hormel Foods Corporation, who took advantage of union disorder to replace a huge portion of their workforce during a costly strike. American Dream sees the 1985-86 labor crisis in Austin, Minnesota, as symbolic of the state of organized labor in the United States – call it an alternative State of the Union address.