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 21, 2025
Trustees criticized for missing school board meetings
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba’s education minister is being urged to look into spotty attendance records among school trustees in southeast Winnipeg.
Faculty, community raise questions about Algoma University suspending programs, including music
CBC
The Algoma University Faculty Association is raising questions and concerns about the suspension of admissions to five programs, particularly the music program which it said was popular and performing well.
Faculty claim U of A is bargaining in bad faith
Alberta Worker
Earlier this month, the Association of Academic Staff University of Alberta filed a bad faith bargaining complaint against the University of Alberta.
Opinion: U of A puts up barriers to access by cutting child care
Edmonton Journal
Despite their stated dedication to community, access and belonging, the University of Alberta (U of A) will be ending funding support for all affiliated child-care centres in January 2026. Right now, funding for child care costs the university $298,600 per year or 0.02 per cent of the total expenses in 2024 — a small fraction of funds that make a huge difference in the community. The withdrawal of this support will increase uncertainty for families, reduce access to care, and harm the university’s relationship with the community.
No bomb found after threats against Saint Mary’s, Dalhousie
CityNews
There was no evidence of a bomb after threats were reportedly made against multiple Halifax universities on Tuesday, according to regional police.
Peter MacKinnon: Dissenting UBC professors offer hope for ending university politicization
National Post
On April 7, four professors at the University of British Columbia filed a petition in the B.C. Supreme Court seeking a determination that the university has become politicized and is in violation of Section 66(1) of the province’s University Act requiring it to be non-political. This petition, co-signed by a former graduate student, brings to mind the University of Chicago’s 1967 Kalven Report, which insisted that universities must remain neutral on political issues. This neutrality “arises out of respect for free inquiry and the obligation to cherish a variety of viewpoints. And this neutrality as an institution has its complement in the fullest freedom for its faculty and students as individuals to participate in political action and social protest. It provides its complement, too, in the obligation of the university to provide a forum for the most searching and candid discussion of public issues.”
Workers at Métis, Michif child and family services agencies now have wage parity agreement: Union
CBC
Workers at Métis Child, Family and Community Services and Michif Child and Family Services reached an arbitration agreement for wage parity between the two child welfare agencies, the union representing them said Tuesday.
Canada Post is in trouble. Here are the facts
CBC
Canada Post employees will be in a strike position on Friday, threatening to suspend its mail and parcel delivery across the country. The Canadian Union of Postal Workers, which represents 55,000 of the service's employees, says if there is no progress on a new collective agreement, its members will walk off the job.
How a Union at a Kamloops A&W Beat the Odds
The Tyee
After 18 months of effort, 20 workers at a Kamloops A&W have their first collective agreement.
Work overload is destroying the physical and mental health of workers (audio)
Rabble
The Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL) wants the province’s Workers’ Compensation Board to improve its practices before more people suffer. An interview with MFL president Kevin Rebeck. The LabourStart Report about union events. And singing: “We Just Come to Work Here, We Don’t Come to Die.”
Calgary nurses file to unionize
Alberta Worker
Last week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their first new applications report for May 2025. In it was a new application for union certification.
Union head says new government needs to regain trust after questionable decisions by Trudeau administration
CTV News
The head of one of Canada’s largest federal unions says the federal government needs to focus on repairing the relationship between public servants and management.
Howard Levitt: Why Ottawa should stop interfering and let Canada Post and the union duke it out
Financial Post
Horse and buggy. The yellow pages. DVD rentals. What do these have in common? They are all industries that were supplanted by new technology and changing norms.
May 20, 2025
Manitoba Government Introduces New Math Curriculum to Improve Student Scores and Support Financial Literacy
Province of Manitoba
The Manitoba government is introducing a new compulsory math curriculum for Grade 9 students that will include financial literacy to help improve math scores and better prepare students for advanced courses and adulthood, Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt announced today.
Financial literacy part of new Manitoba math curriculum aimed at preparing students for adulthood
CBC
Manitoba is adding a new compulsory math curriculum in the hope it will mean better grades, and factor into students being better prepared for both advanced courses and adulthood.
Western University hits brakes on downtown campus amid cost concerns
London Free Press
Western University is hitting pause on plans to invest in downtown London, citing the high cost of renovating former office space.
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology pausing 18 programs amid financial pressures
CBC
Eighteen programs at Northern Alberta Institute of Technology are on the chopping block, amid rising cost pressures and declining international student enrolment.
1 year on, McMaster says it's completed nearly all commitments made after pro-Palestinian encampment
CBC
Around $200,000 is now available for Palestinian scholars and students at McMaster University — one of the nine commitments the university made last year following a month-long Palestinian solidarity encampment set up on campus.
Faculty claim U of A is bargaining in bad faith
Alberta Worker
Earlier this month, the Association of Academic Staff University of Alberta filed a bad faith bargaining complaint against the University of Alberta.
McGill University cuts 60 positions in response to Quebec tuition policies
Globe and Mail
McGill University has announced it recently laid off 60 people as it grapples with the financial fallout of government policies that it says could threaten its academic mission.
Post-secondary sector says budget measures won't avert crisis in northern colleges and universities
CBC
We need elbows up, but also heads up, says the president of the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Employees in response to measures announced in Ontario's budget last week.
US terminates $60 million in Harvard grants over alleged antisemitism
Reuters
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said on Monday that it was terminating $60 million in federal grants to Harvard University saying the Ivy League institution failed to address antisemitic harassment and ethnic discrimination on campus.
Canada Post workers issue strike notice, poised to hit picket lines Friday
Winnipeg Free Press
Canada Post received a strike notice Monday from the union representing more than 55,000 postal workers, with operations poised to shut down by the end of the week — for the second time in six months.
Canada Post report puts union in tight spot, experts say
Toronto Sun
A consequential report on Canada Post largely backs the Crown corporation’s story about its flagging business, experts say, and bodes poorly for the union attempting to negotiate a better deal for the postal service’s workers.
The summer job market is getting trounced
Globe and Mail
Young Canadians have suffered the most in a weakening labour market – and the outlook doesn’t look great, either.
Is AI helping workers and improving productivity or just creating more work?
Globe and Mail
Do a simple internet search and you will find dozens of articles touting how artificial intelligence will allow employees to work faster and be more productive: “AI could save workers 12 hours per week,” “5 ways to turn AI’s time-saving magic into your productivity superpower,” “Amazon’s CEO says its AI tool has saved a crazy amount of time,” and so on.
Reviewing The State Of The Labour Market – April 2025
The Maple
According to Statistics Canada’s latest Labour Force Survey (LFS), unemployment ratcheted up to 6.9 per cent last month, matching a pre-pandemic high. Joblessness has returned to its level in November 2024, which was the highest since January 2017 (excluding the lockdown portions of the pandemic).
Tens of thousands of federal public service jobs should be eliminated, think tank says
National Post
Prime Minister Mark Carney should “take a page from the Chrétien government’s 1994 program review” and cut tens of thousands of bureaucrat jobs, argued the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI) in a new paper published on Thursday.
Appeals court allows Trump’s anti-union order to take effect
ABC
An appeals court has cleared the way for President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at ending collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees while a lawsuit plays out.
May 16, 2025
No valedictory speech at U of M medical school convocation after 2024 controversy
Winnipeg Free Press
The 101 students who officially became doctors Thursday morning at the University of Manitoba’s medical school convocation celebrated their accomplishment by tossing their graduation caps in the air and posed for photos with friends and family in much the same way as classes have done forever.
Principals reflect on trauma, wellness at city conference
Winnipeg Free Press
Principals confided in each other about crises that have traumatized their school communities and what they did — and, in retrospect, would have done differently — at a gathering in downtown Winnipeg Thursday.
Assiniboine College getting $120M to expand ag school, help fill jobs in 'backbone' of Manitoba economy: Kinew
CBC
Assiniboine College in Brandon, Man., is getting a $120-million boost from the province to expand its agricultural school and get its long-planned Prairie Innovation Centre for Sustainable Agriculture built — a project Premier Wab Kinew says is critical to filling labour gaps in one of Manitoba's key economic sectors.
U of T faculty vote to pressure pension to divest from companies linked to Israel’s war in Gaza
Globe and Mail
Faculty at the University of Toronto have voted to put pressure on their pension plan to divest from companies connected to Israel’s war in Gaza and other conflicts, a move opponents view as divisive.
Opinion: Canadian democracy needs universities — now more than ever
Edmonton Journal
What happens to democracy when universities come under attack? If recent events in both the United States and Canada are any indication, we’re about to find out — and the answer should concern all of us.
No solution in sight for N.S. workers owed thousands of dollars by former employer
CBC
Two Halifax-area workers still haven't seen the thousands of dollars in unpaid wages and other pay they're owed by their former employer, despite rulings in their favour from the provincial body that handles these issues.
Conservative MP says Carney should appoint a labour minister and pay more than 'lip service' to workers
National Post
A Conservative MP is calling on the federal government to dedicate a full cabinet position to the issue of labour, saying Prime Minister Mark Carney must pay more than “lip service” to workers in his region affected by General Motors’ planned shift cuts.
Canada hasn’t done enough to stop exploitation of foreign workers: Amnesty
CityNews
A representative for Amnesty International Canada says the country isn’t doing enough to stop the exploitation of temporary foreign workers brought in on visas that keep them tied to one employer.
Trump’s battle with elite universities overlooks where most students actually go to college
The Conversation
Headlines often mention the ongoing power struggle between President Donald Trump’s administration and private colleges such as Columbia University and Harvard University.
Trump can’t strip Foreign Service workers of their collective bargaining rights, judge says
CityNews
A federal judge agreed Wednesday to temporarily block the Trump administration from stripping Foreign Service employees of their collective bargaining rights.
Engineers go on strike at NJ Transit, halting the nation’s third-largest commuter line
CNN
Engineers at New Jersey Transit went on strike early Friday, bringing trains on the nation’s third-largest commuter rail service to a halt.
May 15, 2025
U of W employee calls for investigation into university’s leadership under whistleblower law
Winnipeg Free Press
A University of Winnipeg employee has filed a whistleblower report that calls for a probe into overall operations at the post-secondary institution amid mounting concerns about its leadership.
School ponders renaming
Winnipeg Free Press
A deep dive into a city high school’s history reveals it was named after a Catholic archbishop who endorsed residential schools. Now, staff members want a rewrite.
Why AI will be central to new Carleton University nursing school
Ottawa Citizen
When Carleton University opens its brand new school of nursing in September, students will have the option of learning coding and the ethical principles of artificial intelligence, along with more traditional coursework.
Is it OK for AI to write science papers? Nature survey shows researchers are split
Nature
How much is the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution altering the process of communicating science? With generative AI tools such as ChatGPT improving so rapidly, attitudes about using them to write research papers are also evolving. The number of papers with signs of AI use is rising rapidly (D. Kobak et al. Preprint at arXiv https://doi.org/pkhp; 2024), raising questions around plagiarism and other ethical concerns.
Indiana University a top 10 offender for punishing, investigating speech, report says
The Herald Times
Indiana University has received an undesirable top 10 title. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) says IU is the 10th worst offender for punishing free speech, behind institutions like Harvard, Columbia and Stanford.
More than 1,000 US students punished over speech since 2020, report finds
The Guardian
Parker Hovis was four courses away from getting his computer science degree from the University of Florida when he was arrested along with several other students at a pro-Palestine protest on campus last spring. While the charges against him were dismissed and a school conduct committee recommended only minor punishment – a form of probation – the university administration suspended him for three years. He’ll be required to reapply if he wants to come back after that.
UCLA Is Now Nearly Unrecognizable as a University
The Nation
On the evening of April 30, dozens of police officers raided an outdoor film screening on the UCLA campus. Wearing riot gear and holding projectile weapons, they stormed into an enclosed plaza circled by dormitories. As a helicopter hovered overhead, two officers rode motorcycles into this pedestrian-only area filled with students who scattered, panicked. For their trouble, the police confiscated a screen that was literally a sheet strung between two poles.
Canada Post hits pause on negotiations with union as May deadline nears
CTV News
Workers at Canada Post could be heading back to the picket lines in a matter of days — but a labour expert warns postal workers might find negotiating conditions far less favourable now than they were during their holiday job action.
Air Canada flight attendant union forced to file for conciliation in fight for fairness
CUPE
The Air Canada Component of CUPE, the union representing 10,000 flight attendants at Air Canada and Air Canada Rouge, has filed for conciliation with the federal minister of labour, citing an impasse with the airline.
Trump pick for workplace safety agency sparks fears heat protections will be derailed
The Guardian
As the US prepares for what could be another record-breaking hot summer, Donald Trump and his pick to lead the nation’s workplace safety agency are expected to derail the creation of the nation’s first-ever federal labor protections from extreme heat.
More than 1,000 Starbucks baristas go on strike to protest new dress code
AP
More than 1,000 Starbucks baristas at 75 U.S. stores have gone on strike since Sunday to protest a new company dress code, a union representing the coffee giant’s workers said Wednesday.
Nearly 3,000 Minneapolis-area grocery store workers threaten to strike
Fox9
The union that represents nearly 3,000 grocery store workers in the Twin Cities metro on Tuesday threatened to go on strike over wages, benefits and other concerns.
Thousands of workers preparing to go on strike in South Africa
Business Tech
The biggest labour union at South Africa’s state-owned port and rail company are starting final talks with a third-party arbitrator to resolve a wage dispute and stave off a potential strike by thousands of workers.
May 14, 2025
Empty promises
CBC
Rozana Solita was only a week into her new job at a B.C. immigrant recruitment company when she started seeing red flags.
Alberta public-sector workers poised to strike after resounding vote
Globe and Mail
Thousands of public-sector employees represented by Alberta’s largest union could soon walk off the job after they voted overwhelmingly to strike.
Public Service Unions Question Carney Government’s Plans for ‘AI’ and Hiring Caps on Federal Workforce
Press Progress
Canada’s public service unions are raising alarms over Prime Minister Mark Carney’s plans to cap the size of the public service and “make government more efficient” through artificial intelligence.
Carney’s new cabinet treats workers as an afterthought
CUPE
CUPE is sending congratulations to the ministers and secretaries of state who were sworn into cabinet today. CUPE looks forward to working with the Prime Minister and his team.
Canada Post and DHL Express employees could both go on strike soon — here’s what to know about key dates
InsideHalton.com
Ontario residents could face challenges shipping and receiving letters and parcels due to potential strike actions by Canada Post and DHL Express Canada employees.
Pratt & Whitney strike enters day 10 as workers face possible loss of health benefits
WFSB
An ongoing strike by thousands of Pratt & Whitney machinists reached its tenth day on Wednesday with no resolution in sight.
Pressure grows on Fifa as reports warn of serious risk to workers amid Saudi World Cup building boom
The Guardian
Thousands of migrant workers are likely to die in Saudi Arabia as a result of a building boom fuelled by the 2034 Men’s World Cup and other major construction projects, human rights groups have warned.
Workers strike in protest against job cuts at Ford Germany
Reuters
Workers at Ford's (F.N) two car plants in the German city of Cologne went on strike on Wednesday, protesting thousands of planned job cuts across the U.S. automaker's European operations.
IU Bloomington Asked Faculty Taking Buyouts to Sign NDAs
Inside Higher Ed
Indiana University at Bloomington has—like many other employers seeking to shed employees—recently offered incentives for faculty to retire. It began a voluntary retirement program in the fall, a university spokesperson said.
Harvard says government has ‘blacklisted’ university from grants, with new details on cuts in lawsuit filing
CNN
The Trump administration has effectively “blacklisted” Harvard University from getting federal funding as part of its ongoing battle over discrimination and ideology, the university says in a new court filing.
Stanford students launch hunger strike, demand divestment over Gaza war
Silicon Valley News
Stanford University students and faculty launched a hunger strike Monday, joining a broader statewide movement calling for universities to divest from companies with ties to Israel in protest of the ongoing war in Gaza.
