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.

December 17, 2025

Poorly paid, burned out, looking for work elsewhere
Winnipeg Free Press
The union for front-line staff who battle forest fires in Manitoba has warned personnel shortages and burnout will add fuel to next year’s wildfire season.

Unions losing ground in Canada’s private sector
Fraser Institute
The trade union movement in Canada, as in many other advanced economies, is in the throes of change. Rapid technological innovation, shifts in business practices, and changes in the nature of employment and the demographic make-up of the working-age population all pose challenges to the traditional strategies adopted by unions to grow and sustain their membership.

US judges skeptical of union lawsuits over Trump bar on federal worker bargaining
Reuters
U.S. appeals court judges on Monday said unions challenging President Donald Trump's efforts to strip many federal employees of the ability to bargain collectively were likely required to bring their claims to a U.S. labor agency before suing in court.

Portugal's government to amend labour reform after general strike
Reuters
Portugal's centre-right minority government has said it will amend labour reform legislation to appease trade unions following the country's first general strike in more than a decade.

Doctors in England go on strike for 14th time
France24
The five-day stoppage by resident doctors -- those below consultant level -- comes as negotiations reached a deadlock over the medics' demand for a 26 percent pay rise to compensate for what they say is a real-time loss of earnings due to inflation.

Winnipeg schoolchild reports being approached by masked men offering candy
CBC
Winnipeg police are advising families to discuss safety with their kids after a child reported being approached by two men wearing face masks while walking to school in the West End.

Wolseley School to be renamed Little Bluestem School
Winnipeg Free Press
Wolseley School will be renamed after a perennial grass that grows in nearby Omand’s Creek following overwhelming support from families who live steps from the park.

Province, Ottawa tab $6.6M for RRC Polytech-based HEV research
Winnipeg Free Press
Ottawa and Manitoba are jointly funnelling cash into research for the province’s tariff-hit heavy equipment and vehicle sector.

University of Regina now hosts new students’ union after referendum win
CTV News
The University of Regina Students Association (URSA) is now the official representative of students on campus following a successful referendum.

Ford government fires Toronto board director of education
Sudbury.com
Clayton La Touche is out as director of education at the Toronto District School Board less than a year into the role, after the Ford government’s supervisor said the board needed a “fresh start.”

A new gold standard for public education taking root
Globe and Mail
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award - Canada is on a mission to enhance public education and student outcomes, with school districts across the country now piloting Award Canada’s experiential learning framework in high schools, colleges, universities and apprenticeship pathways.

Essay cheating at universities an 'open secret'
BBC
A BBC investigation has uncovered claims that essay cheating remains widespread at UK universities despite the introduction of a law designed to stop it.

'We Are Fed Up': Winnipeg Bacon Workers Unite for Better Contract
Labor Notes
After months of stalled negotiations, workers at a big Maple Leaf bacon plant in Winnipeg voted overwhelmingly last month to authorize a strike.

One in five workers is a government employee. Should Canadians be worried?
Globe and Mail
The number of Canadians working in the public sector has been a hot topic since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, as the public sector has accounted for a disproportionately large share of net job gains compared with its share of total employment.

Government rejects call to measure productivity across public service
CTV News
The federal government is rejecting a call from a working group to measure productivity across Canada’s public sector, arguing that doing so would not “readily align” with its priorities.

Doorey: My Submission to Senate Committee Studying the Use of Section 107 of Canada Labour Code to End Strikes
The Law of Work
I put together a quick brief for the Senate Standing Committee assigned to study the federal government’s “misuse” of Section 107 to end a flurry of work stoppages since 2024. Here’s what I wrote.

U.S. hired illegal foreign workers to process white ‘refugees,’ South Africa says
Globe and Mail
The Trump administration has been using illegal foreign labour to process the white South Africans who are being granted refugee status in the United States under a controversial new U.S. program, the South African government says.

The U.S. Supreme Court ‘Flat Out Refuses To Hear’ Labor’s Case Challenging Billionaire Elon Musk’s ‘Attempt To Kill’ The National Labor Relations Board
WNYLaborToday
Mark Gruenberg at People’s World reports that if the comments by members of the Supreme U.S. Court’s Right-Wing Majority supporting the idea of a “unitary executive” were not enough to convince people that they were out to kill Workers’ Rights, their decision not to hear a lawsuit by the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) and the National AFL-CIO against Elon Musk that would protect the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) should make the Jurists’ intentions perfectly clear. The Supreme Court decided to not let the Labor Organizations make their case - and that means trouble for Workers nationwide, because the OPEIU and the National AFL-CIO sought to defend the NLRB against the attempt by Musk and other billionaires - including Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, to declare the Board unconstitutional. That leaves the NLRB defenseless. The Union, backed by the National AFL-CIO, tried to step in to defend the Board when President Donald Trump’s Justice Department predictably would not. And without comment, the Justices - in SpaceX vs. NLRB, turned the Unions down, declaring they won’t let the Labor groups argue the case. OPEIU “is extremely disappointed in the Court’s refusal to review a Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision in the SpaceX v NLRB case,” the Union told People’s World. “The Court denied OPEIU the ability to defend the National Labor Relations Board’s authority and to protect Workers’ ability to seek justice for Labor Law violations with the agency.” OPEIU added the High Court’s ruling, without comment, is part of a trend from Trump’s regime and the Court.

One Battle After Another: The Big Contract Fights Coming in 2026
Labor Notes
The coming year could keep the strikes rolling through steel mills, state offices, telephone lines, axle plants, baseball diamonds, and hospitals from coast to coast. Union contracts expiring in 2026 could open up major fights by manufacturing, education, entertainment, and government workers.

December 16, 2025

Former casino head of security sues for wrongful termination
Winnipeg Free Press
THE former head of security at South Beach Casino and Resort claims in a lawsuit he was wrongfully terminated after he raised concerns about the flow of illicit drugs into the facility.

Bell and Queen's University joining forces to build sovereign AI supercomputing infrastructure in Canada
Cision
Bell, Canada's largest communications company¹, and Queen's University (Queen's), a leading research-intensive institution, today announced they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to build and operate a next-generation, world-class Artificial Intelligence (AI) supercomputing facility. This partnership will enhance Canada's AI capacity, drive domestic adoption of AI tools, and strengthen digital sovereignty at a critical moment in our nation's history.

90% of Quebec teachers have faced violence while on the job, union's survey finds
CBC
A Quebec teachers' union released the findings of a survey of its members on Monday that found 90 per cent of respondents said they were victims of some form of violence at work.

Ottawa airport food prep workers and union reach agreement, ending strike
Ottawa Citizen
Travellers flying out of the Ottawa International Airport will not have to pack their own meals after Gategourmet reached an agreement with the union.

CUPE criticizes federal AI consultation process
CUPE
CUPE is concerned federal consultations to update Canada’s strategy on artificial intelligence were rushed and favoured corporate interests at the expense of other voices.

A, B, C or D – grades might not say all that much about what students are actually learning
The Conversation
Grades are a standard part of the American educational system that most students and teachers take for granted.

Professors, students appeal ruling on Alabama law banning DEI initiatives at public universities
Colorado Home Town Weekly
A group of students and professors at public universities across Alabama are asking an appeals court to halt a state law that bans diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in public schools and prohibits the endorsement of what Republican lawmakers dubbed “divisive concepts” related to race and gender.

Unintended Consequences: AI’s Impact On Mind, Academia And Community Access
Forbes
In recent years, artificial intelligence has rapidly integrated into learning, academia and the workforce, and it is not difficult to notice the impact of AI in these areas. The purpose of this article is to discuss the cognitive, academic and societal implications of the widespread adoption of AI.

More than 1,000 new workers hired by Stellantis as third shift returns
Canadian HR Reporter
Stellantis has cleared a major workforce milestone in Windsor, Ont., hiring more than 1,000 people as it rebuilds a third shift at Windsor Assembly Plant ahead of an early‑2026 launch.

US employment rate hits highest peak since 2021
Global News
The United States gained a decent 64,000 jobs in November but lost 105,000 in October as federal workers departed after cutbacks by the Trump administration, the government said in delayed reports.

Resident doctors in England vote to go ahead with strike
The Guardian
Resident doctors in England will strike as planned this week after they voted to reject the government’s latest offer to end the long-running pay and jobs dispute.

Labor Isn’t a Special Interest. It Promotes the Common Good.
Jacobin
Perhaps no one spends more time on Starbucks workers’ picket lines and helps turn away more Starbucks deliveries than Lenny Lamkin.

American Socialists Aren’t Tired of Winning
Jacobin
Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral win in New York forced many political observers to think, for the first time, of Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) as a serious and potentially formidable force in American political life.

Blue-Collar Workers Turn to Self-Employment Post-Union
The Mirage
In U.S. states with anti-union labor environments, workers are up to 53% more likely to start their own businesses—and blue-collar workers are more likely to do it out of necessity.

Illegally sacked Qantas ground workers to share in extra $40m
Australian Aviation
Qantas workers who were illegally fired or redeployed during COVID-19 will receive a further $40 million between them from the mammoth fine imposed on the Flying Kangaroo earlier this year.

Finnish government decisions pushing people further into poverty
SAK
The Finnish Parliament is currently considering government proposals that will tighten eligibility conditions for unemployment benefit and reduce social assistance. A new means-tested general benefit is also under consideration, with a view to replacing basic unemployment benefits paid by the Social Insurance Institution (Kela).

Public sector union announces 24-hour strike on Tuesday in protest of budget
ekathimerini
Public sector union federation ADEDY will hold a 24-hour nationwide strike on Tuesday, in reaction to the passing of the budget in Parliament and to show support for rural mobilizations.

December 15, 2025

Learning in an AI world
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba’s largest school division only has one fixed rule for its staff and students when it comes to using artificial intelligence.

Manitoba Government Announces Kindergarten to Grade 12 Anti-Islamophobia Action Plan
Province of Manitoba
The Manitoba government is taking an important step in building safer and more inclusive schools with the launch of the kindergarten to Grade 12 Anti-Islamophobia Action Plan, Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt announced today.

International Student Caps Are Decimating Canadian Colleges
Maclean's
When I became president of Selkirk College in the spring of 2022, I joined a college that is deeply tied to the communities it serves. We’re in a rural area of about 90,000 people in the West Kootenay and Boundary regions in B.C.’s southern Interior, and our annual economic impact on the region is around $450 million. The college and its students support about one in 12 jobs in our area. During my first year, whenever I ran errands downtown, people would often make a point of introducing themselves and tell me about their connection to the college.

'A lot of fear': These Alberta parents hope new special education standards won’t mean segregation
CBC
When Aiden O’Halloran was in Grade 6, he was getting 80s on his math tests, learning fractions, angles and double-digit addition, and keeping up with his class with targeted support.

University presidents reflect on academic freedom amid Trump’s push to reshape higher education
ABC News
The Trump administration has expanded its review of colleges and universities across the country this year, threatening to withhold critical funding from some institutions if they do not comply with administration's policies.

California colleges agree settlements over antisemitism complaints
The Guardian
Two California colleges have reached settlements with Jewish organizations and individuals who filed complaints alleging antisemitism arising from pro-Palestinian campus protests, including a $60,000 payment to an Israeli sociologist and dance researcher who says she was not rehired by the University of California, Berkeley despite the popularity of her class.

Employer Prosecuted for Workplace Incident
Province of Manitoba
Manitoba Labour and Immigration is reminding employers to ensure machines and tools are equipped with safeguards to prevent workers from coming into contact with moving machine parts after an employer was prosecuted under the Workplace Safety and Health Act.

Province step closer to cancelling short-term sick notes
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba doctors and human resources professionals have drafted generic workplace absenteeism policies and forms for employers to adopt before short-term sick notes are officially outlawed.

Union decries Crown prosecutors’ crushing workload
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba judges have thrown out only a handful of cases that did not meet strict timelines for the completion of criminal trials that came out of a landmark Supreme Court ruling nearly 10 years ago.

A Year of Government Interference in Collective Bargaining
Press Progress
Labour was a top story this year, with the ongoing Canada Post dispute and the Air Canada flight attendants strike making headlines across the country.

The Government Is Withholding Data On Labour Relations
The Maple
The Canadian Association for Work and Labour Studies (CAWLS) is calling on the federal government to collect more and better data on labour relations.

A Rare Guilty Verdict in a Worker Fatality Case
The Tyee
More than 13 years after pipe layer Jeff Caron was crushed to death while replacing a Burnaby storm sewer, a B.C. Supreme Court judge found his employer J. Cote & Son Excavating guilty of criminal negligence.

TSA renews push to end collective bargaining agreement for airport security screeners
CityNews
The Transportation Security Administration is renewing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s push to end a collective bargaining agreement with airport screening officers — the second such attempt this year, coming just a month after the longest government shutdown on record.

‘A very hostile climate for workers’: US labor movement struggles under Trump
The Guardian
On a cold January day in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, workers at a Whole Foods Market store in the heart of the city made history. Organizers won a vote to form a union for the very first time in one of the grocery chain’s 530 US stores.

Trump Is Hellbent on Crushing Federal Unions, But They’re Still Kicking
Mother Jones
Chandler Bursey used to have an office. It was a modest room at the Veterans Affairs campus in Idaho, a set of buildings nestled under one of the mountain ridges reaching into Boise. The office, a meeting place for members of the union chapter Bursey leads, was something the union had negotiated. For many years it relied on VA resources, but after Donald Trump was reelected, Bursey began decoupling. “I made sure to separate all of our computer systems, get our own separate phone line,” he says. “He might kick us out.”

Why a labour union vest still turns heads in South Korea
The Strait Times
A video showing people wearing labour union jackets being turned away at a major Seoul department store has sparked nationwide controversy, with some experts saying the incident reveals the persistent stigma surrounding unionised workers in the country.

December 12, 2025

Memorial University bracing for a smaller future, says new president
The Telegram
It’s been almost a year since Auditor General (AG) Denise Hanrahan delivered her report on Memorial University’s facility management, which found that the post-secondary institute had “more space than it needs,” and recommended that it give up that vacant space.

Visible for diversity, invisible in research: the burdens Black female academics face in universities
The Conversation
Black women are underrepresented in senior roles in British academia. As of May 2024, there were only 70 Black women professors.

Higher Ed Meets Longevity: The Global Rise Of Midlife Education
Forbes
Behind the gates of Harvard, Stanford and Cambridge, and as far away as Singapore, a quiet revolution is underway. Not in artificial intelligence or biotech, but in the architecture of human longevity.

‘Your Free Speech Does Not Apply’: Suspended UC Berkeley Lecturer Speaks Out
KQED
The suspension of a UC Berkeley computer science lecturer who went on a hunger strike over the war in Gaza and made pro-Palestinian remarks in the classroom has raised questions about free speech and the scope of academic freedom on the Bay Area campus.

What would an AI university look like and how might it change education?
Nature
Pan Hui has already been replaced by artificial intelligence — and he did the replacing himself. In 2023, one of his students mentioned that they were a little bored seeing the same professor every lesson and might enjoy being taught by some different faces. This gave Hui an idea: why not use generative AI and an avatar to teach the students instead.

Artificial intelligence research has a slop problem, academics say: ‘It’s a mess’
The Guardian
A single person claims to have authored 113 academic papers on artificial intelligence this year, 89 of which will be presented this week at one of the world’s leading conferences on AI and machine learning, which has raised questions among computer scientists about the state of AI research.

UFCW Canada joins international movement standing with Starbucks workers on Human Rights Day
UFCW
More than 2,500 Starbucks baristas in the United States are on strike for better pay, fair schedules, respect on the job, and an end to union-busting.

Alberta gig workers push for recognition as unstable incomes, burnout take toll
Global News
A new study suggests gig workers in Alberta are earning $15,000 to $25,000 less per year than people in traditional jobs — a growing warning sign for a sector that now includes roughly seven per cent of Canada’s workforce.

Report says Nova Scotia failing to protect female migrant workers(video)
CBC
The Centre for Migrant Worker Rights Nova Scotia says the province is raising concerns about the human rights of female migrant workers who work on farms and in seafood plants. Stacey Gomez, executive director and a co-author of the report, explains the findings.

Study Shows Wide Wage Gap for Trans and Non-Binary Workers
The Tyee
Trans and non-binary people in Canada experience higher rates of poverty compared to their cisgender peers, according to a recent Statistics Canada report.

House Republicans throw federal labor unions a lifeline in a rare rebuke of Trump
CNN
A group of House Republicans handed President Donald Trump a rare rebuke on Thursday, voting to restore collective bargaining rights he had stripped from about 1 million federal workers earlier this year.

The ‘forever layoffs’ era hits a recession trigger as corporates sack 1.1 million workers through November
Fortune
Jobs website Glassdoor warned of “forever layoffs” in mid-November, as a small drip-drip-drip of cuts throughout the year flew under the radar of most newspaper headlines while instilling fear throughout white-collar ranks. Now the recruitment firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas has added a crucial bit of insight and one big number: 1.1 million. That’s how many layoffs have been announced year to date, only the sixth time since 1993 that threshold has been breached. With the notable and understandable exception of the pandemic year of 2020, you have to go back to 2009 to find a year with greater layoffs, and that was in the very depths of the Great Recession.

DC attorney general secures $1.5 million from construction company for wage theft, worker misclassification
SMART Union
Construction has been booming in Washington, DC, in recent years — especially residential and mixed-use apartment buildings following the Covid-19 pandemic. But at several projects, workers were allegedly misclassified as independent contractors, depriving those workers of the pay and benefits that they deserve.

Unions have been in decline in the UK for 50 years. A new law could begin to reverse that trend
The Conversation
The UK’s employment rights bill will usher in major changes for workers from April 2026. But beyond promising improved rights for employees over unfair dismissal and sick pay, one of the most controversial aspects of the bill concerns the rights of trade unions.

Strikes could collapse flu-hit NHS amid worst crisis since Covid, says Streeting
The Guardian
Wes Streeting has told resident doctors that strikes and a sharp rise in the number of flu cases over the Christmas period could be “the Jenga piece” that forces the NHS to collapse.

Italy's national strike called by main union disrupts transport and school services
ABC News
A national strike called on Friday by Italy’s largest trade union in protest against the government’s budget plans widely disrupted transportation, health and school services across the country.