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.

February 2, 2026

Review of uncertified teachers ordered
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba has issued new marching orders for school divisions to undertake deep dives into their employees’ credentials following a Free Press exposé.

Union would like to see further expansion of bereavement rules
Winnipeg Free Press
A new contract with expanded paid bereavement leave at Red River College Polytech would be a “good thing” for all Manitoba employees, says the head of the union that negotiated it.

Louis Riel School Division updating security protocols after review finds safety gaps
CBC
The Louis Riel School Division is installing video intercom systems, upgrading digital card readers and changing door-locking practices, following an internal review initiated after a child was grabbed in a school last November.

Cyber headache: U of S to shut down alumni email accounts on Feb. 15
CBC
The University of Saskatchewan says it’s shutting down the email service used by thousands of alumni due to rising data costs and cybersecurity threats.

Tentative deal averts strike at Nipissing University
CTV News
Nipissing University has reached a tentative agreement with its union representing part-time faculty, averting a potential strike that was set to begin as early as next week.

Students rally against potential tuition hike
CityNews
Underneath the crowd of umbrellas and ponchos outside of the Vancouver Public Library are students and teachers with a clear message against potential tuition hikes at universities and colleges.

Quebec maintains tuition hike for out-of-province students at English-language programs
Globe and Mail
Quebec is upholding a tuition hike for out-of-province students who attend English-language programs at its universities, despite a court ruling last year that found the policy was not justified.

Did the Laurentian President Violate the Labour Relations Act?
The Law of Work
The Sudbury Star recently published an op-ed by the President and Vice Chancellor of Laurentian University. A poll appears at the end of the article that I assume was added by the newspaper, although there was some confusion initially about whether the poll was part of the op-ed itself and included by the President. That would have been an idiotic move, since nothing good could come from a poll like this for the employer.

After anti-AI rally, Carleton TAs and RAs reach tentative deal with university
Capital Current
Local 4600 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees has reached a tentative agreement with Carleton University after 13 hours of bargaining.

The Education Department's efforts to fire staff cost over $28 million, watchdog says
NPR
A new report from a government watchdog suggests the Trump administration's efforts to fire staff at the U.S. Department of Education cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars.

Stop Meeting Students Where They Are
The Atlantic
At some point over the past 15 years, kids stopped reading. Or at least their teachers stopped asking them to read the way they once did. We live in the age of the reel, the story, the sample, the clip. The age of the excerpt. And even in old-fashioned literature classes, assignments have been abbreviated so dramatically that high-school English teachers are, according to one recent survey, assigning fewer than three books a year.

Scale of public service job losses in Manitoba still uncertain: federal workers union
CBC
A union representing federal public employees says it’s trying to determine how many Manitoban jobs are risk as a result of pending cuts to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Statistics Canada, Service Canada and other national workplaces.

How is Carney's government filling high-level jobs?
CBC
It's a landmark appointment that could shed new light on the inner workings of Prime Minister Mark Carney's government.

The case for hybrid work is clear, so why are so many employers ignoring it?
Globe and Mail
Research shows hybrid work benefits both individuals and organizations, so why are many employers still resistant?

Models of Broader-Based Collective Bargaining: A Roadmap Forward
The Law of Work
It is no secret that the model of collective bargaining we have used in Canada since the 1940s is no longer fit for purpose in the 21st century. The so-called “Wagner model” still works well enough in those workplaces for which it was designed, mainly large workplaces with dozens or hundreds of employees who work relatively predictable shifts. However, even in those workplaces, the model struggles to embed collective bargaining when employers absolutely refuse to tolerate it. Just look at the labour battles being waged at the Walmarts and Amazons of the world, American employers who take anti-unionism to a religious fervour.

What It Takes to Shut It Down: General Strikes, Movement Strategy, Solidarity (podcast)
Unruly Subjects
This week, we feature a conversation with veteran labor organizer and strategist Bill Fletcher Jr. all about general strikes. What do people mean when they say general strike? What makes strike power different from other kinds of protest power? And what kind of conditions actually have to exist for this kind of action to succeed, especially in a moment when the repression is this real?

Uber Eats and other delivery apps to fork over millions of dollars to dissed NYC workers
New York Post
Uber Eats and other app delivery services must fork over a total of millions of dollars to their drivers to reimburse them for time wasted during canceled trips and other issues, according to a settlement with the city.

How to Spread the General Strike Beyond the Twin Cities
Labor Notes
On January 23, Minnesota unions and community organizations seized the public imagination with “a Day of Truth and Freedom,” an economic blackout that drew perhaps 100,000 marchers to downtown Minneapolis.

January 30, 2026

Health minister, nursing college square off over qualifications
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba’s health minister and the province’s nursing authority are at odds over qualifications after a disciplinary panel stripped a licence because of “shocking” misconduct that nearly ended a patient’s life.

Laurentian can’t afford what faculty association is asking for: Wells - Take our poll
Sudbury Star
Over the past five years, the Laurentian University community has made remarkable progress in ensuring the institution’s reputation as an important place for higher education in the North. The faculty, staff, students, administration, the board of governors, and our many supporters have come together to build upon the proud 60-year history of excellent teaching, high-impact research, and community engagement that preceded the University’s insolvency.

Faculty strike at Laurentian University threatens to derail winter term
Globe and Mail
A faculty strike is threatening to derail the winter term at Laurentian University as professors whose pay was cut during the school’s 2021 insolvency seek to regain some of the ground they lost.

University professors latest to fear they will have to leave Quebec
CTV News
A union representing professors at a Montreal university has joined the chorus of voices denouncing the impact of abolishing the Quebec Experience Program on access to permanent residence.

Jobs Will Be Cut as Result of MUN Closures: CUPE
VOCM
The union that represents administrative, instructional, and technical support staff at several MUN campuses across the province says jobs will be cut as part of the recently-announced closures.

A third of students over 16 are using AI to break school rules, forcing some teachers to adjust (video)
CBC
The vast majority of post-secondary students are now using artificial intelligence tools to assist them in their studies and assignments — and a significant portion are doing it in ways they know aren’t allowed, according to a survey conducted in Quebec. With growing use, there are calls for more training and clearer rules around how students should be using AI.

International Students Say They Were Misled by Private Colleges in Canada. Now They Can’t Get a Refund.
PressProgress
International students are travelling to Canada at great personal cost to attend private colleges only to discover learning conditions that aren’t as advertised – and some say they’re not getting refunds even after their school was previously sanctioned by British Columbia’s government.

More Than 100 Gazans Have Been Accepted to Canadian Universities. Canada Isn’t Letting Them In.
PressProgress
Despite a UN report and multiple human rights organizations stating Israel has committed genocide in Gaza, advocates are accusing the federal government of stalling on providing student visas for people from or currently in the region.

Closing Guelph facility will set food research ‘back by decades’: union
Northern Ontario Business
With an eye on reducing the federal workforce, officials are set to shut down the Guelph Research and Development Centre on Stone Road.

‘ICE Out’ strike and protests: what to know about demonstrations across the US
The Guardian
A strike and hundreds of protests are set to take place across the country on 30 and 31 January, as grassroots organizers take action against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity in their communities.

‘Let the workers choose’: union criticizes construction contract
Winnipeg Free Press
As Penn-co Construction starts work on four new Manitoba schools, the entity acting as its union is criticizing the construction contract — one of the first unrolled through the Manitoba Jobs Agreement.

Alberta government workers return to office, but not without a protest
Globe and Mail
Alberta’s 9,000 unionized provincial employees are going back to the office full-time starting this weekend, but not without a brown bag protest.

Ubisoft employees, CWA union rally after Halifax studio closure
Surge105.1
Dozens of laid-off Ubisoft employees and CWA union representatives braved the bitter cold downtown Thursday morning to speak out about the closure of Halifax’s main gaming studio.

Ontario’s new pay transparency rules will likely affect a lot more workers than just job seekers
Globe and Mail
With the new year comes a new slate of rules pertaining to job postings in Ontario, with significant implications for those looking to make a career move, those looking to stay put, those who post jobs and those who make salary decisions and set budgets.

Unions share how public service cuts will affect Canadians
Rabble
Unions are voicing their concerns for the different federal departments that are facing job cuts as the government pursues its ambitious Budget 2025 commitment to reduce the public service by 40,000 full-time equivalent jobs by 2028-29. Last week, thousands of federal public servants received letters that their jobs may be affected.

Canada Post and union create tentative agreement, ratification vote still needed (video)
CP24
The agreement includes wage increases and an enhanced weekend parcel delivery model, among other changes. The deal must now pass ratification votes before finalizing.

“If We Have to Go on Strike, We Will,” Say Nova Scotia’s Long-term Care Workers
PressProgress
Ahead of a last-ditch effort to reach an agreement with the province, workers at over 30 Nova Scotia long-term care facilities have voted in favour of striking, should it become necessary to achieve better wages.

Striking New York City nurses hold day of action to protest ICE
ABC7
Thursday marks day 18 of the New York City nurses' strike and while there is still no end in sight, the nurses are holding a day of action to protest ICE.

January 29, 2026

Manitoba Government Takes Further Action to Strengthen School Safety
Province of Manitoba
The Manitoba government has received updated school safety plans from every division in the province which will allow for a co-ordinated, systemwide approach that enhances security practices, and supports frontline educators and students, Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt announced today.

MITT to close, administration blames crackdown on international students
Winnipeg Free Press
The Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology is closing its doors, citing the fallout of the federal government’s crackdown on international enrolment.

Province releases plan for K-12 schools to address Islamophobia
Winnipeg Free Press
The provincial government has released a three-year action plan for Manitoba schools to help them address Islamophobia.

More accountability needed for teachers on limited permits after former Steinbach educator charged: experts
CBC
Child protection and educational experts say people working in Manitoba schools under limited teaching permits need to be held accountable in the same way those with regular teaching certificates are.

Laurentian University faculty members continue to picket in freezing temperatures with no resolution in sight
CBC
Members of Laurentian university’s faculty union have been on the picket line in freezing temperatures for over a week, but both sides remain at an impasse.

Ontario takes over Peel District School Board, halts plan to lay off 60 teachers
Globe and Mail
Ontario’s Education Minister announced Wednesday that he is taking over the second-largest school board in the province, bringing the total number of boards currently under supervision to seven, and is threatening to seize control of another board in two weeks if it does not address governance and financial concerns.

Human rights museum 'working through detailed impacts' of federal cuts: CEO
CBC
A union representing workers at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights hopes it will find ways to create savings that don't come at the cost of employees as the federal government reins in spending.

TEACHERS SPENDING $175 MILLION OF THEIR OWN MONEY TO KEEP CLASSROOMS RUNNING
Australian Education Union
Australian public school teachers are spending more than $175 million of their own money each year on basic classroom supplies, exposing the personal impact of chronic underfunding of public schools, according to new data from the AEU.

Immigration cuts force Manitoba to refocus nominee program on workers already in the province
CBC
Tighter federal limits are steering Manitoba’s provincial nominee program toward devoting more spots to the temporary residents already living in the province, rather than attracting skilled workers from abroad — a change Manitoba's immigration minister has made to ensure businesses can keep their employees.

GM Canada layoffs hit Oshawa plant, putting up to 1,200 autoworkers out of work Friday
CBC
The day Oshawa, Ont., autoworkers have dreaded for months has arrived, as GM Canada is poised to cut a shift at the city’s plant, costing over a thousand workers their jobs.

B.C. paramedics and emergency dispatchers set February date for strike vote
CBC
The union representing ambulance paramedics and emergency dispatchers in B.C. says its more than 6,000 members will be taking a strike vote in early February.

Food inspection agency to cut more than 1,300 jobs, says union
St. Albert Gazette
The union representing employees at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency said staff have been told 1,371 agency jobs will be cut as part of the government's cost-cutting exercise.

PSAC demands reversal of escalating federal cuts after 8,000 workers targeted for job loss
PSAC
As the Carney government rushes ahead with mass public service cuts, PSAC is again raising the alarm about the impact cuts and subsequent job losses will have on the ability of the federal government to deliver critical services.

Federal unions ask court to halt FEMA position cuts
Roll Call
Federal worker unions have asked a judge to halt Trump administration actions that they say includes plans to cut 10,000 positions from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Historic 4-day week for 600 Aussie workers
Yahoo
Australia’s smallest state could lead the nation on a four day work week after a Tasmanian council agreed in principle to a shorter work week with five-day wages.

Unions and EU lawmakers blast Amazon’s disregard for worker health and democracy at European Parliament hearing
UNI Global Union
As Amazon announced 16,000 layoffs today, worker representatives and EU lawmakers blasted Amazon management for disregarding worker health and European democracy at a European Parliament hearing on working conditions in its warehouses. Two years after Amazon lobbyists were barred from the European Parliament, the hearing saw Amazon management participate for the first time. On the workers’ side, Oliver Roethig, Regional Secretary of the labour federation UNI Europa, testified to the grueling working conditions in Amazon warehouses, where workers are subjected to constant surveillance and performance pressure.

January 28, 2026

Don’t hurt Manitoba jobs with Crown Royal boycott: Ontario voters
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba may have an unlikely ally in its dispute with Ontario’s premier over a promised boycott against Crown Royal whisky — Ontario voters.

Nurses union paints health facilities grey only when NDP in power, health minister says
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba’s health minister dismissed grey-listing of hospitals by the Manitoba Nurses Union on Tuesday, suggesting the tactic is mainly used when the NDP is in power.

First test of Manitoba Jobs Agreement framework
Winnipeg Free Press
Tension is building behind the scenes as construction begins on new Manitoba schools and a Winnipeg hospital emergency department.

Canadian doctors say they’re losing 20 million hours a year to unnecessary paperwork
CBC
Dr. Natasha Aziz sees patients all day, returns home to her two small children, then comes back to work the next morning before the sun rises to climb an endless mountain of red tape.

B.C.’s paramedics union will hold strike vote next month after impasse in talks with province
CTV News
The union representing B.C. paramedics and their dispatchers says its talks with the provincial government over a new contract have reached an impasse and it will be holding a strike vote early next month.

Around 3,000 ESDC employees notified their jobs could be cut: union
Ottawa Citizen
Around 2,000 employees’ positions are set to be cut at Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC), in addition to those of almost 100 executives, says a public service union.

Lethbridge nurses get new contract after 4.5-year wait
Alberta Worker
Earlier this month, the Mediation Services department of Alberta Jobs, Economy, Trade, and Immigration published their December 2025 Bargaining Update.

Union questions why Global Affairs issuing layoff warnings before policy review
CTV News
Thousands of employees at Global Affairs Canada have been issued notices warning they may lose their jobs, months before a foreign policy review is completed to give the department updated priorities.

Legault government says no to flexibility for Montreal immigrant workers
CTV News
The Coalition Avenir Québec government is refusing flexibilities requested for immigrant workers by a common front at Montreal City Hall.

Diversity, inclusion still needed to recruit and retain construction workers, finds U of Toronto researcher
Northern Ontario Business
Diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, has become a corporate buzzword in recent years.

NDP MP McPherson tables bill to ban company unions (video)
CPAC
On Parliament Hill in Ottawa, NDP MP and leadership candidate Heather McPherson speaks with reporters after tabling her private member’s bill to ban company unions.

Amazon cuts 16,000 jobs globally in latest round of layoffs
Globe and Mail
Amazon AMZN-Q said on Wednesday it was cutting 16,000 jobs worldwide in the second major round of layoffs at the company in three months, as it restructures after pandemic-era over-hiring and expands the adoption of artificial intelligence tools.

Minister orders Manitoba divisions to ensure certification after uncertified teacher charged with luring
CBC
Manitoba’s education minister is ordering all 54 school divisions to ensure their teachers have proper teaching certification, following media reports of a teacher now charged with child exploitation who was working without certification.

Laurentian strike enters 2nd week as sides remain at odds
CTV News
Laurentian University believes its offer to the striking Laurentian University Faculty Association is fair, reasonable and sustainable. The association, however, maintains the offer does not acknowledge all the sacrifices made by its members during the university’s recent restructuring under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act.

How a polytechnic in Toronto is integrating artificial intelligence into post-secondary education (video)
Global News
With more businesses integrating artificial intelligence into their workplaces, post-secondary institutions are now adapting to match the new reality. As Anne Gaviola explains, one Canadian college, Seneca Polytechnic, is rolling out a new AI curriculum along with a set of tools designed to prepare students for a modern workplace.