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.
August 8, 2025
McGill unions say university is attacking free speech
CityNews
Four McGill University unions say the institution is violating freedom of expression by threatening to withhold funding from a student organization because of its support for a pro-Palestinian group.
Dalhousie University, union say labour disruption possible as negotiations continue
CTV News
The Dalhousie Faculty Association is continuing its negotiations with the board of governors next week following a two-week break as its president says university classes could be interrupted if a deal isn’t reached.
Opinion: A stronger Canada needs a healthy post-secondary sector
Vancouver Sun
The newly elected federal Liberal government has no shortage of ambition, outlining the ingredients for a robust economic transformation, with investments in artificial intelligence (AI), national defence and housing. In this vision, Canada will become an energy superpower, and by removing internal trade barriers, a robust single economy less reliant on trade with a fickle southern neighbour.
Statement in Solidarity with Palestine
URFA
As a union concerned with upholding human rights and academic freedom, the University of Regina Faculty Association (URFA) affirms our solidarity with the Palestinian people — scholars, workers, students, and all those enduring the violent suppression of their right to life, safety, education, and self-determination.
US universities’ settlements with Trump ‘will only fuel his authoritarian appetite’
The Guardian
With the Trump administration’s campaign to reshape US higher education in full swing, some top universities have agreed to pay hundreds of millions of dollars to settle antisemitism claims; others may soon spend more and submit to major restrictions on their autonomy to avoid billions in funding cuts and other crippling measures.
Stanford Newspaper Challenges Legal Basis for Student Deportations
New York Times
A new lawsuit filed on Wednesday by a free speech watchdog takes aim at the key legal foundations that the Trump administration has relied on to arrest and attempt to deport foreign students over their criticism of the Israeli government.
Trump to require universities to hand over admissions data on race
MSNBC
President Donald Trump is expected to sign a directive on Thursday mandating that universities provide admissions data to prove that they are not implementing affirmative action policies, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on X.
Breaking down how a massive U.S. funding cut could impact future mRNA vaccines
CBC
The Trump administration says it is pulling half a billion dollars from U.S. government-funded research projects to create new mRNA vaccines.
University of Sydney removes Palestinian flag from academic’s window after accusing him of breaching policy
The Guardian
The University of Sydney has removed a Palestinian flag hanging outside an academic’s office after accusing him of breaching its new flag policy.
Wildfire smoke is an indoor problem, too
Winnipeg Free Press
Zoe Pierce’s recent article (An unavoidable future, July 31) rightly highlights how worsening air quality from this summer’s wildfire season is affecting outdoor athletes in Manitoba. But the conversation can’t stop there. While it’s important to protect players running drills on smoky fields, we need to talk about the rest of us, quietly breathing in the same polluted air, hour after hour.
Workload deluge causing spike in prosecutions being tackled by defence lawyers: Manitoba Crown attorney union
CBC
The number of cases where defence lawyers are being asked to prosecute alleged crimes is on the rise, and the union for Manitoba's Crown attorneys argues the government is trying to hide the fact there are not enough prosecutors to handle workload demands.
Canada's economy shed over 40,000 jobs in July, partly offsetting earlier growth
CBC
The Canadian economy lost more than 40,000 jobs in July, sinking the share of people employed to an eight-month low, Statistics Canada reported on Friday, as the labour market gave back substantial gains seen in June.
WorkSafeBC data shows 'concerning' rate of injury among hospital security guards
CBC
It's been nearly two years since the province created a new class of hospital security guard, relational security officers or RSOs, in response to high-profile assaults against nurses and health care staff.
'The members have spoken,' says Hajdu on workers rejecting Canada Post deal
TBnewswatch.com
As the postal workers' union prepares to go back to the bargaining table, MP Patty Hajdu, minister of jobs and families, says “the members have spoken.”
P.E.I. capital hires private crews as striking city workers demand higher wages
CTV News
Contracted crews from private companies are keeping Charlottetown’s pipes flowing while the city’s own sewer and water workers are on strike.
2nd union declares impasse with B.C. government, plans strike vote
Victoria News
The union representing professionals who work for the B.C. government is declaring an impasse in collective bargaining negotiations and plans to hold a strike vote.
Everyone Hates Airlines, Especially the Workers Set to Strike
Jacobin
More than ten thousand Air Canada flight attendants could soon be on strike if a deal isn’t reached by August 16.
How today’s surprisingly weak jobs report has shifted market and economist views for future BoC rate cuts
Globe and Mail
Money markets are pricing in modestly higher odds that the Bank of Canada will cut interest rates at its upcoming policy meetings this year following surprisingly weak Canadian employment data this morning.
Trump Administration Begins to Strip Federal Workers of Union Protections
The New York Times
The Trump administration has moved forward with a plan to end collective bargaining with federal unions across a swath of government agencies, even after arguing in federal court that it would not do so until a legal battle over an order President Trump signed was over.
August 7, 2025
Unions, advocacy groups decry health-care ‘blame game
Winnipeg Free Press
Organizations representing health-care workers and Manitoba patients say they’re fed up with the NDP government “playing the blame game” nearly two years into its mandate.
Workload deluge causing spike in prosecutions being tackled by defence lawyers: Manitoba Crown attorney union
Winnipeg Free Press
The number of cases where defence lawyers are being asked to prosecute alleged crimes is on the rise and the union for Manitoba's Crown attorneys argues the government is trying to hide the fact there's not enough prosecutors to handle workload demands.
Air Inuit pilots union warns of service impacts if negotiations drag on
Nunatsiaq News
After 18 months of negotiating a new contract, a spokesperson for Air Inuit’s unionized pilots says there’s no sign a settlement will be reached soon and warns airline service could be affected.
Ontario labour group urges more worker protections amid rising air quality concerns
Globe and Mail
An Ontario labour group says it is advocating for more robust worker protections amid growing health concerns over poor air quality as wildfire smoke blankets the province with increasing frequency.
More funding to train new nurses in Ontario
Your Thunder Bay
The provincial government is aiming to have an additional 2,200 new nurses working in the healthcare system by 2029.
Amazon's bid to overturn B.C. labour ruling granting unionization to its workers rejected
CBC
British Columbia's Labour Relations Board has rejected a bid by e-commerce giant Amazon to overturn an earlier decision that awarded union certification to workers at a facility in Delta, B.C.
Rio Tinto moves to slash sick leave from 45 to 12 days for Pilbara workers
MSN
Rio Tinto says a move to slash annual sick leave by 73 per cent for tens of thousands of workers in Western Australia's Pilbara mines has been driven by a staff survey.
From Bibles to prayer groups: What Trump's new religion memo for federal workers means
USA Today
President Donald Trump is again making sure his supporters know he is doing his part to bring ”religion back to our country.”
Child and youth care specialists can make schools safer, association says
Winnipeg Free Press
The Child and Youth Care Workers’ Association of Manitoba is calling on public schools to hire more of its members to prevent student outbursts and related staff injuries.
1K Dalhousie faculty members could be locked out by next week
101.5 The Hawk
More than 1,000 faculty members at the largest university in Nova Scotia could be locked out or in legal strike position by next week.
Stanford University lays off over 360 employees, citing Trump policies
Reuters
Stanford University said on Tuesday it has laid off over 360 employees, citing budget constraints that it attributed to the federal funding policies of U.S. President Donald Trump.
How Columbia’s Leadership Refashioned the University in Trump’s Image
The Intercept
Shortly after Columbia University made broad concessions to the Trump administration, the school’s acting president Claire Shipman struck a triumphant tone.
August 6, 2025
Taking on tomorrow’s taters: U of M research chair’s focus is on sustainable spuds
Winnipeg Free Press
The University of Manitoba has created a special research position dedicated to sustainable spuds.
University to transform empty offices into urban-school offshoot
Globe and Mail
The University of Calgary is moving its School of Architecture, Planning and Landscape into a downtown building from a suburban campus, thanks to an innovative city program targeted at finding new uses for excess vacant office space.
Judge dismisses students’ union injunction application against University of Regina
CTV News
A judge has dismissed an injunction application filed by the University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU) against the University of Regina (U of R).
‘It’s time for a change’: Conestoga College union heads react to surplus, job cuts
CityNews
Conestoga College continues to face backlash after reporting a more-than $121 million surplus in its annual financial report while continuing to cut jobs and programs.
Trump Keeps Trying to Axe Education. Democratic Attorneys General Won’t Let Him
Time
In a disheartening blow that undermines the right of every child to receive a quality public education, the Supreme Court issued a ruling a few weeks ago allowing President Donald Trump to proceed with his plan to dismantle the Department of Education by laying off nearly half of its workforce.
Historic strike chaos engulfs Queensland as teachers walk off the job in all of its state schools for first time in 16 years
SkyNews
Thousands of Queensland teachers have walked out of their classrooms to strike for the first time in 16 years, claiming the Crisafulli government has failed to tackle staff shortages and their lagging level of pay.
Afghan women turn to online courses as the Taliban bans education
ABC News
One after the other, the opportunities vanished. Like so many other Afghan women, Sodaba could do little but watch as her country’s new Taliban government imposed a stranglehold on women’s lives.
Nurses could declare HSC ‘grey’ area
Winnipeg Free Press
Nurses will vote this week on whether to discourage their colleagues from taking jobs at Health Sciences Centre after a string of sexual assaults in and around the hospital last month highlighted ongoing safety concerns.
Air Canada flight attendants vote to approve strike mandate
Globe and Mail
Air Canada flight attendants have voted 99.7 per cent in favour of strike action if necessary, their union said on Tuesday, in a move that could allow them to walk off the job as early as this month.
How Three Simple Labor Laws Helped Unions Organize Amazon and UBER in Canada
onlabor
In early July, the British Columbia Labour Relations Board (BCLRB) certified UFCW-Canada as the bargaining representative for over 500 UBER drivers in the province’s capital city of Victoria. A few days later, the BCLRB issued another decision that certified the union Unifor (formerly the Canadian Auto Workers) for a bargaining unit of hundreds of employees employed at an Amazon distribution centre in suburban Vancouver. These victories are noteworthy not only because of the anti-union corporations involved, but also because the unions were aided by several simple legal rules found in the B.C. Labour Relations Code. (In Canada, labor relations falls primarily within provincial rather than federal jurisdiction.)
Canadian job vacancies fell to a near 8-year low amid hiring freezes
Global News
The Canadian job market showed more signs that it may be cooling off as companies slow or freeze hiring plans, with Statistics Canada reporting that job vacancies are at the lowest point in almost eight years.
U.S. job growth slows more than expected as unemployment rate rises to 4.2%
Globe and Mail
U.S. employment growth was weaker than expected in July while the nonfarm payrolls count for the prior two months was revised down by a massive 258,000 jobs, suggesting a sharp deterioration in labour market conditions that puts a September interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve back on the table.
A Look At The Cost-Of-Living Crisis For Hourly Workers
Forbes
In 2025, a seemingly straightforward question—"Why aren't people taking available hourly jobs?"—has a surprisingly complex answer. For many, the cost of living has simply outpaced the wages offered. It's a matter of economic reality, where staying home or relying on assistance programs can sometimes offer more financial stability than a full-time job.
Unemployment among Black Americans can be an early sign of economic strain. It’s rising
USA Today
While economists have viewed the U.S. labor market as resilient in recent months, some warn that cracks have started to emerge – including among the country's Black workforce.
August 5, 2025
The politics and process of grade inflation
Winnipeg Free Press
For 60 years as an educator in both schools and universities, I have listened to “University … instructors are warning there’s a high level of unpreparedness among first year students …” (Not making the grades, July 25, Free Press).
U of M course on side gigs expands students’ financial potential
Winnipeg Free Press
The University of Manitoba’s new side hustle course is equipping participants with skills to sell out farmers market stands and pay off their student debt via other business ventures.
Bill 89 faces constitutional challenge from McGill law professors, unions
CTV News
A group of McGill University law professors has joined a legal challenge to Bill 89, which expands the powers of Quebec’s labour minister to intervene in strikes.
Canadian teachers yearn for guidance, instruction as AI infiltrates classrooms
CBC
Even during the summer break, Ontario high school teachers Jamie Mitchell and Tamara Phillips know that many conversations they'll be having with their colleagues come fall will focus on the use of artificial intelligence in the classroom.
The Columbia deal with Trump is a blueprint. All of higher ed should fear what comes next.
Vox
One by one, elite universities are signing away some of their autonomy to the Trump administration after it has accused them of civil rights violations and withheld federal funding.
Columbia Sportswear sues Columbia University for trademark infringement
The Guardian
Outerwear retailer Columbia Sportswear has sued Columbia University over alleged trademark infringement and a breach of contract, saying that the university’s merchandise looks too similar to its own offerings and can confuse shoppers.
Harvard President Garber Tells Faculty He Is Not Considering a $500 Million Deal With Trump
The Harvard Crimson
Harvard President Alan M. Garber ’76 has told faculty that a deal with the Trump administration is not imminent and denied that the University is considering a $500 million settlement, according to three faculty members familiar with the matter.
UK academics studying topics sensitive to China face harassment, survey finds
The Guardian
Academics and students of Chinese studies in Britain are being subject to harassment, surveillance and pressure to self-censor as they seek to avoid disruption to funding, a survey of universities by a transparency group has concluded.
Chinese university students told to spy on classmates, report says
BBC
Chinese students at UK universities are being pressured to spy on their classmates in an attempt to suppress the discussion of issues that are sensitive to the Chinese government, a new report suggests.
REJECTED! CUPW MEMBERS SAY NO TO CANADA POST’S FORCED VOTE
CUPW
After almost two weeks of voting, the results are now in: CUPW members in both bargaining units have spoken, and they have rejected Canada Post’s global offers.
Canada Post workers reject ‘final’ contract offers after vote
Global News
Canada Post workers on Friday rejected the Crown corporation’s latest contract offers after a two-week vote put directly to union members, further delaying a resolution to the longstanding labour dispute.
After unionized Canada Post workers reject ‘final offers,’ what happens next?
Winnipeg Free Press
Labour experts say another postal service strike is unlikely after unionized Canada Post workers rejected their employer’s latest round of offers in a forced vote and the parties mull their next steps.
Why employers’ back-to-office mandates may backfire
CHEK News
Several major Canadian employers are pushing for workers to spend more time working in-office this summer, despite evidence hybrid work can boost productivity.
Air Canada flight attendants enter final day of strike mandate vote
Globe and Mail
Air Canada flight attendants are entering the final day of voting on whether to give a strike mandate to their union.
How Can Canada Better Support Working Parents?
The Tyee
Every day, just after 2 p.m., either Rob Trendiak or his wife Eliza leaves their work to retrieve their two kids from daycare. The rest of their day is spent cooking dinner, mediating between siblings and putting the kids to bed — often all before picking up where they left off at work.
Is “Salting” the Future of Organized Labor?
In These Times
After getting a job as a barista at the Elmwood Starbucks in Buffalo, New York, Jaz Brisack became a founding member of Starbucks Workers United and helped organize the first unionized Starbucks in the U.S. in December of 2021. In their new book, Get on the Job and Organize, Brisack details the hard-won lessons they and their coworkers have learned from building one of the most significant and paradigm-shifting worker organizing campaigns in modern history. In this extended episode of Working People, The Real News Network Editor-in-Chief Maximillian speaks with Brisack about their book, the facts and fictions characterizing today’s “new labor movement,” and why union organizing is essential for saving democracy and the world.
All major Las Vegas Strip casinos are now unionized in historic labor victory
ABC News
When Susana Pacheco accepted a housekeeping job at a casino on the Las Vegas Strip 16 years ago, she believed it was a step toward stability for her and her 2-year-old daughter.
Appeals Court Allows Trump Order That Ends Union Protections for Federal Workers
The New York Times
A federal appeals court on Friday allowed President Trump to move forward with an order instructing a broad swath of government agencies to end collective bargaining with federal unions.
Over 3,000 Boeing fighter jet workers go on strike after rejecting contract offer
Reuters
More than 3,200 union members who assemble Boeing's (BA.N) fighter jets in the St. Louis area and Illinois went on strike on Monday after rejecting a second contract offer the previous day.
