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.
April 10, 2026
University of Manitoba Security Services Monthly Report March 2026
University of Manitoba
Province’s first teacher misconduct commissioner resigns suddenly
Winnipeg Free Press
The head of Manitoba’s year-old teacher misconduct registry has abruptly resigned after questions were raised about her working remotely in Florida over the winter.
Small number of Manitoba school divisions granted more time to conduct teacher certification reviews
CBC
The province has granted several school divisions more time to review teacher credentials.
Professor defends course content linking race and IQ scores, cites ‘academic freedom’
CTV News
A tenured professor at the University of Winnipeg who has become the focus of a dispute over course material that draws connections between race, IQ scores, and the likelihood of committing murder insists his claims are factual and shielded by academic freedom.
University of Regina announces strategic vision for the next decade
CTV News
The University of Regina (U of R) announced its strategic vision for the next 10 years.
Halifax’s University of King’s College averts faculty strike
Global News
A faculty strike at Halifax’s University of King’s College has been averted.
Capilano University VP resigns after spotlight on education credentials
Squamish Reporter
A high-ranking official at Capilano University resigned on Tuesday, April 7, following an investigation by the Squamish Reporter into a series of changes made to his official academic biography over the years.
From lecture halls to jail cells: the rising risks of university research
The Strategist
Governments, universities and individual academics should urgently revisit export-control compliance in academia.
Public university professors in Texas say a new law restricts their academic freedom (podcast with transcript)
NPR
Public universities across Texas have instituted sweeping changes in recent months, from canceling gender studies programs to directing faculty to sign a pledge not to indoctrinate students.
Weekend students at 15 universities in England told to return loans and grants
The Guardian
More than 20,000 university students in England who received government maintenance loans and grants worth thousands of pounds have been told they will have to pay them back because their universities wrongly told them they were eligible for the money.
Canada sees modest employment growth in March, jobless rate unchanged at 6.7%
Globe and Mail
Canada’s job growth remained subdued in March while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.7 per cent from the prior month, data showed on Friday, signalling continued slack, or underutilized work force, in the labour market.
More accommodation requests being refused, federal unions say
CBC
Two federal public service unions say more and more employees are being denied requests for accommodations to work remotely, particularly for medical reasons, and are accusing the government of being unreasonable.
21 long-term care homes in Nova Scotia to go on strike on Monday: CUPE
CTV News
Twenty-one long-term care facilities in Nova Scotia are set to go on strike this Monday, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Federal workers’ medical requests to work from home are being overlooked, union says
CTV News
Federal public servants will soon be required to work in-office for a minimum of four days per week, but one federal workers’ union says requests to work from home based on medical needs are being overlooked.
Sidelined union 'whistleblowers' file urgent appeal for right to run in PSAC elections
National Post
Three sidelined executives from component units of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) have filed an urgent appeal to an Ontario court to get their union memberships reinstated before next week so that they regain their jobs and their rights to run again in union elections.
The Return of the Union: How Baristas and Warehouse Workers Rebooted the Labor Movement
ABCMoney
It’s difficult not to think about what a 24-year-old barista in Buffalo, New York changed two years before most people were paying attention when you walk into a busy Thursday morning Starbucks, the kind where the espresso machines run nonstop and the mobile order line is backed up to the door. One Starbucks location in that city had its employees vote to form a union on December 9, 2021. At the time, the company had over 9,000 stores in the US. It appears that no one at corporate headquarters has given it much thought. That was an error.
April 9, 2026
RRC Polytech to take over MITT's college programs as closure looms
CBC
Red River College Polytechnic is scheduled to absorb all college programs offered at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, which is set to close at an undetermined date.
Okanagan College Faculty Association wins grievance over layoffs
Castanet
The Okanagan College Faculty Association is celebrating a win in a labour dispute over layoffs made by the college last year.
Conestoga College catching heat over president salary amid layoffs
CityNews
Last year was rough for Conestoga College.
‘Just an absolute shame’: Saskatchewan Polytechnic faces backlash over executive compensation
CTV News
Faculty and staff at Saskatchewan Polytechnic are speaking out against a leadership crisis at the trade and technical school they say is dismantling the institution from the inside out.
TDSB to reduce teacher staffing allocation by 600 roles
Toronto Today
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is planning to shed about 607 teacher roles next fall.
Canada moves to expand work authorization for international students and graduates
CIC News
Co-op students and international student graduates will get increased work authorization, should the federal government implement its proposed changes.
‘Masquerading as a university’: inside the brazen rightwing plan to conquer American schools
The Guardian
In the fall of 2013, a silver-haired conservative radio host named Dennis Prager flew to Texas to woo a pair of rightwing billionaires. A few years earlier, Prager had co-founded a digital education non-profit, Prager University, which created snappy five-minute videos that promoted capitalism and “Judeo-Christian values”. The billionaires, fracking tycoons Dan and Farris Wilks, were big fans.
‘Excessive’ financial risks threaten survival of many English universities, report warns
The Guardian
Many English universities are taking excessive financial risks that threaten not only their own survival but that of others in the sector, a thinktank has warned.
Customs Officer Improperly Canceled Visa Of Scholar Charged With Frog Embryo Smuggling: Judge
HuffPost
A U.S. judge on Tuesday ruled that a customs officer improperly canceled the visa of a Russian-born scientist and Harvard University researcher charged with smuggling frog embryos in the U.S.
Health-care recruitment forum leads to dozens of job opportunities, but workers say barriers remain
CBC
The Manitoba government says dozens of health-care workers have already been hired at a recruitment forum in Winnipeg, but some attendees say getting into the system remains difficult.
‘Challenging time’: Nurses, health-care aides hiring forum draws on hope, experience
Winnipeg Free Press
Srishty Sharma doesn’t have a preference — north, south, east or west.
Montreal blue-collar workers’ strike: essential services deemed sufficient
CityNews
Quebec’s Administrative Labour Tribunal (TAT) has approved the list of essential services agreed upon by the employer and the union for the three-day strike planned by Montreal’s blue-collar workers in mid-April.
Government workers fighting anti-hybrid policy
Alberta Worker
Back in March 2022, the Alberta government implemented the Interim Hybrid Work Policy, which allowed certain workers employed by the Alberta Public Service to work from home up to 2 days per week, following the lifting of the public health work-from-home order early in the pandemic.
Ford and Carney governments earmark $228 million for favoured workers and industries
Fraser Institute
The Ontario and federal governments recently announced they are “investing more than $228 million to protect workers and key industries.” Which sounds very nice, until you realize this is just two governments engaging in top-down economic planning whereby they give more than $228 million of taxpayer money to government-favoured workers and industries at the expense of all others.
Inside a huge compound on Thailand-Cambodia border where 10,000 workers scammed people globally
Yahoo
I have often used the word industrial-scale in my own writing to describe the scam compounds that dot this region in Southeast Asia.
April 8, 2026
The paycheque paradox: If wages are rising, why do Canadians feel left behind?
Globe and Mail
Ask ordinary Canadians how their finances are holding up, and a familiar frustration surfaces: They feel like their incomes aren’t keeping pace with the cost of living.
EV giant BYD accused of forced labour violations at European factory
CBC
As Canada lowers its tariffs and imports more electric vehicles from China, an upcoming report from New York-based labour rights researchers is making new allegations of forced labour practices at the world's bestselling EV manufacturer, BYD.
Union claims airlines are 'flying the plane' in Ottawa's unpaid work probe
CTV News
The Canadian Union of Public Employees says the federal government’s probe into allegations of unpaid work in the airline sector is not taking workers’ arguments seriously.
Job mismatch among core working age immigrants with postsecondary education
Government of Canada
Job or skills mismatch—when a worker’s skills, experience, education, or other characteristics do not align with the tasks or requirements of their position—impacts workers, employers, and the overall economy. For workers, this can lead to underemployment, lower wages, reduced job and life satisfaction, and hindered career progression.Note 1 For employers, skills mismatches can increase turnover and elevate training costs.Note 2 On a macroeconomic level, job mismatch is also associated with lower productivity.Note 3 Immigrants are particularly vulnerable to some forms of jobs mismatch—including having to work in a job unrelated to their field of study, and overqualification—due to factors such as language barriers or difficulty transferring credentials.Note 4
Launching new training projects for people facing barriers to employment
Province of British Columbia
More people are training for in-demand jobs through new labour market training projects launched in British Columbia.
BC Ferries employees working 7 days a week to maintain vessels: union says
Global News
The president of the BC Ferry and Marine Workers Union says its workers are doing everything they can to keep ferries running.
Three-day strike by Montreal’s blue collars approved by labour tribunal
The Gazette
A three-day strike by Montreal’s blue-collar workers has been given the go-ahead by Quebec’s Tribunal administratif du travail on the condition that essential services be maintained.
Five Ways Trump’s Proposed Budget Hurts the Working Class
New Republic
President Donald Trump’s 2027 budget proposal, sent to Congress on Friday, doubles down on MAGA pet projects while taking a sledgehammer to a number of programs that help the working class. Among the casualties could be new moms trying to buy food and families with moderate incomes trying to buy homes.
British Medical Association accused of hypocrisy as its own staff strike over pay
The Guardian
The British Medical Association has been accused of the “height of hypocrisy” for offering its own staff below-inflation pay rises while demanding a 26% increase for resident doctors.
Teacher disparaged school division, staff and students online, lawsuit alleges
Winnipeg Free Press
A northern school division suing a former teacher wants a judge to order the removal of her “defamatory and injurious” comments on social media about students, staff and the division itself.
Former U of Manitoba law dean disbarred in U.K., still under Canada-wide arrest warrant
CBC
The disgraced former law school dean at Manitoba's largest university has been disbarred for a second time — this time overseas — as a Canada-wide arrest warrant remains in effect over two years after he disappeared.
Boys are ‘biggest victims’ of Quebec’s three-tiered school system, Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois says
The Gazette
Quebec’s three-tiered education system is widening the gap between boys’ and girls’ academic success, according to a new report from former Québec solidaire co-spokesperson Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
Algoma University de-registering international students behind on tuition payments
Sudbury.com
As the semester winds down, a group of international students at Algoma University won’t get to finish their studies.
Thompson Rivers University settles lawsuit filed by former associate VP
CBC
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) has announced it has settled a lawsuit filed by a former staffer who was fired after allegations of bullying and harassment.
University of Lethbridge faculty approve new contract
Alberta Worker
On 30 March 2026, the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association published an update regarding contract negotiations for their members.
Why should academic freedom protect ineffective teaching?
University Affairs
During the first semester of my undergraduate degree, I experienced the full spectrum of teaching strategies.
Strike looms for University of King’s College staff on last day of talks
CityNews
The University of King’s College Teachers Association has one more day of conciliation talks, and depending on the outcome, some campus staff members could go on strike.
US science after a year of Trump
Nature
More than 7,800 research grants terminated or frozen. Some 25,000 scientists and personnel gone from agencies that oversee research. Proposed budget cuts of 35% — amounting to US$32 billion.
The Guardian view on Cambridge’s £190m gift: billionaires won’t fix universities’ problems
The Guardian
About 2% of UK universities’ income came from donations and endowments in 2024-25 – slightly less than the previous year. At a time when charitable giving overall is down, the announcement last week of a record £190m donation to the University of Cambridge deserves to be welcomed. Higher education funding should not depend on the choices of rich individuals. But education is a social good and philanthropy has a role to play.
April 7, 2026
MITT town hall to bring ‘important updates’ Wednesday
Winnipeg Free Press
Staff at the soon-to-be-closed Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology will learn more about their future this week.
Brampton students walk out over ‘unfair’ teacher surplus notices; union says 33 of 39 PDSB high schools affected
Brampton Guardian
On Tuesday afternoon, more than 100 students at a Brampton high school walked out of class to protest some of their teachers being declared surplus.
Addressing academia’s pretendian problem
University Affairs
Near the end of a semester, Carleton University political science professor Gabriel Maracle decided to test his students’ understanding by posing an uncomfortable question: “What would you think of your experience in this class if, two weeks after it ended, you found out that I was not Indigenous, but actually Italian-American?”
Harvard Academic Workers Union Seeks 20% Raise, Expanded Benefits in New Proposal
Harvard Crimson
Harvard Academic Workers-United Auto Workers pressed the University for major wage increases and expanded benefits during a bargaining session last Tuesday, the first since the union opened a strike authorization vote after 18 months without a contract.
LAUSD teachers strike looms as labor negotiations continue
CBS News
Tens of thousands of Los Angeles teachers and staff could go on strike next week if their union cannot reach a deal with the school district by April 14.
Colleges ramp up offerings to teach students to be AI ethicists
Higher Ed Dive
There are people who fear that artificial intelligence will render human beings irrelevant in the workforce. Denise Kleinrichert is not one of those people.
Florida bill to arm some college employees draws criticism from students, faculty
WUSF
If HB 757 becomes law, public colleges and universities would be left to decide whether to opt in. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will ultimately decide whether the expansion of the guardian program reaches college campuses.
Artemis II mission signals turning point for science, diplomacy and exploration, Duke faculty say
The Chronicle
For the first time since 1972, humans are venturing beyond low Earth orbit (LEO). Duke faculty and administrators say the significance of the Artemis II — launched by NASA on April 1 with a crew of four astronauts — is difficult to overstate. The mission is a collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency and is supported by partners around the world.
‘I see it as trafficking’: the brutal reality of life as a foreign student in the UK
The Guardian
When Sam started looking into studying abroad, it didn’t take long for his phone to start ringing. At 24, he was living with his parents in a small city in the southern Indian state of Odisha and he’d been stuck in an entry-level job for four years. He hoped a master’s degree in the UK might lead to a high-flying finance job in London, or at least give him an edge when he came back home.
Rent control killing jobs: landlords
Winnipeg Free Press
Companies are laying off staff and pausing major investments ahead of changes to Manitoba’s rental market.
Air Canada workers get 21% raise in new contract
Alberta Worker
Last month, Unifor published an update regarding contract negotiations for workers employed by Air Canada.
Union readies province-wide action after Extendicare negotiations stall
CTV News
The union representing long-term care and retirement workers is getting ready for Ontario-wide action after contract negotiations with the province stalled.
Telus boosts head count but sheds Canadian jobs as it reduces staff in core business
Globe and Mail
Vancouver-based Telus Corp. grew by nearly 5,000 employees in 2025 but shed 2,800 jobs in Canada, extending a trend of telecom companies reducing head count in their core businesses in recent years.
Early retirement rush in Canada sparks fight over pension surplus and job security
BPM
Thousands of federal public servants are weighing a one-time chance to retire early without a pension penalty, as unions challenge how the federal government is using pension and workforce tools to drive job cuts.
Trump proposes to cut 9,400 TSA workers, $1.5 billion from budget
KSL.com
The White House is proposing to cut more than 9,400 workers and just over $1.5 billion from the 60,000-employee Transportation Security Administration that handles airport security operations, according to budget documents.
Wearable Tech New Frontline In Protecting Labor Rights
ForConstructionPros.com
The construction and energy industries have long grappled with a fundamental challenge: protecting workers from hazards that often remain invisible until it’s too late. Heat stress, dehydration, and fatigue don’t come with clear warning signs. Instead, they accumulate silently over eight-to-ten-hour shifts, gradually compromising judgment, slowing reaction times, and increasing the risk of serious injury or death.
‘There’s a lot of desperation’: skilled older workers turn to AI training to stay afloat
The Guardian
When Patrick Ciriello lost his job and couldn’t find work for nearly a year, his family’s foundation crumbled.
Doctors in England begin six-day strike after rejecting government's pay, workforce deal
Reuters
Resident doctors in England started a six-day walkout on Tuesday after rejecting an offer the government said would not get better, with the British Medical Association saying it failed to reverse years of pay erosion and staffing pressures.
April 6, 2026
U of M students hold rally against 4 per cent tuition increase
CityNews
Students have gathered at the University of Manitoba to rally against a four per cent tuition hike.
University of Manitoba students protest potential tuition hike as board decision looms
CBC
The University of Manitoba Students' Union held a protest Thursday, urging the school to reject a potential four per cent tuition increase expected later this month.
Srivastava appointed to board of Research Manitoba
The Brandon Sun
A Brandon University professor has been appointed to help expand research in Manitoba.
Canada’s post-secondary graduates start job hunt amid high unemployment rates
Globe and Mail
The post-graduation job hunt is beginning for hundreds of thousands of students across Canada.
Grades are failing first-year students. Let’s scrap them
Globe and Mail
As university and college exam season begins and campuses fill with tension, it is hard not to recall an earlier childhood feeling: the walk home with a report card in your backpack, the quiet calculation before you opened it, the mix of anticipation and dread. For many, it felt as though a few letters on a page defined what was possible. That reaction does not disappear at university; it intensifies.
Universities offering exam deferrals, holds on tuition as war rages on in Middle East
CTV News
Universities across Canada are offering some international students extra supports like exam deferrals and extensions on tuition as the war continues in the Middle East.
KPU president axed just months after taking job
Langley Advance Times
Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s board of governors is looking for a new president after terminating Bruce Choy for reasons they want to keep secret.
Faculty union highlights priorities ahead of bargaining period
Queen's University Journal
With a collective agreement on the horizon, the Queen’s University Faculty Association (QUFA) is preparing to negotiate.
Federal judge halts White House effort to collect university data on applicants’ race
The Guardian
A federal judge on Friday halted efforts by the Trump administration to collect data that proves higher education institutions aren’t considering race in admissions.
University of Washington professor fired from director job after sending email criticizing Iran war
The Guardian
A University of Washington professor was removed as head of the school’s Middle East Center after reportedly using newsletters from the center to criticize the US and Israel’s war on Iran and describe Zionism as “cancerous”.
Shared Health lacks data to predict future staffing needs
Winnipeg Free Press
Shared Health — which is tasked with planning future health-care staffing requirements in Manitoba— has no “responsive records” to show workforce modelling or a forecast of future staffing needs.
Music Professionals of Manitoba votes to join the Manitoba Federation of Labour
Manitoba Federation of Labour
Members of the Music Professionals of Manitoba Local 190 (MPM) have voted to affiliate to the Manitoba Federation of Labour (MFL), MPM President Charmaine Bacon and MFL President Kevin Rebeck announced today.
CURRIER: Saskatchewan budget leaves Manitoba behind
Winnipeg Sun
There was a time when Manitobans smugly declared “Well, at least we’re better off than Saskatchewan” whenever we bemoaned some difficult situation or other.
Fruit and vegetable supply dries up at some Quebec grocery stores amid ongoing Metro strike
CBC
Shoppers looking to stock up on fruits and vegetables during the long weekend might be surprised to find slim pickings in some Quebec grocery stores.
Quebec passes law forcing unions to open their books, make some dues optional
CTV News
Quebec’s bill on union governance, which establishes the concept of optional union dues among other measures, was passed Thursday by a vote of 70 in favour and 34 against.
City of Montreal will force municipal workers to be in office three days per week
CTV News
The mayor of Montreal is defending her administration’s decision to require municipal employees to work in the office three days per week just as negotiations with the workers’ union got underway.
As U.S. probes Canada over forced labour, data suggest it faces gaps of its own
Globe and Mail
With the United States government on the hunt for ways to replenish its tariff stockpile, one option under consideration is duties aimed at countries that import goods made with forced labour, particularly from China’s Xinjiang region.
NLRB Orders Amazon to Bargain Despite Company’s Objections
SHRM
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) recently ordered Amazon.com Services to bargain with Amazon Labor Union at a fulfillment center located in Staten Island, N.Y. (JFK8 Facility). An Amazon spokesperson responded that “the NLRB’s certification of the March 2022 election is wrong on the facts and the law.”
April 2, 2026
Manitoba Government Announces New Chair and Board Appointments to Research Manitoba
Province of Manitoba
The Manitoba government is appointing a new chair and confirming a series of appointments and reappointments to the Research Manitoba board of directors, as the organization continues to advance research excellence provincewide, Innovation and New Technology Minister Mike Moroz announced today.
School division turned a blind eye to disgraced coach Kelsey McKay's abuse of students: lawsuit
CBC
A former high school student suing a Winnipeg school division for negligence alleges they were sexually and psychologically abused for years by a former teacher and coach who is now a convicted sex offender, and that the division turned a blind eye to the abuse.
Introducing the 2026 Maclean’s Ultimate Guide to Canadian Universities
Maclean's
At this time of year, Grade 12 students are receiving offers from university programs and deciding where they want to study in the fall. Meanwhile, students in Grade 11 are trying to get top marks so next year their applications will be successful. Here’s the good news for stressed-out students (and parents): Canada has a wide assortment of high-quality, publicly funded universities.
B.C. student achievement declined more sharply than any other province from 2018-2022 following curriculum changes
Fraser Institute
In 2015, BC adopted a concept-driven education curriculum, moving away from one based on specific learning outcomes. The earlier government-mandated approach had clear expectations and focused on accountability for student achievement.
Southern Alberta post-secondaries joining forces to strengthen education, opportunities
CTV News
A new partnership between four southern Alberta post-secondary institutions is aiming to create a shared vision for the future of higher education, while expanding opportunities for students.
Nipissing University president’s $83K raise draws concern amid cuts, uncertainty
North Bay Nugget
At a time when Nipissing University is battening down the financial hatches, the president received an $83,314 yearly raise.
On schedule: provincial minimum wage to rise to $16.40/hr in October
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba’s minimum wage is set to rise 40 cents in October, leaving labour and business advocates split on the benefit of continuing to tie the baseline to the rate of inflation as the cost of living grows.
Advocates say rising minimum wages still fall short across Canada
Global News
With the fiscal year ending, Atlantic provinces and federally-regulated employers will be implementing new minimum wages. Meanwhile, most other provinces across Canada are preparing for their annual increases.
Siloam CEO orders staff to go ‘media silent’
Winnipeg Free Press
Siloam Mission management has directed staff to be “media silent” and has blocked access to shelter events — including its annual Easter meal — amid internal tension over the appointment of its new CEO.
For every 100 nurses hired, Manitoba lost 57, provincial data shows
CBC
Turnover is erasing more than half of the nurse hiring gains Manitoba is making, a provincial document shows.
Cost of hiring U.S. firm for Manitoba doctor hunt is 'minimal': health minister
CTV News
The Manitoba government is paying a U.S. firm to find emergency room physicians south of the border for temporary posts, largely in rural and northern communities.
FFAW says no snow crab will be processed until 'fair' price is agreed to
CBC
The union representing fishery workers in Newfoundland and Labrador says there will be no snow crab processed in the province until they get a deal for a "fair" price.
B.C.’s move away from self-regulation for health professionals was overdue, expert says
Globe and Mail
The expert whose 2018 report on B.C.’s dental college sparked a sweeping overhaul of health professional oversight in the province says the move away from self-regulation is overdue and reflects the need to strengthen public accountability.
Worker’s illness tied to asbestos exposure raises alarm at Montreal federal offices
The Gazette
There are “serious concerns” about safety at the Guy-Favreau Complex, a major federal office building in Montreal, after a worker fell ill in a case linked to asbestos exposure, according to a union representing government lawyers.
Quebec trade unions say they are ready to take a hard look at themselves
CTV News
Quebec’s major trade unions say they are ready to take a hard look at themselves, leaving no stone unturned to reconnect with their members and better explain their role in society.
Roxanne Brown on power, solidarity and a new era for women in the labour movement
IndustriALL
One month into her historic presidency of the United Steelworkers, Roxanne Brown spoke to IndustriALL at the USW International Women’s Conference in Toronto. What she had to say was a message not just for the sisters in the room, but for the global movement.
Japan takes action to support new law against harassment by customers
UNI Global Union
The Japanese government has released guidelines to help employers prevent and respond to customer harassment, supporting a new law due to come into force in October. The legislation was achieved after nearly a decade of sustained campaigning led by UNI Global Union affiliate UA Zensen, the country’s largest retail and service union.
