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.
March 28, 2024
Manitoba Government Restores 1:1 Apprenticeship Ratio to Keep Workers Safe
Province of Manitoba
The Manitoba government is restoring the apprenticeship ratio to 1:1, a move that will increase safety and proper training for Manitobans in the trades, Economic Development, Investment, Trade and Natural Resources Minister Jamie Moses announced today.
Province restores one-to-one ratio for apprentices
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba’s plan to restore the one-to-one ratio of skilled-trades apprentices to journeyperson supervisors won’t improve safety and will make the shortage of skilled labour even worse, critics say.
Griffin Wheel workers strike over pension plans and forced overtime
Unifor
Unifor members who work at Griffin Wheel, a foundry that manufactures train wheels in Winnipeg, went on strike this morning at 9 a.m., after the company’s latest offer would erode pensions, seniority rights and work-life balance issues.
Ford calls on federal government to 'get government workers' back to the office in Ottawa
CTV News
Premier Doug Ford is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to bring federal workers back to the office for "a few days" to help boosts the downtown economy, as the Ontario government provides funding to revitalize Ottawa's downtown core.
STATEMENT: FEDERAL MINIMUM WAGE RAISE PUTS ALBERTA WORKERS FURTHER BEHIND
Alberta Federation of Labour
Alberta Federation of Labour (AFL) President Gil McGowan responded to the federal government’s minimum wage raise from $16.65 to $17.30 on April 1st and the Government of Alberta’s unwillingness to raise the Alberta minimum wage:
U of W delays exams as it calms down staff, faculty in wake of cyber attack
Winnipeg Free Press
A cyber attack that shut down the University of Winnipeg Monday will delay the end of the winter term and exams by a week, officials said Wednesday.
University of Winnipeg extends semester after confirming it was targeted by cyberattack
CBC
The University of Winnipeg is extending its winter semester after a "criminal" cyberattack disrupted student services as the term was about to end.
3 months after a cyberattack, some students and staff at MUN's Grenfell campus are still having tech problems
CBC
More than two months after a cyberattack impacted Memorial University's Grenfell campus in Corner Brook, a professor and student say the situation is still much worse than university administration has let on.
Ontario school boards sue social media giants for $4.5B
CBC
Four major Ontario school boards are taking some of the largest social media companies to court over their products, alleging the way they're designed has negatively rewired the way children think, behave and learn and disrupted the way schools operate.
Ontario to give nearly all study permits to public colleges and universities
Globe and Mail
The Ontario government is awarding nearly its entire allotment of international study permits to universities and publicly funded colleges, shutting out private career colleges and concentrating the funds generated by the international student program in the public sector.
Florida State faculty union accuses university of ‘unfair labor practices’
Tallahassee Democrat
Florida State University’s faculty union last year filed a charge with the state against the FSU Board of Trustees for ‘unfair labor practices’ related to post-tenure faculty review.
UW-Milwaukee faculty at branch campuses to be laid off under little-used policy
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
The closure of two University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee branch campuses will lead to the layoffs of tenured faculty members under a policy that's previously been applied just once.
Unis may have to end some overseas partnerships
BBC
Universities in England could have to change or end their partnerships with countries such as China under a new system designed to protect freedom of speech.
Tweeting your research paper boosts engagement but not citations
Nature
Posting about a research paper on social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter) doesn’t translate into a bump in citations, according to a study that looked at 550 papers.
March 27, 2024
U of W paralyzed by cyber incident
Winnipeg Free Press
Weeks before exams are set to begin, students and faculty at one of Manitoba’s largest universities are scrambling to access academic files after a weekend “cyber incident” knocked out network access and forced the institution to cancel classes.
University of Winnipeg network still reeling from 'cyber incident'
CBC
A "cyber incident" that crippled the University of Winnipeg and forced the cancellation of classes on Monday is still impacting several services.
Ratification of University of Winnipeg Students’ Association election results delayed due to ‘serious’ allegations (video)
CityNews
A recent election that would have decided the future of the University of Winnipeg Students’ Association was marred with complaints and concerns and now the ratification of the results have officially been delayed. Morgan Modjeski reports.
AASUA and U of A begin negotiations for new collective agreement
The Gateway
The current collective agreement between the Association of Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA) and the U of A is set to expire on June 30. On March 5, AASUA and the U of A exchanged opening proposals, which began negotiations for the next collective agreement.
TRU releases full report of allegations of harassment against 2 senior administrators
Kamloops Now
It's been over a year since Thompson Rivers University released the findings of an investigation into allegations of misconduct against a pair of senior administrators.
McGill University TAs ‘not being taken seriously’: striking for better salaries and conditions
CityNews
It’s the final stretch of the spring semester and 1,600 teaching assistants at Montreal’s McGill University embarked on an eight-week strike Monday. They took to the picket lines Tuesday. The dispute between the union and the university is over salaries and working conditions.
Ontario announces new medical school focused on family doctors
Global News
The Ford government has announced plans to partner with York University to create a new medical school focused specifically on training family doctors.
Saskatchewan post-secondary institutions receive $12 million top-up in 2024 budget
Global News
Saskatchewan’s focus on funding education has largely been centred on elementary and high schools across the province, as the province navigates reaching a contract agreement with the Saskatchewan Teachers’ Federation.
How International Students in a Janitors’ Union Won Their Fight
Yahoo
When Ravi Kumar became the team lead of around 25 housekeeping staff at McArthurGlen Designer Outlet in Richmond last year, he expected a raise in keeping with the added responsibilities.
Manitoba reviewing contract after staffing agency fails to bring over any doctors after 8 months
CBC
Manitoba's health minister is examining why a staffing agency has little to show for itself after signing a contract to bring 150 family doctors to the province.
Canada Goose is laying off 17 per cent of its global corporate staff
CBC
Luxury parka maker Canada Goose says it is laying off 17 per cent of its global corporate workforce.
Sask. bingo hall appeals to court in bid to decertify workers' union
CTV News
A Court of King’s Bench judge has overruled a labour board order to destroy the unopened ballots from a vote to decertify a recently-formed union at a Saskatoon bingo hall.
Nurses’ Union ‘Shocked’ by Restriction on Re-Hiring For Public System
VOCM
The province’s registered nurses’ union is reacting with shock after learning that contracts with private agencies prevent nurses from returning to the public sector for up to a year.
LifeLabs members - A powerful show of solidarity to launch bargaining - BC General Employees' Union (BCGEU)
BCGEU
The first round of bargaining talks with the employer have just wrapped up, and we want to provide an update to members.
Change to BC Labour Code draws business class fire
rabble
It was the great labour singer Woody Guthrie, I think, who once said, “Don’t worry about the scab. If he can’t steal your job, he’ll get by on what he steals from a blind man ‘s cup.” Whether it was Woody or some other worker who coined this pungent line, it captures perfectly the contempt most workers feel for scabs, workers who betray other workers by crossing picket lines to take the jobs of strikers.
The abuses kept out of sight in the shrimp trade
Globe and Mail
The inspectors were coming, and senior management at the sprawling seafood processing plant on India’s eastern coast had to come up with a plan. The facility employed more workers than Joshua Farinella, a 45-year-old American who had recently been hired as the plant’s general manager, believed could be safely accommodated.
March 26, 2024
University of Winnipeg to resume classes Tuesday following technical glitch
CBC
Classes will resume Tuesday at the University of Winnipeg following a technical issue that cancelled classes Monday.
8-week strike 'the only resort,' say McGill TAs fed up with wages, working conditions
CBC
One day into an eight-week strike, the union representing McGill University teaching assistants (TA) hopes a return to the negotiation table Tuesday is a step toward a deal that includes higher wages and better working conditions for its 1,600 members.
Ontario’s public education system faces dire staffing challenges, survey finds
Globe and Mail
The staffing challenges in Ontario’s public education system have grown so dire that more than a quarter of schools experience daily teacher shortages and nearly half have daily shortages of education support workers, a new survey has found.
Controversial new TRU procedure hides 'important' university information from reporters, community
Castanet
The president of Thompson Rivers University has implemented a controversial new procedure that aims to keep information about the public institution out of the hands of reporters and out of the headlines — and it's already drawing concern on and off campus.
BU graduate student workers on strike
NBC
About 3,000 Boston University Graduate Workers Union members went on strike Monday. Workers gathered in Marsh Plaza with signs held high calling for fair wages, comprehensive health care, and stronger benefits such as child care.
Florida law creates ‘suspicion’ of Chinese students and faculty, lawsuit says
The Tampa Bay Times
Two doctoral students and a professor are challenging a 2023 Florida law in federal court, saying it harms their careers and “casts a cloud of suspicion” over Chinese people seeking to work at the state’s public universities and colleges.
How are Australian universities tracking racism on campus? These students stepped in where their university didn't
ABC News
A student-led report that surveyed more than 800 people studying at one of Australia's most prestigious universities has found more than two thirds have either experienced or witnessed casual racism.
City asks labour board to settle Transit safety team dispute
Winnipeg Free Press
The City of Winnipeg is seeking help from a third party to resolve a labour dispute over community safety officers, who began patrolling Winnipeg Transit buses and stops last month.
More than 400 AGO workers to go on strike Tuesday
CBC
More than 400 employees at the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) will be on strike as of 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, according to the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU).
RNU Outraged as Members Wait for Benefits Included in Collective Agreement
VOCM
The President of the Registered Nurses’ Union says she is outraged that their members have not yet received all of the benefits included in their collective agreement signed last year.
Wisconsin Supreme Court lets ruling stand that declared Amazon drivers to be employees
CityNews
The Wisconsin Supreme Court dismissed a lawsuit Tuesday brought by online retailer Amazon’s logistics subsidiary, which had sought to overturn a lower court’s ruling that it had misclassified delivery drivers as independent contractors instead of employees.
The Evolution of Employee Sick Days in a Post-COVID-19 Workplace With Parks and Rec — Hiring to Firing Podcast
JD Supra
In this episode of the Hiring to Firing Podcast, Partners Tracey Diamond and Evan Gibbs navigate the evolving landscape of employee sick days in a post-COVID-19 workplace. Special guest Lisa Whittaker, director and managing counsel, employment and labor law at The J.M. Smucker Co., joins them for a humorous discussion of the use and abuse of employee sick days, using clips from the popular TV show, Parks and Recreation. Tune in for an insightful discussion!
Mercedes workers file federal charges with NLRB to stop union busting
Alabama Political Reporter
Workers at the Mercedes-Benz plant in Vance are accusing the company of engaging in union busting and are seeking an injunction from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to cease the tactic.
South Korea doctors’ strike widens as medical professors join protests
The Guardian
Medical professors in South Korea have said they will reduce the hours they spend in practice, while some say they plan to resign, in a widening of a doctors strike in the country.
March 25, 2024
Seine River trustees plan ‘balanced approach’ to deal with school division’s $5.8-M deficit after provincial review
Winnipeg Free Press
Decision-maker oversights and high turnover in a rural board office are to blame for a surprise deficit in the Seine River School Division, a provincial investigation has found.
WSD prioritizing classroom inclusion for students who need supports
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba’s largest school board is updating its approach to inclusion in a bid to reduce enrolment in pull-out programs and the overall number of hours students spend in specialized classrooms.
What exams do and don’t do
Winnipeg Free Press
Once again, the persistent question — to have provincial exams or not — has been brought back into the spotlight by the provincial government changing its mind from banning them to reinstating them shortly afterward.
BU, faculty reach tentative agreement
Brandon Sun
A tentative agreement has been reached between Brandon University and the BU Faculty Association after almost a year of negotiations and the possibility of a strike. The last contract between the two parties expired March 31, 2023.
Parents file $1.5M lawsuit after Quebec teacher accused of selling students' artwork online
CBC
A group of parents have filed a lawsuit against a Montreal-area high school art teacher and his school board after students found their classroom artwork available for purchase on the teacher's personal website last month.
Some N.B. schools now want more money up front from international students
CBC
Moncef Lakouas remembers how much his family in Morocco sacrificed for him to come to New Brunswick 20 years ago as an international student.
‘Severe’ teacher and staff shortages being felt in Ontario schools, new report shows
CityNews
A new report is highlighting teacher shortages across Ontario, with data showing that nearly half of provincial schools experience daily shortages for educational assistants.
Federal cap on international students shouldn't affect universities, colleges that have been 'good actors,' Miller says
Peterborough Examiner
Colleges and universities that didn't contribute to the over-enrollment of international students should not be impacted by the federal government's clampdown, said Immigration Minister Marc Miller, also warning that Ottawa may step in if provinces allow that to happen.
The 1,600 McGill University teaching assistants to go on strike starting Monday
CTV News
Around 1,600 teaching assistants at McGill University announced that they would be on strike starting Monday, as the final sprint of the university year begins.
Biden cancels nearly $6 billion in student debt for public service workers
MPR News
Nearly 80,000 public service workers — including teachers, nurses and firefighters — will have roughly $6 billion in student loans forgiven Thursday, according to a statement from the Biden administration.
Who screwed millennials out of affordable education? Part 3 – Full Story podcast
The Guardian
How did a system that was meant to make access to university more equitable end up burdening students with the very $100,000 degrees John Howard promised Australia would never have? Jane Lee and Matilda Boseley talk to the Labor-appointed architect of the higher education contribution scheme to understand why student fees were introduced, who benefited and how he wound up at a dinner party where guests were planning to burn an effigy … of him.
COVID came with career setbacks for many 2020 postsecondary grads: StatCan
Global News
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic came with career setbacks for many Canadians who graduated from postsecondary schools that year, new data shows.
Stop breaking women’s hearts at work: 7 ways to make workplaces better for cardiovascular health
The Conversation
Prominent heart health messaging focuses on the role of lifestyle behaviours (such as physical activity and nutrition) in cardiovascular health. However, the role of social determinants of health (or SoDH) — which include sex, gender, poverty, environment — is also well established. SDoH not only directly impact risk and progression of heart disease, but also health outcomes.
The U.S. Is Witnessing A Considerable Growth In Strike Activity
The Maple
Last month, the School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) at Cornell University released the annual report of its Labour Action Tracker (LAT). Once again, the report shows a considerable growth in strike activity in the United States.
Worker-to-Worker Unionism: A Model for Labor to Scale Up
Jacobin
Young, radicalized, digitally coordinated workers have initiated and driven forward many of the highest profile strikes and union drives of recent years. From the red state teachers’ walkouts to union wins at Starbucks and Amazon, rank-and-file organizers have begun challenging business as usual not only within corporate America, but also within organized labor.
Boeing's largest union seeks seat on planemaker's board, FT reports
Microsoft Start
Boeing's largest labor union is seeking a board seat at the planemaker, the Financial Times reported on Monday.
Welsh junior doctors begin 96-hour walkout over pay
Express and Star
Thousands of Welsh junior doctors have gone on strike for the third time this year.
March 22, 2024
PC plan for central online high school shelved
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba Education has abandoned plans to create an entirely new online high school to increase access to remote learning and expand e-course offerings coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Era of the Silenced Academic Must End
The Wire
Academic freedom has become a central issue of concern in India. Many have blamed the illiberal political climate in the country and the quality of individual institutions in question for the decline in academic freedom. While all of these are important factors, the question of academic freedom is complex and cannot be easily answered.
Tentative deal in Ten Ten Sinclair strike
Winnipeg Free Press
Unionized employees of Ten Ten Sinclair facilities and their employer have reached a tentative agreement on a new contract.
Ontario's Ministry of Labour can't force employers to pay worker wages, but why?
CTV News
Dozens of people have contacted CTV News claiming they weren’t paid after working at, or providing services to, a Kitchener, Ont. grocer. Some allege they’re owed thousands of dollars from Dutchie’s Fresh Food Market. In some cases, they’ve been waiting years for a resolution.
Canadian Mayor imposes nationwide trespass notice for CUPE members and staff
Public Services International
Not only does Mayor Doug Bender persist in refusing to engage in collective bargaining with the union, but he has also instituted a ban from accessing three municipal premises in Black River-Matheson on the 14 striking workers, expanding it to all CUPE members and employees nationwide, a disproportionate and unfair anti-union measure. PSI General Secretary Daniel Bertossa has written to the mayor and raised it with the Ministry of Labour of Ontario and Canada.
FIFA's request for labour law exemptions for Toronto's World Cup bid sparked concern
Toronto Star
FIFA requested that employees working on the 2026 World Cup be exempt from certain labour laws as part of Toronto's bid to co-host the tournament, a concession that raised the concerns of then-mayor John Tory, internal documents show.
McDonald’s franchisee ‘can’t raise prices enough’ to cover minimum wage hike
KTLA5
As the owner of 21 McDonald’s franchises in California, Kerri Harper-Howie is naturally frustrated by the state’s new minimum wage law – just not for the reasons you might expect.
Column: The 8-hour workday was the paramount goal of unions in the 1800s. Is the 4-day workweek next?
Los Angeles Times
G. Roger King, a lawyer with the lobbying organization for big corporate human resources officers, assured the members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee that he and his colleagues were fully on board with the concept of a four-day work week.
New York City pizzeria owner, manager charged with stealing wages from employees
CBS News
A popular New York City pizzeria has been charged with stealing thousands of dollars in wages from several employees.
Elon Musk's SpaceX retaliated against employees who discussed pay, labor board says
Quartz
Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX is facing new labor-related allegations. Officials at the National Labor Relations Board say SpaceX engaged in unfair labor practices after it retaliated against its employees in December of 2022.
Common Dreams
A new analysis shows that unionized workers across the United States secured historic wage increases under contracts negotiated last year, further demonstrating the power of collective bargaining.
Over 1,000 nurses at Staten Island University Hospital submit strike notice
CBS News
Nurses at Staten Island University Hospital take a step closer to going on strike.
Georgia Republicans Pass Bill Punishing Union-Friendly Employers
HuffPost
GOP lawmakers in Georgia passed a bill Wednesday to punish employers that make it easier for workers to form unions, sending the legislation to Republican Gov. Brian Kemp for his signature.
Train Drivers Across The UK To Strike Through April, May
Complex
Train drivers who are part of the Aslef union—which includes employees of 16 rail firms, including London Underground—have voted to call 14 one-day strikes as part of a 20-month dispute. The strikes will primarily run through April and May.
March 21, 2024
UM named one of MB’s Top Employers for 13th consecutive year
UM Today
The University of Manitoba has been named among Manitoba’s Top 100 Employers (2024), as well as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers (2024) by Mediacorp Canada inc., Canada’s largest employment periodicals publisher. This is the thirteenth consecutive Manitoba’s Top Employer designation and eighth consecutive Canada’s Best Diversity Employer designation for UM.
U of G union reaches tentative deal with university
Guelph Today
Looks as if a strike has been averted for the union representing about 2,300 teaching assistants, graduate service assistants and sessional lecturers at the University of Guelph.
Nova Scotia Teachers Union to hold strike vote April 11
CBC
The Nova Scotia Teachers Union is set to hold a strike vote on April 11.
Special statement on AGSEM strike vote
McGill Association of University Teachers (MAUT)
As many of you are aware, AGSEM—the association that represents teaching assistants at McGill—is currently negotiating its collective agreement with the university. As part of these negotiations, AGSEM recently held a vote on strike action which was approved by its membership
Can new approaches to medical curriculum solve the family doctor shortage?
University Affairs
With six million Canadians currently lacking any affiliation to a family doctor, it’s likely that you or someone you know has firsthand experience reconciling the need for primary care with what many describe as a broken system. For emergency physicians working in our hospitals and clinics, the consequences of the family doctor shortage can take the form of nightmarish scenarios. Tony Sanfilippo, an academic physician, clinical cardiologist and professor at Queen’s University, says he sees the shortage everywhere: from patients who aren’t getting preventative care to stem the development of cancer, to newborns being discharged from the hospital with no family doctor. “These babies won’t have somewhere to go for immunizations or for checkups,” he said. “This is having a huge impact on individuals, but it’s also having an impact on the system.”
Florida Law Threatens to Defund, Disband Higher Ed Unions
Inside Higher Ed
In May 2023, two weeks before Florida governor Ron DeSantis officially announced his run for the Republican presidential nomination, he signed a law threatening public sector unions’ continued funding—and existence.
Biden cancels nearly $6 billion in student debt for 78K public service workers
NBC News
President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the White House has approved the cancellation of nearly $6 billion in federal student debt for thousands of public service workers.
Open-Ended Strikes Can Win at Australian Universities
Jacobin
In August 2023, National Tertiary Education Union (NTEU) members at the University of Melbourne took the longest strike action in Australian higher education history. For a full week, union members from the Faculty of Arts, Student and Scholarly Services, Melbourne Law School, and the Faculty of Fine Arts and Music walked off the job. Just over a month later, NTEU members across all departments at the university followed it up with a second week-long strike.
‘Everyone here is in crisis mode’
Winnipeg Free Press
Two weeks after more than 150 health workers went on strike, residents say care at Ten Ten Sinclair facilities is inadequate and there has been almost no communication from the non-profit organization.
Most workers get paid every two weeks, but a new movement is looking at the idea of daily pay. (audio)
CBC Radio
Personal finance columnist Rubina Ahmed-Haq says getting paid as you earn is a new concept for salaried workers. She explores how it would work and some of the pitfalls companies need to consider.
Canada must address systemic racism and discrimination in the workforce
Canadian Labour Congress
As we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21, Canada’s unions call on the federal government to take immediate, concrete action to address racism within our workforce. This starts with updating the Employment Equity Act by implementing the Employment Equity Task Force’s recommended reforms.
‘Beyond shameful’: Bell reportedly laid off hundreds of workers in virtual group meetings, union claims
Toronto Star
The union representing employees of Bell claimed the telecommunications giant laid off hundreds of its members Wednesday via virtual group meetings, a move which it described as “beyond shameful.”
Card-Check Union Certification In B.C. Has Been A Major Success
The Maple
Earlier this month, the British Columbia Labour Relations Board released its annual report for 2023.
Across Industries, Minnesota Workers Are Harnessing Their Collective Power
Workday Magazine
Collective power is rising in Minnesota. Thousands of union members and a broad coalition of community groups banded together to demand better contracts, quality schools, housing and a livable planet. Unions in Minnesota have been aligning with community groups for more than a decade, participating in actions to build solidarity and worker power.
Union members rally at state Capitol to push for bill to protect workers in Colorado who refuse to attend mandatory meetings
CBS News
On Wednesday, union members rallied at the state Capitol to push for a bill that would protect workers in Colorado who refuse to attend mandatory meetings related to politics and religion. It would also protect them against having to attend meetings that proponents call anti-union meetings.