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.
January 8, 2026
‘Our language is alive’: U of W launches Anishinaabemowin degree program
Winnipeg Free Press
Banaise-Kwe Henry is battling homesickness so she can return to the southern shores of Lake Huron to help raise her nephew and his peers in Anishinaabemowin.
Hebrew immersion elementary school on guard after antisemitic vandalism at synagogue, high school
Winnipeg Free Press
An elementary school in River Heights that offers the province’s only Hebrew immersion program is assuring families that it is following security protocols in the wake of recent hate-fuelled vandalism incidents in order to keep students and staff safe.
Work on safety improvements started before provincially ordered review, school divisions say
CBC
The superintendent of a Manitoba school division where a student was attacked with a sword last year said several steps had already been taken to improve safety before the province ordered all divisions to review their safety plans.
Thousands of Quebec children with disabilities kept out of school due to lack of resources
CBC
While kids across Quebec return to school after the holidays, nine-year-old Ellie isn’t among them.
Universities slash 9,000+ positions in 2025 as Trump targets federal funding and foreign students: report
Yahoo
A new report from Inside Higher Education says the university system is bleeding jobs.
Gov. Gavin Newsom to propose moving Department of Education to executive branch
The Sacramento Bee
Gov. Gavin Newsom is proposing to move the state Department of Education to the control of the executive branch as part of his spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year.
5 student unions at Chinese University of Hong Kong disband within a year
South China Morning Post
Five student unions among nine colleges at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have been dissolved in the space of a year, with their leaders attributing the closures to the institution’s requirement that they register as legal societies with police.
Video game giant Ubisoft closes Halifax studio, cutting 71 jobs
CBC
Software company Ubisoft has closed its Halifax studio, putting 71 staff members out of work.
A rare conviction shows how inadequately Canada enforces worker safety
Rabble
Jeffrey Caron was 28 on that October day in 2012 when he went to work at a trench excavation site in the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby. He never got to see 29. Like too many other Canadian workers, he died that day on the job, a victim of employer negligence.
Why Canada needs better data on strikes, unions and other labour issues
The Conversation
In the summer of 2025, the federal government quietly pulled national strike and lockout data from public view. The move followed a complaint from the Confédération des syndicats nationaux (CSN), the second-largest trade union federation in Québec.
Canada's Building Trades Unions' Unanimously Pass Resolution to Harmonize National Safety Certification Standards for Canada's Skilled Tradespeople
Cision
Canada's Building Trades Unions (CBTU) joined by Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Ontario's Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, David Piccini, announce a collaborative effort to harmonize national safety standards for construction workers by adopting best practices and the highest standards to ensure work is performed safely. This initiative marks a significant step toward national unity in certifications across Canada.
Slightly more Americans file for jobless benefits in the last week of 2025, but layoffs remain low
KARE11
U.S. filings for jobless benefits rose in the last week of 2025 but remain historically low, despite signs that the labor market is weakening.
Unions accuse McDonald's of 'repeated harassment' against 'mostly teenage' staff
BBC
A group of trade unions has alleged McDonald's has violated international labour standards by failing to tackle sexual harassment in its UK restaurants and franchises.
Italy sees rare double dip in both unemployment and available jobs
MSN
Italy’s labour market lost momentum in November 2025, with a rare combination of falling employment and falling unemployment pointing to a rise in inactivity, according to Istat.
January 7, 2026
Trustee quits to protest secrecy over abuse
Winnipeg Free Press
A long-serving school trustee says he was blind to the psychological abuse a former teacher inflicted on a young student that was uncovered in a Free Press investigation, apologizing to the victim for being “kept ignorant” by board leadership and vowing to resign.
Police investigate after swastika spray-painted at Kelvin High School
Winnipeg Free Press
A Winnipeg high school has become the latest target of antisemitic graffiti, days after a nearby synagogue was defaced with similar imagery that police are treating as a hate crime.
Winnipeg councillor wants 1-minute time limit for school drop-off, pickup zones
CBC
A Winnipeg city councillor wants citywide standards for school drop-off and pickup zones, including a one-minute time limit for parents, saying it could improve safety around elementary schools.
Aurora College suspends classes after cyberattack
CBC
Aurora College in the N.W.T. has suspended all classes this week after the school's network was subject to a cyberattack over the holidays.
Alberta school divisions remove handful of titles from shelves as new school library rules take effect
CBC
A newly enacted provincial order on school literary materials prompted some Alberta school divisions to remove a couple of dozen books from school shelves, but the names of those titles are secret.
MUN's campus radio station is hoping to adapt amid financial troubles
CBC
Operators of Memorial University's campus radio station — CHMR-FM — in St. John's say they're facing financial pressures and a changing media landscape, meaning the station is having to adapt in order to survive.
NSERC moves to keep research IP in Canada
University Affairs
The day after the Council of Canadian Academies released its damning report on the state of science, technology, and innovation in Canada, NSERC President Alejandro Adem signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at aligning research funding with commercialization and, ultimately, Canadian economic prosperity.
Top union accuses Texas of targeting teachers over Charlie Kirk posts
The Guardian
A major Texas teachers’ union filed a federal lawsuit against the state on Tuesday challenging what it describes as unconstitutional investigations into hundreds of educators who posted comments on social media following the September killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Teachers could out LGBTQ+ students to their parents after new federal court ruling
TYLA
A controversial new federal ruling means that teachers in California may be able to out LGBTQ+ students to their parents, without their permission.
Calgary restaurant owners jailed for financial abuse of temporary foreign workers
CBC
Three restaurant owners who financially abused their immigrant employees were handed jail terms this week by a Calgary judge.
Temporary foreign workers switch jobs and earn more after becoming permanent residents, study finds
Globe and Mail
Temporary foreign workers in Canada who are granted permanent residency tend to achieve greater economic mobility – moving up the career ladder more quickly and securing wage increases – in the years after settling, according to new research.
Air Transat pilots overwhelmingly ratify new contract after narrowly avoiding strike
Globe and Mail
Air Transat pilots ratified a new collective agreement Tuesday that hands them big gains after narrowly avoiding a strike last month and voting overwhelming for the deal.
New data suggests ‘time-off tax’ may shape first week back to work
CTV News
Office doors are swinging open again across the country, and for some workers, the first week back after the holidays is less of a slow return and more of a scramble.
Why nearly 7 in 10 Gen Z workers doubt they’ll ever retire
KTEN News
Financial challenges have a wide-reaching impact, and in a recent study, Gen Z reported their social lives (72%), mental health (67%) and physical health (62%) have suffered due to money constraints in the last year.
7 NYC hospitals reach tentative agreements with nurses, rescinding strike notices
NEWS12
NYSNA nurses at 7 NYC safety-net hospitals in Brooklyn and Staten Island rescinded their 10-day strike notice.
Labour workers’ rights concessions to cut cost to business by billions, analysis shows
The Guardian
Labour watering down its sweeping overhaul of workers’ rights is expected to slash the cost of the plan for UK businesses by billions of pounds, the government’s own analysis shows.
January 6, 2026
School division urges funding pressure on province
Winnipeg Free Press
A city school division is calling on parents to apply extra pressure on the province to increase its funding while warning they should brace for “difficult choices.”
Complex needs students sent home early on first day of classes after winter break: NDP
CTV News
The Saskatchewan NDP says some disabled students in the province continue to be forced out classrooms because of lacking supports.
What happens when a university closes its library?
The Irish Times
We hear a lot these days about declining standards in education, especially in universities, much of it posed by the incursion of artificial intelligence-type tools such as ChatGPT which encourage students to take shortcuts in writing essays.
Many schools don’t think students can read full novels anymore. That’s a tragedy
The Guardian
Reading fiction has been such a joy for me that my heart broke a little to learn recently that many schools no longer assign full books to high school students.
Seven internationally trained docs sign to practise in Manitoba
Winnipeg Free Press
Seven internationally trained doctors have signed return-of-service agreements requiring them to work in six rural communities in southwestern Manitoba due to a shortage of family physicians.
Manitoba cuts ties with dozens of private nursing agencies to curb reliance on the firms
CBC
A nurse is warning rural hospitals may have an even tougher time filling shifts in the new year as the Manitoba government ends its relationship with dozens of companies supplying its health-care system with agency nurses.
Unionized workers achieved largest wage gains for a decade in 2025
Globe and Mail
Unionized workers achieved significant wage gains last year, negotiating the highest annual increases since at least 2016, according to new federal government data.
Unions hit out at Doug Ford’s ‘ridiculous’ back-to-work order as Ontario civil servants return to office
Globe and Mail
Ontario government employees are expected to return to the office five days per week starting Monday, despite objections from public sector unions.
The end of hybrid? Full-time office return sparks warning of resignations
CTV News
Chanting “work-life balance,” a group of frustrated Ontario government workers protested outside their office building in Mississauga on Monday, expressing their disappointment with a mandate to return to the office full time.
Millions of Canadians struggling as social safety net lags behind federal priorities: economist
Financial Post
While Ottawa debates affordability, defence spending and investment incentives, millions of Canadians are struggling with stagnant wages, weak unemployment benefits and growing economic insecurity, which is a disconnect economist Lars Osberg says is having serious social consequences.
CEO-to-worker pay gap reaches record-breaking level: report
Human Resources Director
For HR leaders grappling with pay transparency, equity and retention, a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) says executive compensation is accelerating away from employee pay at record speed.
It’s up to Americans to stop the steamrolling of federal workers
The Hill
The year just ended will be remembered as the worst year ever for federal workers.
January 5, 2026
Why I expelled AI from the classroom
Winnipeg Free Press
Artificial intelligence (AI) is certainly in vogue these days. Within post-secondary institutions, it is rapidly reshaping the pedagogical landscape. Some academics maintain that AI enriches the student learning experience, whereas others believe it enhances critical thinking.
Brandon University adopts new grade-appeal policy after controversial 2022 decision
Winnipeg Free Press
From now on, a student’s appeal for a higher course mark at Brandon University should — regardless of the end result — involve more parties and yield an extensive paper trail.
Alone, afraid and betrayed
Winnipeg Free Press
On the surface, David Wray was the perfect teacher.
Quebec students return to class as new civility rules come into effect
CBC
It's a new year and new rules are awaiting Quebec students as they return to the classroom after the winter holidays.
Who will fund Canadian colleges and universities if not lower-middle income countries?
Capilano Courier
Five years ago, former Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Marco Mendicino stated, “Our message to international students and graduates is simple: we don’t just want you to study here, we want you to stay here.” Today, the gap between institutions’ operating costs and government funding, initially borne by thousands of families in the Global South who viewed tuition fees as an investment to obtain permanent residency, is now impacting colleges and universities across Canada.
All tenured professors at public universities in South Dakota to undergo performance reviews
The Dakota Scout
Earning and keeping tenure as a professor in South Dakota will soon look a lot different at the state’s public universities.
Generation AI: fears of ‘social divide’ unless all children learn computing skills
The Guardian
In a Cambridge classroom, Joseph, 10, trained his AI model to discern between drawings of apples and drawings of smiles.
Greece cuts student population at universities by half after long study breaks are abolished
AP
More than 300,000 inactive university students have been removed from the rolls in Greece, cutting the country’s official student population by nearly half, authorities said Friday.
Limited funding, training make job difficult for child welfare emergency placement staff, union says
CBC
The union representing hundreds of workers at emergency placements in Manitoba's child welfare system says those staff care deeply about the kids they work with — but limited funding and training make the job difficult at times.
Thousands of public, private sector workers will be working from the office again in 2026
CBC
The new year will bring some big changes to the rules on in-office work for many employees across the country — including tens of thousands of provincial government staff in Ontario and Alberta, who will soon be required back in the office full time.
Here’s How Canadian Workers And Unions Fared In 2025
The Maple
How did labour fare in 2025?
Mandating Ontario public sector workers back in office full-time comes without data: OPSEU president (video)
CP24
JP Hornick, OPSEU President, says the return to full-time work in office does not match data on hybrid and remote work efficiency.
Despite Trump’s War on Workers, Labor Movement Notched Crucial Wins in 2025
Truthout
President Donald Trump launched a war against workers as soon as he reclaimed power in January 2025. Now, nearly a year into his second administration, it’s possible to take stock of the year’s notable victories and the challenges looming in 2026.
A reading list for transforming the labour movement
Briarpatch
I have often felt mired in the transactional, campaign-by-campaign culture of the labour movement; one bogged down in electoral power politics and widespread patriarchal white supremacist attitudes, behaviours, and systems. Despite this, I truly believe that with honest and strategic self-reflection, the labour movement can transform itself into the powerful fighting force we need to confront fascism, climate catastrophe, genocide, and other present day horrors. Unions like the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) are prime examples of the power and vision labour needs. Since electing the radical Caucus of Rank-and-File Educators (CORE) slate in 2010, CTU has won huge gains for teachers and students in Chicago, like smaller class sizes; support for students in precarious housing; sanctuary protections for immigrant students; and LGBTQIA+ supportive schools. CTU identifies their union contract as “a moral document [...] to keep [their] students, staff, and communities as safe as possible in an era of ascending fascism.” CORE emerged from a union member study group that read about neoliberalism, rank-and-file union caucuses and social justice unionism – an alternative to the typically non-combative “service” model seen at most unions. CORE gained the tools it needed to build transformative and popular power within the CTU through intentional study of the capitalist roots of inequality and the strategies used by other trade unionists to build power. In the same spirit, here are some starting points for building the unions and labour movement we need.
Meet the ’empowered non-complier’: A certain kind of valuable worker who flouts return to office whenever they feel like it
Fortune
The remote work wars are largely over by 2025, but not everywhere. The pandemic-era of white-collar workers logging on from home and staying there all week largely ended in 2024, as bosses decided to call them back in to work as many as 5 days a week. (Amazon was a notable company leading the charge, while Elon Musk famously said remote workers were “pretending” to do their jobs.) But commercial real-estate giant JLL found something new in its September 2025 report on the future of hybrid work: a new remote renegade workplace archetype.
More than 21,000 nurses in New York City and Long Island poised to strike
World Socialist Web Site
The New York State Nurses Association (NYSNA) delivered 10-day strike notices last Friday to 12 private hospitals in New York City and three in Long Island. More than 20,000 nurses in New York City and 1,000 in Long Island, whose contracts expired December 31, could strike as soon as January 12, which would be the biggest nurses’ strike in the city’s history.
Union announces health workers strike for entirety of 2026
Portugal Resident
The last day of the year has seen the National Syndicate of Workers in Services and Public Entities deliver notice of an open-ended strike of all health workers for 2026, starting tomorrow (Thursday, January 1).
