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.

April 17, 2025

‘Sobering’: Manitoba professors warned to avoid unnecessary travel to U.S.
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba professors are heeding advice to avoid the United States for all but “essential and necessary” travel in response to rising political tensions and attacks on academic freedom south of the border.

Court bans pro-Palestinian protests on McGill University campus for 10 days
CityNews
McGill University has obtained a temporary court order against a pro-Palestinian student group forbidding protests that disrupt activities or block access to buildings on campus.

'Taking a hammer to the humanities:' Profs say SMU slashing arts courses, putting jobs at risk
CBC
Around 50 arts and humanities courses at Saint Mary's University in Halifax will be dropped for the upcoming academic year, leaving dozens of part-time professors scrambling for work, according to the union representing them.

International students in the U.S. file legal challenges over widespread visa revocations
Globe and Mail
Several international students who have had their visas revoked in recent weeks have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, arguing the government denied them due process when it suddenly took away their permission to be in the U.S.

Responding to growing criticism of equity, diversity and inclusion policies
University Affairs
An interview with David Robinson, executive director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, which represents faculty, librarians and researchers at 125 postsecondary institutions.

Trump threatens Harvard’s ability to host int’l students
The PIE
US homeland security secretary Kristi Noem has written a “scathing letter” to Harvard University, demanding it submits records of international students’ “illegal and violent activities” by April 30, or face losing its eligibility to enrol student visa holders.

Visas revoked from 37 Johns Hopkins University students in Maryland, officials say
CBS News
Johns Hopkins University confirmed that 37 international students have had their visas revoked, according to a spokesperson. This comes as the Trump Administration continues to crack down on immigration enforcement.

iPhones and GPS owe their existence to US government-funded research. What’s at stake with Trump cuts to university funding
CNN
Imagine a world without the internet, or GPS, MRNA vaccines or the touchscreen on your iPhone. The science and technology that have become integral to our daily lives may never have existed, experts say, were it not for research funded by the federal government at American colleges and universities.

Science caught in crossfire of Trump's fight with universities
Reuters
Harvard scientist Dr. Donald Ingber, who works where medicine and engineering meet, saw federal funding for some of his projects frozen this week as his university clashed with the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Trump says 'very soon' will send education back to states
Reuters
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that the federal government will soon be sending education "back to the states" while congratulating lawmakers in Texas for approving a private school voucher program.

China to rely on artificial intelligence in education reform bid
Reuters
China will integrate artificial intelligence (AI) applications into teaching efforts, textbooks and the school curriculum as it moves to overhaul education, authorities said in an official paper released on Wednesday.

China Research Spending Outstrips U.S. Despite Faltering Economy
Inside Higher Ed
China continues to prioritize research and development despite the country’s slowing economy, with the drive for scientific self-sufficiency superseding economic development alone, according to analysts.

Old-school networking still key to landing a job, recruitment experts say
CBC Radio
When Rose Asgharzadeh moved to Calgary in 2023, she wasn't worried about finding a job. Her 14 years of experience teaching human resources at a university in Iran made her a literal expert on finding a job.

B.C. NDP introduces bill to eliminate mandatory sick notes for short-term work absences
CBC
British Columbia's labour minister is moving to eliminate sick note requirements for short-term absences from work in an effort to give doctors and nurses more time with patients.

Myth: Unions aren’t needed anymore
Alberta Worker
If it isn’t clear to anyone, I’m pretty supportive of unionization.

Union representing thousands of provincial employees calls for strike vote
CTV News
The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE) says formal mediation has broken down with the Government of Alberta (GOA) and it will hold a strike vote.

Judge says labor unions’ lawsuit over DOGE access to Labor Department systems can move forward
CityNews
A federal judge says he won’t dismiss a lawsuit from labor unions seeking to block Elon Musk’s team from accessing systems at the Labor Department.

April 16, 2025

Louis Riel school trustee mourned
Winnipeg Free Press
The Louis Riel School Division is mourning the loss of a longtime teacher-turned-trustee who was known for her kindhearted nature and “feisty streak.”

Open letter to federal leaders from Manitoba researchers gets support from hundreds of Canadian academics
CBC
An open letter from a group of Manitoba researchers has garnered support from hundreds of other scientists and academics across the country, sounding the alarm about the effects of research cuts in the U.S. on Canadian research and urging federal political leaders to take action.

Canadian university teachers warned against travelling to the United States
CBC
The association that represents academic staff at Canadian universities is warning its members against non-essential travel to the United States.

University of Regina students voice concern after URSU fee agreement terminated
Global News
The University of Regina terminated the fee-sharing agreement with its student union, URSU.

Universities at a political crossroads
University Affairs
2025 is on track to become a watershed year in Canadian political history as international upheaval and domestic challenges reshape our political landscape. Against a background of U.S. President Trump’s threats to our economy and sovereignty, Mark Carney has reignited Liberal prospects after what had seemed an assured election victory for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre.

Canadian universities report jump in US applicants as Trump cuts funding
Reuters
More students living in the United States are applying to Canadian universities or expressing interest in studying north of the border as U.S. President Donald Trump cuts federal funding to universities and revokes foreign student visas.

Harvard just stood up to Trump. How long can it last?
BBC
Harvard University says it will not acquiesce to US President Donald Trump's demands - whether it continues to get federal funding or not.

Trump says Harvard should no longer receive federal funds as university pushes back – US politics live
The Guardian
Donald Trump has gone on yet another rant about Harvard University on his social media platform Truth Social this morning.

What to Know as Trump Freezes Federal Funds for Harvard and Other Universities
New York Times
The showdown between the Trump administration and institutions of higher learning intensified on Tuesday, when President Trump threatened Harvard University’s tax-exempt status after the school refused to accept his administration’s demands on hiring, admissions and curriculum.

Province offering work-permit extension for temporary residents hoping to make Manitoba permanent home
Winnipeg Free Press
Faced with “desperate” labour shortages, Manitoba announced a two-year work permit extension Tuesday for prospective provincial nominee program candidates.

Tariffs are already changing Canada’s job market, and workers are paying the price
Globe and Mail
The negative effects of trade-war uncertainty can now be observed in Statistics Canada’s official employment data: This country lost 62,000 full-time jobs in March. Excluding the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is the worst March on record for full-time job losses, even if we account for labour force growth.

Unions Form Pro Bono Legal Network for Federal Workers Targeted by Trump
New York Times
The nation’s largest federation of unions has put together a pro bono legal network that aims to help federal employees whose jobs have been lost or threatened under the Trump administration.

Unions, Not Just Factories, Will Make America Great
Jacobin
President Donald Trump and his defenders claim that his recent tariffs will usher in “a new Golden Age of American industrialization and prosperity.” As the president put it, “Tariffs are not just about protecting American jobs. They’re about protecting the soul of our country.”

Labor Has a China Problem—but Not the One You Think
The Nation
On the eve of Donald Trump’s inauguration, United Auto Workers (UAW) president Shawn Fain—arguably the most important labor leader in the US today—declared that his union was “ready to work with Trump.” Fain’s conciliation rested on one key Trump policy: tariffs. While tariffs have adversely affected the livelihood of the working class time and again, Fain believes that they are a boon for American, Mexican, and Canadian workers alike.

April 15, 2025

U of M scientists gather coast-to-coast support in call for federal research funding to fill gap left by Trump administration cuts
Winnipeg Free Press
University of Manitoba scientists are recruiting colleagues on campuses across the country to put pressure on Canada’s next prime minister to prioritize funding research amid an “international innovation vacuum.”

'Appalling' Pembina Trails hack could cause a lot of damage, privacy expert says
CBC
A privacy expert says she's not seen a breach elsewhere in Canada that matches the scale of the Pembina Trails School Division hack.

Ontario unions say struggling colleges can be ‘lifeboat’ through economic turmoil
Global News
A coalition of labour groups is the latest to call on the Ford government to spend more on Ontario’s public colleges as part of a tariff response strategy, saying the training they provide is key to reducing economic reliance on the United States.

CAUT advises academics against non-essential travel to the U.S.
CAUT
Given the rapidly evolving political landscape in the United States and reports of individuals encountering difficulties crossing the border, CAUT strongly recommends that academic staff travel to the U.S. only if essential and necessary.

‘Hands off our university’: Faculty rally against federal oversight of Columbia
Columbia Spectator
Dozens of faculty members and researchers from Columbia University Irving Medical Center and the Morningside campus gathered at the Sundial Monday afternoon to rally against oversight of Columbia by President Donald Trump’s administration.

Former government staffer, appointed by Tories, files wrongful dismissal suit
Winnipeg Free Press
A LONGTIME Progressive Conservative political staffer, appointed by the Tories to chair the Clean Environment Commission, is suing the NDP government for wrongful dismissal.

B.C. health-care workers' CRA accounts hacked after 28,000 social insurance numbers stolen in data breach
CBC
Nurse Leslie Warner will never forget being taken to her local RCMP detachment in Fernie, B.C., in 2022 and charged in a social security fraud operating out of Alberta.

174 AB companies owed over $2.17M in worker backpay in 2024
Alberta Worker
Did you know that the Alberta Government has a Registry of employers with unpaid judgments on their website?

B.C. unions claim foreign workers threaten maritime wages, workforce safety
Business Intelligence for B.C.
Several maritime union leaders claim shipping-related employers may be misusing Ottawa’s foreign worker programs, prompting concerns of wage depreciation and safety challenges in the industry.

Whistleblower says DOGE took sensitive data. And, Harvard rejects Trump's demands
Up First
The Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, may have taken sensitive data from the National Labor Relations Board and hid its tracks, according to a whistleblower disclosure obtained by NPR. DOGE has aggressively sought access to government data and computer systems since the start of President Trump's second term. The NLRB is a small independent agency that investigates unfair labor practice complaints.

Unions sue to block Trump from eliminating labor mediation agency
Reuters
More than a dozen major unions filed a lawsuit on Monday seeking to block the administration of President Donald Trump from shutting down a federal agency that mediates labor disputes in the public and private sectors.

Exhausted government workers decide to take Trump's second buyout offer
Reuters
Nick Gioia was terminated from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in February as part of President Donald Trump and tech mogul Elon Musk's effort to slash the size and cost of the federal government.

April 14, 2025

Profs start own lecture series to fill gap left by U of W
Winnipeg Free Press
A hiatus in the University of Winnipeg’s public lecture series has prompted its professors to launch their own version in memory of a notorious dismissal on the downtown campus.

Manitoba adopts universal literacy screening
Winnipeg Free Press
Manitoba teachers are receiving marching orders to pay closer attention to how young students learn to read and use new tools to flag early signs of struggle.

Next generation of scientists and innovators showcase their creativity, curiosity
Winnipeg Free Press
Up-and-coming researchers showed off their microplastic extractions and homemade artificial intelligence models at the 2025 Manitoba Schools Science Symposium.

School tax increases raise questions about Manitoba’s property tax changes
Winnipeg Free Press
Recent increases in school taxes have put a dent in the Manitoba government’s estimate of how many homeowners are better off under its new tax-credit system.

Savings from property tax changes could shrink as Manitoba school taxes rise
CBC
Recent increases in school taxes have put a dent in the Manitoba government's estimate of how many homeowners are better off under its new tax-credit system.

University, grad student workers return to bargaining table as strike enters sixth week
Queen's University Journal
With exams well underway and 2,000 graduate student workers on strike, Queen’s and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) 901, Unit 1, are back at the bargaining table.

After 20 year battle, over 16,000 part-time and sessional college faculty across Ontario join OPSEU/SEFPO in one of largest organizing drives in Canadian history
NUPGE
College faculty union leaders had much to celebrate around the historic table at the Ontario Labour Relations Board (OLRB) today. After a long day sorting through thousands of ballots, with 88% of ballot-casters voting in favour the union won the vote count: over 16,000 part-time and sessional faculty at all 24 of Ontario’s public colleges will join OPSEU/SEFPO.

How the Alberta government is tightening the leash on career colleges
CBC
The Alberta government has sanctioned more than 20 private career colleges as part of its increased scrutiny of the institutions.

McGill files injunction against pro-Palestinian student group following protest
CTV News
McGill University has filed an application for a provisional injunction against a pro-Palestinian student group, seeking to protect the rights of students and staff from threat, obstruction and harassment, according to the university.

Eight programs suspended at P.E.I. college over drop in international students
CTV News
A post-secondary institution on Prince Edward Island is suspending eight programs for the upcoming school year citing a drop in the number of international students.

Open Letter from Canadian Researchers to the Federal party leaders

Dear Party Leaders
We, the undersigned faculty members and researchers across Canada, are writing at a critical moment for global science. The dramatic dismantling of research infrastructure in the United States—the world’s historical leader in scientific investment—has left an international innovation vacuum. Major U.S. health and environmental agencies have seen sweeping layoffs and terminated programs in pathogen surveillance, climate resilience, vaccine development, occupational health, cancer research and women’s health. These aren’t just domestic losses; they jeopardize the scientific and public health security of every country that has benefited from U.S. leadership and collaboration.

Harvard University faculty sue to block Trump review of nearly $9bn in funding
The Guardian
Harvard University professors are suing to block the Trump administration’s review of nearly $9bn in federal contracts and grants awarded to the Ivy League school as part of a crackdown on what the White House says is antisemitism on college campuses.

America and Its Universities Need a New Social Contract
The Atlantic
The life of the mind may be a deeply personal thing, but as embodied in colleges and universities, it is also a very public thing—and the two go hand in hand. Since taking office, the Trump administration has been working to dismantle the global order and the nation’s core institutions, including its cultural ones, to strip them of their power. The future of the nation’s universities is very much at stake. This is not a challenge that can be met with purely defensive tactics. We must do what should have been done long ago: find our way to a new social contract between universities and the American people.

Florida universities to deputize campus police for immigration enforcement
WLRN
The police departments of at least three public universities in Florida are seeking agreements with the federal government to carry out immigration enforcement on campus.

UCLA Faculty Association rallies to demand university response to visa revocations
Daily Bruin
Around 60 students, faculty and other community members attended a UCLA Faculty Association rally to protest against the Trump administration’s revocation of student visas.

Members at The Canadian Press vote at 94.16% in favour of a strike mandate
Canadian Media Guild
After 14 meetings over the course of less than three months, the parties are still far apart on key demands. The Canadian Press is seeking concessions and offering a wage increase that will not keep up with inflation year-over-year, let alone make up for the loss in purchasing power over the last collective agreement.

Windsor Stellantis workers to return to job for at least 2 weeks, union says
CBC
Workers at Windsor's Stellantis assembly plant will return to the job for at least two weeks, their union announced Friday.

Kentucky Unions Stand Up to Halt Deportation of Two Hundred Workers
Labor Notes
Two hundred union workers, out of 5,700 who assemble dishwashers, refrigerators, washers, and dryers for GE Appliances-Haier at Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky, received notice this month that the Trump administration is revoking their work authorizations.