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 23, 2025
Education minister remembered as husband, dad… and huge Jets fan
Winnipeg Free Press
The Winnipeg Jets customized a memorial jersey for Nello Altomare with a number that nods to the hockey superfan’s final role as Manitoba’s 35th minister of education.
York University Staff Association Receives 'No Board' Report and Pushes Back Against Rising Workloads and Cuts to Benefits
Cision
York University Staff Association (YUSA) is raising concerns over growing workloads, stagnant wages and proposed benefit reductions, as York University prioritizes management expansion over support staff. After months of bargaining without significant progress, YUSA is prepared to stand firm against concessions that threaten its members and the students they serve.
UQAC deregisters 104 students: miscalculation or essential measure?
University Affairs
At the end of November, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC) deregistered 104 of its students, 65 per cent of whom were international students. The decision raised several questions about payment policies and the communication process of the administration.
Scathing audit says MUN ignored asbestos, mould in favour of overspending on laptops and a tractor
CBC
Memorial University's campus renewal fee was designed to pay for the institution's most pressing deferred maintenance projects like its asbestos-riddled tunnel system and mould.
Trump won’t ban immigration arrests at school. Some families are now weighing school attendance
Globe and Mail
As President Donald Trump cracks down on immigrants in the U.S. illegally, some families are wondering if it is safe to send their children to school.
Columbia University says it is increasing campus security after class on Israel disrupted by protesters
CBS News
Columbia University says it is boosting security after an incident on campus involving protesters.
In a surprise, U.S. colleges saw higher enrollment last fall
NPR
College enrollment in the U.S. rose for the first time last fall to surpass pre-pandemic levels, new figures out today show.
Trump hits NIH with ‘devastating’ freezes on meetings, travel, communications, and hiring
Science
Donald Trump’s return to the White House is already having a big impact at the $47.4 billion U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), with the new administration imposing a wide range of restrictions, including the abrupt cancellation of meetings such as grant review panels. Officials have also ordered a communications pause, a freeze on hiring, and an indefinite ban on travel.
Unpaid internship access 'unfair' to working class, students say
BBC
Unpaid and low-paid internships are "unfair" to working class graduates, students say, as a new study suggests that these opportunities increasingly favour those from a middle class background.
Trump administration authorizes immigration enforcement on school campuses
USA Today
The Trump administration on Tuesday authorized federal authorities to conduct immigration arrests on school campuses, a decision a Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said would prevent "criminals" from being able to "hide in America’s schools."
Parliamentary inquiry to probe “exorbitantly” huge university VC pay packets, governance concerns
News.com.au
Powerful university vice-chancellors are expected to be dragged to a proposed parliamentary probe and forced to answer questions on their “exorbitantly” high salaries and other scandals affecting the beleaguered sector.
Poilievre says he wants to cut the federal public service, doesn't mind remote work
CBC
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says a government led by him would cut the number of federal public servants — but he doesn't mind if they work from home.
January 22, 2025
School division implements new policy after AI-generated nudes made headlines
Winnipeg Free Press
One year after AI-generated nudes of underage students from Winnipeg sparked a Canada-wide conversation about sexual violence in the age of artificial intelligence, the school division at the centre of the scandal has come up with a new protocol.
More college layoffs result from federal cut to number of international students
Globe and Mail
Toronto’s Centennial College has announced it will be suspending programs and shedding jobs as it faces the financial consequences of a federal government cut to international student numbers and a long-term freeze on domestic tuition prices.
New York governor proposes banning cellphones in schools starting next fall
Globe and Mail
Students throughout New York state might have to give up their cellphones during school hours starting next fall under a proposal announced Tuesday by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
More than 40% of postdocs leave academia, study reveals
Nature
More than 40% of postdoctoral researchers leave academia, according to a study of some 45,500 researchers’ careers1. Those who stayed and landed a coveted faculty position were more likely to have had a highly cited paper, changed their research topic between their PhD and postdoc, or moved abroad after receiving their doctorate.
An overlooked defense in faculty First Amendment academic freedom and other cases
Reuters
Terminating tenured faculty can present significant challenges for public colleges and universities. Often personnel rules or collective bargaining agreements prohibit terminations or other discipline except for "just cause," placing the burden of proof on the college or university to show the conduct at issue satisfies this standard.
Canada's immigration department cutting roughly 3,300 jobs over 3 years
CBC
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced plans to cut about 3,300 jobs, or about a quarter of its workforce, over the next three years.
Amazon to close Quebec facilities, insists it's not because of new union
CBC
Amazon announced on Wednesday it will shutter its facilities in Quebec in the coming weeks and cut more than 1,700 jobs.
B.C. union leader says 'high probability' of dispute in public sector contract talks
The Canadian Press
Contract talks between the British Columbia government's unionized public sector workers start today with a union leader forecasting a difficult round of bargaining.
Inmates working in prisons want to be treated like public servants
MSN
The inmates who work inside federal prisons want the right to unionize like other public servants.
Union representing 30,000 City of Toronto workers votes for strike mandate
CP24
A union representing some 30,000 inside workers at the City of Toronto says its members have overwhelmingly voted in favour of a strike mandate if bargaining fails to yield a deal.
‘No better than working at 7-Eleven’: Unions oppose bill to end collective bargaining for Utah public employees
The Salt Lake Tribune
The head of Utah’s largest teachers’ union is warning that a bill proposed in the Utah Legislature could hurt public workers — teachers, law enforcement, firefighters, public transit drivers and more — and the people they serve.
Trump administration sued over order making it easier to fire federal workers
The Guardian
One day after Donald Trump returned to office, a leading government labor union filed a lawsuit against his administration’s reclassification of thousands of federal workers as political hires.
January 21, 2025
Internal docs show support for moderate, not extreme, changes to teacher training
Winnipeg Free Press
MANITOBA Education made sweeping changes to speed up the teacher-certification process by slackening training requirements — even though confidential documents reveal there was reasonable support for moderate tweaks among key stakeholders.
Revival of God Save the King in Dauphin-area schools raises concerns about reconciliation
CBC
A school division in western Manitoba has decided to once again include God Save the King in its schools' morning announcements, a move that has some questioning whether it promotes reconciliation efforts with Indigenous staff and students.
University of Ottawa reaches tentative agreement with faculty union to avert strike
Ottawa Citizen
A strike at the University of Ottawa has been averted after the union representing faculty members and the university reached an agreement in principle.
At University of Alberta, more proof we're watching DEI die in real time
National Post
DEI is dead.
Trump’s plans to axe US education department put marginalized students most at risk, experts warn
The Guardian
For many students of color, access to an equitable education is dependent on the initiatives and programs provided by the Department of Education. Among its various functions, the department provides targeted funding for low-income students, collects data on educational outcomes and investigates potential bias – essential functions that help underserved students. But such services stand to be disrupted or ended entirely as Donald Trump plans to dismantle the department during his second tenure.
Manitoba fights for more skilled workers after Ottawa cuts program
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba is lobbying the federal government to reconsider its decision to slash by half the number of skilled immigrants the province is allowed this year, as business leaders say the economy cannot afford the cut.
Employer Prosecuted for Workplace Incident
Province of Manitoba
Manitoba Labour and Immigration is reminding employers to ensure machines are equipped with safeguards after an employer was prosecuted under the Workplace Safety and Health Act.
Federal immigration department to cut 3,300 jobs over the next three years
Globe and Mail
The federal immigration department is planning to slash the size of its work force by about 25 per cent starting next month, as part of budgetary cuts across the public service after a decade-long hiring spree.
Deals for Ontario collective agreements now taking almost twice as long as those reached in previous years
Globe and Mail
Unions and employers in Ontario appear to be taking longer to negotiate collective agreements, with both sides often failing to reach a deal in less than a year from when bargaining starts.
Trump seeks to end telework for federal workers
OPB
President Trump has signed an executive action directing federal agencies to order their workers back to the office full time.
Trump imposes federal government hiring freeze, orders workers back to office
Politico
President Donald Trump is imposing an across-the-board government hiring freeze and ordering federal workers to return to the office full time.
January 20, 2025
Laurentian University’s crisis is a reminder to an imperiled sector
Globe and Mail
When Canadian postsecondary schools run into financial trouble Laurentian University is often invoked as the worst-case scenario.
Academic Freedom at Canadian Universities Threatened as Schools Police Speech on Gaza, Canadian Organization for Faculty Associations Warns
PressProgress
Universities across Canada have adopted a policy of supposed “institutional neutrality” when it comes to the ongoing genocide in Gaza, but their actions reflect efforts to quell dissent says the association representing 70,000 professors and academic professionals.
Universities face 'across the board' cuts in wake of international student cap
CTV News
Canadian colleges and universities are responding to a cash crunch brought on by Ottawa’s cut to international student permits with layoffs, hiring freezes and service reductions, say people in the post-secondary education sector.
Over 90% of Canadian students affected by education crisis, new survey finds
Canadian Teachers' Federation
The Canadian Teachers’ Federation (CTF/FCE) has released initial findings from the first edition of their new pan-Canadian educator survey series, Parachute. The data paints a vivid picture of poor working and learning conditions across the country. The CTF/FCE urges ministries of Education to address the concerns underscored by teachers and educators and take action to strengthen provincial and territorial public education systems. Over 90% of Canadian K-12 students attend public schools: they, their teachers, and communities deserve proactive stewardship from Education ministers.
University of Sydney criticised for plan to ban protest banners being displayed without prior permission
The Guardian
University of Sydney staff and students would be banned from holding banners on campus without prior permission and staff would be unable to send political emails unless recipients had expressed prior interest under a string of draft policies introduced before the academic year.
Taliban deputy urges leader to scrap education bans on Afghan women and girls
ABC News
A senior Taliban figure has urged the group's leader to scrap education bans on Afghan women and girls, saying there is no excuse for them, in a rare public rebuke of government policy.
'Very ugly business' says union expert of local Ironworkers union dismissals
CBC
It's been one week since the Ironworkers Union Local 764 in Mount Pearl was taken over by the New York-based international office, and senior executives were let go.
New union agreements could cost Toronto up to $300M in 2025
CBC
New labour contracts across Toronto city divisions and agencies could cost taxpayers almost as much as the city will be taking in through a proposed 6.9 per cent property tax hike.
LPN laid off after trying to unionize her coworkers
Alberta Worker
Last month, I wrote an article about workers at a continuing care home in Morinville filing an application with the Alberta Labour Relations Board to be granted a unionization certificate.
Costco Teamsters vote to authorize US-wide strike, union says
Reuters
Teamsters said on Sunday its members at U.S. retailer Costco Wholesale (COST.O) voted in favor of a nationwide strike, as they entered a final round of talks to reach a new contract ahead of a Jan. 31 deadline.
'Will I have a job?' Federal workers full of uncertainty, fear over Trump plans
USA Today
Chelsea Milburn remembers feeling "blessed" to find her ideal job as a public affairs specialist for the Department of Education, a near-perfect situation after her life dramatically changed two years ago after an illness.
How Labor Can Fight Back Against Trump’s Mass Deportation Agenda
Labor Notes
This is a frightening time for immigrant workers. President-elect Donald Trump ran on the slogan “mass deportations now,” and has appointed a team of anti-immigrant hardliners. The leadership of the Democratic Party has lurched to the right on this issue, adopting Trump’s rhetoric about “securing the border,” and embracing core Republican policies.
H-1B Workers Are ‘Indentured Servants’ Claims Sen. Bernie Sanders
Ethnic Media Services
Speaking on the Senate floor Jan. 15 afternoon, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, proposed sweeping changes to the H-1B visa program via an amendment to the Laken-Riley Act.
January 17, 2025
Schools lower flags to honour late education minister
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba public schools have lowered their Canadian flags indefinitely as a tribute to the late NDP education minister, whose death will trigger a byelection.
Education minister remembered as ‘mayor of Transcona’
Winnipeg Free Press
“The mayor of Transcona” dedicated his life — the last 15 months as Manitoba’s education minister — to bettering the lives of public school students.
Education Minister Nello Altomare, 61, 'changed the lives of Manitoba students forever': premier
CBC
Nello Altomare, Manitoba's education minister, is being remembered for his "larger-than-life" personality and his lifelong dedication to students in the province.
RRC Polytech in charge of $95-M grant program
Winnipeg Free Press
RRC Polytech in Winnipeg has been put in charge of doling out $95 million under a federal grant program for research and entrepreneurial training.
KLEIN: Court victory for teacher sparks debate on free speech and ideological overreach in schools
The Winnipeg Sun
The recent decision by a U.S. court to award $450,000 to Vivian Geraghty, a teacher who said she was forced to resign for refusing to use transgender students’ preferred pronouns, is a significant victory for free speech and individual rights.
B.C. Ombudsperson to investigate schools excluding students from education
CityNews
The province’s ombudsperson is launching an investigation into widespread complaints of children being excluded from B.C. schools.
Bishop’s University addresses derogatory language allegations in internal memo
CTV News
Bishop’s University has reached out to its community following a CTV News report about a tenured professor who has allegedly been using derogatory language in her classroom for years.
5 students face charges over ‘To Catch a Predator’ stunt gone awry
Global News
Five of six college students made their first appearance in court Thursday, facing charges after they allegedly lured a man to their Massachusetts college as part of a To Catch a Predator-style trend on social media.
Substitute teachers replacing school support staff during strike 'a slap in the face': union president
CBC
The union representing Edmonton Public Schools support workers are questioning the use of substitute teachers to fill gaps in the classroom while more than 3,000 of its members are on strike.
Nurses Who Refused COVID Vaccine Lose a Fight with Their Union
The Tyee
A group of B.C. nurses have lost another round in their long battle against job losses for not getting the COVID-19 vaccine.
Insecure work pushing young workers ‘to the brink’, TUC warns
MorningStar
YOUNG workers are now three times more likely to be forced to take time off for stress compared with older colleagues, a survey has shown.
January 15, 2025
U of W kicks women’s soccer team, English Language Program to curb
Winnipeg Free Press
The University of Winnipeg is shuttering its English Language Program and benching female soccer players for the upcoming season as administrators navigate “significant financial challenges.”
Boissevain teacher sentenced to 6 months for sexual exploitation of former student
CBC
A former southwestern Manitoba teacher will spend time behind bars for the sexual exploitation of a teenage student, which a judge called "an abuse of a position of trust."
Nearly 50,000 foreign students listed as ‘no-shows’ by Canadian schools
Globe and Mail
Close to 50,000 international students who received study permits to come to Canada were reported as “no-shows” at the colleges and universities where they were supposed to be taking their courses, according to government figures for two months last spring.
Demonizing foreign students sidesteps solutions to Canada’s problems
The Conversation
Throughout 2024, international students, along with other immigrants, found themselves on the receiving end of blame for Canada’s economic challenges. Starting with the Jan. 22 announcement of a cap on international student numbers, Canada’s growing political theatre of scapegoating has cast international students as responsible for taking jobs, straining the asylum system, driving up housing costs and increasing pressure on health care.
Academic Freedom and Civil Discourse in Higher Education: A National Study of Faculty Attitudes and Perceptions
AAC&U
The American Association of Colleges and Universities, in partnership with the American Association of University Professors and NORC at the University of Chicago, conducted a national survey of faculty in higher education to understand their perspectives and experiences related to academic freedom. The sample included faculty of all ranks and disciplines at public and private, two-year and four-year institutions across the United States. Funded by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, the survey was administered online between December 2023 and February 2024.
Trump Administration Puts 400,000 Undocumented College Students In Limbo
Teen Vogue
Jenni Hernandez attends Sacramento State, located in a sanctuary city in a sanctuary state and a campus that welcomes immigrants. Yet because she lives in the country without authorization, the amplified fear she now feels yanks her back to when she was a 7-year-old and first learned her parents could be deported at any time.
Labour to revive controversial university freedom of speech legislation
The Guardian
Ministers are to revive legislation that aims to protect free speech on university campuses in England but a contentious clause allowing legal claims over compensation is likely to be removed.
Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs could cost Ontario 500,000 jobs, Doug Ford warns
Globe and Mail
Ontario’s Doug Ford issued a dire warning on the eve of a meeting between the country’s premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Canada’s response to Donald Trump’s tariff threat, estimating the U.S. president-elect’s plan could cost as many as 500,000 jobs in his province alone.
Sexual harassment, union busting, and a spotty safety record: The dark side of working at Trader Joe's
Fast Company
In mid-2020, Michaelann Ferro mustered up the courage to complain to her manager at Trader Joe’s about a male colleague she claimed was sexually harassing women at her suburban Boston store. When the man tried kissing her on the mouth, she said that put her over the edge. “I was only dealing with him for a few months,” she told Fast Company. “But the other women said the incidents they had with him lasted multiple years.”
Nurses and Doctors Are on Strike at Eight Oregon Hospitals
Labor Notes
Declaring that understaffing had them “running on empty,” 5,000 nurses, doctors, midwives, and nurse practitioners walked off the job January 10 in an open-ended strike at Providence Health and Services, the dominant hospital chain in the Pacific Northwest.
How Unions Are Helping Younger Workers Gain a Financial Advantage
Power at Work
Younger workers have led a wave of renewed support for unions in recent years. Approval of unions stood at 77% among members of the Gen Z and Millennial generations in 2024—up from just 47% among Baby Boomers at the same age in 1976. Covid-19 pandemic safety concerns, historically tight labor markets, and several high-profile labor wins, including organizing drives at Starbucks and the UAW strike wave, likely contributed to this increased support for unions. Many young workers in the early 2020s were also attracted to the potential financial benefits of unions.
A surprising immigration raid in Kern County foreshadows what awaits farmworkers and businesses
Cal Matters
Acres of orange fields sat unpicked in Kern County this week as word of Border Patrol raids circulated through Messenger chats and images of federal agents detaining laborers spread on local Facebook groups.
‘Don’t allow you to go to the bathroom’: big tech’s call center workers in Greece on strike
The Guardian
Call center workers for some of the world’s biggest tech companies including Apple, Google, Microsoft and Netflix are accusing their employer of retaliating against union organisers, constantly surveilling staff and even refusing bathroom breaks.
