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.

September 24, 2020

Positive case of COVID-19 on Bannatyne campus
UM Today
Last week, an individual who later tested positive for COVID-19 was on Bannatyne campus while asymptomatic during the communicable period. Public Health is leading the case investigation and contact management. Close contacts who have been identified have already been notified by Public Health and are self-isolating. One of the close contacts has developed symptoms and test results are pending. In an abundance of caution and to interrupt any further transmission, some in person classes / labs scheduled for Monday, September 21 have been postponed.

Mom takes school division to court over masks
Winnipeg Free Press
A mother who has two children enrolled in Manitoba’s French-language school division is seeking a court injunction to allow them to attend class without wearing masks.

University of Toronto medical school to get record $250-million donation
Globe and Mail
A $250-million gift to the University of Toronto’s faculty of medicine will provide funding for a new centre for artificial intelligence in health care, support for underrepresented students and money to attract research talent.

Cape Breton University dealing with $16M revenue loss due to COVID-19
CBC
A large drop in enrolment and loss of international students has left Cape Breton University making cuts and dipping into reserves after losing millions in the pandemic.

Liberals promise to extend emergency COVID-19 supports, build national child-care program in throne speech
CBC
The Liberal government is promising to extend emergency support for Canadians hit by the COVID-19 crisis while building a more resilient economy that empowers women, fights climate change and addresses systemic racism.

Speech from the Throne: Promises are good, but proof is better
CUPE
CUPE says today’s Speech from the Throne contains some welcome promises, but they will wait until the federal budget to see whether the government puts its money where its mouth is

Canada’s unions: Throne Speech signals commitment to invest in workers
CLC
Canada’s unions welcome the policy direction the government has laid out in today’s Speech from the Throne, with a focus on investing in job creation and social programs that will support those most impacted by the pandemic.

End of special paid leave for nurses amid pandemic 'mind boggling,' union official says
CBC
The United Nurses of Alberta is calling on AHS to reinstate special paid leave for health-care workers forced to self isolate due to COVID-19.

Jumping the COVID testing queue
Winnipeg Free Press
As Manitobans wait in long lines for COVID-19 testing by public health, industry heavyweights with deep pockets are arranging for private tests for employees and avoiding the queue.

An Indigenous Canadian Journalist Was Covering a Protest. Then He Got Arrested.
New York Times
The land was theirs, the Indigenous protesters said, and so they tried to prevent the housing project near Niagara Falls from going forward — burning tires to block a highway, spray-painting slogans on the construction company’s equipment and setting an excavator on fire.

September 23, 2020

Stella’s should rethink union
Winnipeg Free Press (Letters)
I find it hard to sympathize when the union is holding out for a salary increase and says the issue is "working conditions." Living nearby and going there often before the pandemic, I failed to notice oppressive working conditions for staff. They did not wear sexist uniforms and the staff acted happy and congenial.

Another Winnipeg school confirms COVID-19, 24 new cases in Manitoba
Winnipeg Sun
A 10th school in Manitoba has a confirmed case of COVID-19 within their walls, public health officials announced on Tuesday.

SFU ransomware attack exposed data from 250,000 accounts, documents show
CBC
A ransomware attack last spring at Simon Fraser University (SFU) compromised the personal information of about 250,000 students, faculty and alumni, documents reveal.

University of Waterloo to continue with distance learning in winter semester
Global News
The University of Waterloo will join Wilfrid Laurier University in continuing to hold classes online during the winter semester.

University of Ottawa confirms remainder of academic year will be held online
The Fulcrum
The University of Ottawa has officially confirmed the remainder of the 2020-2021 academic year will be “primarily” held online with a few exceptions.

University of Alberta staff feel left out as new president plans to reduce faculties
Global News
The new University of Alberta president and vice-chancellor is reaffirming his commitment to help drive millions in savings. But as Nicole Stillger explains, some university staff say their requests to be part of the planning process were denied.

Racist comment mars online class at U of O
CBC
The University of Ottawa is denouncing reports of a racist comment during an online class.

University of Regina students worried anti-cheating software will invade privacy
CBC
University of Regina students are concerned that the computer program being used to monitor students taking exams remotely this fall will invade their data privacy.

Combatting anti-Black racism in the academy: A primer for faculty
OCUFA
OCUFA’s Status of Women and Equity Committee is inviting all members of OCUFA faculty and academic librarian associations to an important online workshop on combatting anti-Black racism in higher education.

Can Canada's universities survive COVID?
Maclean's
In early August, McGill provost Christopher Manfredi took the bus from Westmount to the school’s downtown Montreal campus. He actually got a seat for the 20-minute ride in, which is usually a feat to be celebrated. But on this day, it was a reminder that we’re still in a pandemic, and most people aren’t going into the office. Upon arrival at the school, campus looked much nicer than usual, says Manfredi. The lower field, an expanse of grass on the east side of campus, was glowing green, for example. In years prior it was dead by June, after thousands of graduates stomped on it excitedly on their convocation day.

September 22, 2020

Survey of Postsecondary Faculty and Researchers, 2019
Statistics Canada
First results from a new survey of postsecondary academic faculty and researchers show that one-third of survey participants from Canada's postsecondary sector identified as members of at least two diversity groups—with postdoctoral fellows and PhD student respondents most likely to identify with multiple groups.

Manitoba details safe schools spending blueprint
Winnipeg Free Press
Two weeks into the 2020-21 school year, the province has released more details about how $137.4 million in various government funding will be spent to keep teachers and students safe amidst the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Manitoba considers tinkering with student screening questions
Winnipeg Free Press
THE COVID-19 screening students have to pass before they can come to school is under review, as Manitoba examines British Columbia’s move to remove symptoms, including runny noses and sore throats, from its list.

Manitoba back-to-school good so far — but still much to learn, more to do about COVID-19 in schools: expert
CBC
Manitoba students have been back in classrooms for two weeks, and experts say it's too early to assess the province's performance — but there are additional measures officials could use to handle cases of COVID-19 in schools and learn how the illness spreads in that setting.

U of T facing scrutiny over academic freedom controversy
CAUT
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) is investigating allegations that the University of Toronto bowed to outside pressure in rescinding an offer of employment to an internationally recognized scholar.

Stella's Sherbrook location staff on strike one year after public battle led to first contract
Winnipeg Free Press
The dining room inside Stella’s Sherbrook was near empty Monday morning, the typically illuminated open sign in the window dimmed, though a few people trickled through the side door.

Stella’s staff go on strike due to ‘complete lack of respect’ to workers, says union
Global News
Union members at a popular restaurant chain went on strike Monday morning after what they called a “constant battle” with their employer.

School bus strike putting a strain on parents
CTV News
Students in Manitoba have been back at school for a couple of weeks now, but for more than 2,000 students in the Winnipeg School Division, getting to and from school has been an ongoing challenge.

Pallister claims he's in the dark over actions by Hydro subsidiary
Winnipeg Free Press
Premier Brian Pallister says he’s among those confused about whether Manitoba Hydro International is winding down its operations, after internal directives to curtail its work went public.

10,000 Quebec home daycare workers on strike, call for wage increase
CBC
Home daycare workers across Quebec are on strike this morning, with the union calling for increased wages and improved working conditions.

Hollywood unions, studios agree on rules to start production
The Star
Hollywood’s unions announced Monday that they have reached an agreement on pandemic protocols with major studios that will allow the broad resumption of production of films and television after six months of stagnant sets and widespread unemployment.

September 21, 2020

UFCW 832 Members Working at Stella’s Serve Up a Strike
UFCW 832
After a full day of meetings today, UFCW 832 members working at Stella’s on Sherbrook voted overwhelmingly in favour of going on strike. The picket line will begin in front of Stella’s on Sherbrook tomorrow morning (Monday, September 21) at 7:00 am.

Stella's employees go on strike at Sherbrook Street location
CBC
Workers at Stella's on Sherbrook Street are walking a picket line Monday morning.

Prayer vigil planned in support of universal basic income
Winnipeg Free Press
In advance of Wednesday’s federal throne speech, Winnipeggers who want Ottawa to create a universal basic income, plan to hold a prayer vigil at the St. Boniface office of cabinet minister Dan Vandal.

Canada Post worker says employer not doing enough to keep them safe from COVID-19
CBC
A Manitoba postal worker and the union that represents him says Canada Post isn't doing enough to protect workers from COVID-19 in the midst of an upswing of cases.

Canada should increase financial support for child care to help women return to the work force
Globe and Mail
The Prime Minister has promised an ambitious plan to set Canada on a path to recovery from the staggering economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the key components of such a plan must be to enable more women to enter the work force and build a meaningful career.

Winnipeg expects 3,300 fewer immigrants due to pandemic delays, affecting local businesses, families
CBC
On weekends, Marson Ocampo is waking up when Winnipeg's bars are closing, working from dusk to dawn and sometimes longer as the main cook at his Filipino eatery, Mar's Sisig Restaurant.

Pandemic is driving high demand for employment law advice, lawyers say
Globe and Mail
Employment lawyers say March, April and the long months that followed were the busiest of their career as employers scrambled to shift their workers to home offices, considered layoffs and wage cuts amid a total shutdown of business or adapted their workplaces to comply with new requirements wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Canada’s unions call for a feminist recovery plan
Canadian Labour Congress
Canada’s unions are marking Gender Equality Week by calling on the federal government to ensure a recovery plan that is rooted in equity and leaves no one behind.

Healthcare Professionals’ Negotiations : The healthcare system is failing. We are the solution.
fiqsante
The FIQ kicked off its new ad campaign with the slogan “The healthcare system is failing. We are the solution.” as part of the negotiation process underway with the Quebec government to renew the collective agreement for its 76,000 members. Last night, the FIQ started its province-wide visual campaign with urban projections in four Quebec regions.

This year, labour stood for us all
rabble
2020 has been a year when workers and the labour movement were more active than ever. Teachers' unions, health-care unions, unions representing grocery workers and workers in packing plants, workers' rights organizations, which work with the many vulnerable workers deemed essential during this crisis, and other unions were key partners in crafting the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS).

RRC student aid caught up in COVID-19 delay
Winnipeg Free Press
More than 200 Red River College students have had their ability to access student financial aid affected by pandemic-related changes to the college's fall session, which resulted in an overload of the college's data entry process.

Students at the Costliest MBA Programs Have Buyer’s Remorse
Bloomberg Businessweek
MBA students at some of the most expensive and prestigious programs are having buyer’s remorse, spurred by Covid-19.

September 18, 2020

'Nobody knew what to do'
Winnipeg Free Press
Breanne Gylywoychuk found herself with more questions than answers, after receiving an email Tuesday night saying her son would not be able to attend school in person the next day.

Carbon cash makes way into Manitoba classrooms
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba school boards are spending $5 million of the province’s carbon tax revenue on retrofitting classrooms, a year after a spat between the Trudeau and Pallister governments put the cash in limbo.

Alarms raised about Winnipeg police-in-schools program
Winnipeg Free Press
Some school staff say having uniformed police officers stationed in Winnipeg schools deters racialized students from attending class. Others report being disturbed by what they call victim-blaming presentations on sexting and gang involvement. In one specific critique, a teacher reported witnessing a student in crisis be unnecessarily "physically accosted and put in handcuffs."

Masks on, but 'distancing is not great': Room for improvement on following protocols, Winnipeg students say
CBC
Mixing cohorts and crowded hallways are part of the reality Manitoba students are facing as they begin a new school year amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.

U of T law dean denies offering scholar job, caving to Tax Court judge’s pressure
Globe and Mail
The dean of the University of Toronto’s law school is denying allegations that he rescinded a job offer to an international scholar because of political interference from a judge on the Tax Court of Canada, over the scholar’s work on Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Why does Hydro want to pull plug on MHI?
Winnipeg Free Press
Economic realities in the world today are stark.

SHA employees struggle with overtime, understaffed labs due to increased COVID-19 testing
CBC
Some Saskatchewan frontline health workers are saying healthcare systems like laboratories are reaching a breaking point due to increased COVID-19 testing.

Steelworkers Call for Fair Union Election at Canadian Mine in Mexico
USW
The United Steelworkers (USW) is calling on Mexican and Canadian authorities to guarantee the integrity of the union election scheduled for Sept. 17 at the San Rafael Mine in Cosalá, Sinaloa, Mexico, which is operated by the Canadian mining company Americas Gold and Silver.

Strong Unions Are Pivotal For Safety Of Healthcare Workers And Patients
SCOOP
In May 2019, all 194 countries that set the agenda of the World Health Organization met at the 72nd World Health Assembly and endorsed the establishment of World Patient Safety Day to be marked annually on 17 September. But this year's COVID-19 pandemic has unveiled the huge challenges and risks healthcare workers are facing globally including hospital-borne infections, violence, stigma, psychological and emotional disturbances, illness and even death. Furthermore, working in unjust, abusive and stressful environments makes healthcare workers more prone to errors which can lead to patient harm. That is why the theme of 2020 World Patient Safety Day is "Health Worker Safety: A Priority for Patient Safety."

September 17, 2020

Laurentian University professor concerned about 'cancel culture' in academia
CBC
A Laurentian University professor in Sudbury, Ont. has signed a petition to have her colleague reinstated after what she calls 'a clumsy and badly written' Tweet.

U of T law school under fire for opting not to hire human-rights scholar after pressure from sitting judge
Globe and Mail
The University of Toronto’s law school is facing international and internal criticism, accused of caving in to pressure from a sitting federal judge not to hire a human-rights director because of her scholarship on Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories.

McMaster professor embroiled in White House controversy over reports he attempted to muzzle scientists
Globe and Mail
A McMaster University professor is at the centre of a White House controversy over reports he tried to muzzle government scientists, demanded the power to edit COVID-19 documents from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and accused CDC staff of attempting to “hurt” U.S. President Donald Trump.

John Pritchard first school with 'code orange'
Winnipeg Free Press
Public health officials declared the first code orange at a Manitoba school on Wednesday, after seven COVID-19 cases were confirmed, sending three cohorts of students home in a test of the province’s remote learning backup plan.

President of Yukon University resigns after starting the job on July 1
The Star
The president of the first university in Canada’s North has resigned after fewer than three months on the job.

Burning Out
Inside Higher Ed
As a frequent commentator on all things higher ed, Kevin McClure likes his predictions to be right. But in the case of a recent article he wrote about the growing threat of faculty burnout, he wanted to be wrong.

University of Michigan graduate students accept school’s latest offer, end strike
Click on Detroit
Members of the Graduate Employee’s Organization (GEO) voted Wednesday to accept the University of Michigan’s latest offer regarding issues of mutual concern and end their strike.

Cyber threat to disrupt start of university term
BBC
Universities and colleges are being warned by the UK's cyber-security agency that rising numbers of cyber-attacks are threatening to disrupt the start of term.

PC accused of hijacking school bus drivers' contract talks
Winnipeg Free Press
The union that represents striking Winnipeg School Division bus drivers says the Pallister government’s meddling in its contract negotiations is unwarranted and could prolong the dispute.

Manitoba to take federal transit funding
Winnipeg Free Press
The Pallister government has agreed to spend $33 million on transit across the province, which will allow it to access the same amount in federal funding.

Canada’s unions applaud cancellation of U.S. tariffs
Globe NewsWire
Canada’s unions commend the federal government for acting decisively to end the standoff over U.S.-imposed tariffs on the country’s aluminum exports.

Chicago Health Care Workers on Strike for Safe Staffing, $15 Minimum, PPE
Labor Notes
On Friday a Cook County judge filed a partial injunction against nearly 5,500 health care workers preparing to strike the University of Illinois at Chicago’s hospital, clinics, and other campus divisions. The judge cited a “clear and present danger” to patients, reducing the number of union members who could participate in the strike.

Hundreds of French COVID-19 testers strike over work conditions, says union
National Post
Several hundred workers at COVID-19 testing laboratories across France walked out on Thursday in protest against poor working conditions, one of the country’s biggest trade unions said, piling more strain on a system under severe stress.