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.
October 24, 2025
Hundreds of classes suspended at 2 Halifax universities as part-time faculty strike
CBC
Hundreds of classes at two Halifax universities have been suspended following a walkout this week by part-time faculty due to impasses in contract negotiations, with the union that represents them citing compensation and job security as the main sticking points.
Back-to-work legislation to end Alberta teachers’ strike coming Monday, says premier
CBC
The Alberta government will table back-to-work legislation on Monday that seeks to end the provincewide teachers’ strike, Premier Danielle Smith said Thursday morning.
'Our solidarity cannot be defeated by a bill': Thousands of teachers vow to resist planned back-to-work order
Edmonton Journal
Jason Schilling, with a red sweater worn over a pale blue shirt, walked up the front steps of the Alberta legislature as if he was Rocky Balboa. Cheered on by 30,000 red-clad teachers and their supporters, the president of the Alberta Teachers’ Association had a message for Alberta Premier Danielle Smith.
Proposed Carleton policy would limit freedom of speech on campus, advocates say
The Charlatan
Carleton University is proposing a new policy on institutional impartiality that some advocacy groups said would limit community members’ freedom of speech.
U of L workers call off informal mediation
Alberta Worker
Last week, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees published an update regarding contract negotiations for workers employed by the University of Lethbridge.
Federal scientific research underfunded, report says
Rabble
The federal science sector is under strain, according to a new report by the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC). The report warns that if federal scientific research is not properly funded and sustained, Canadians will be left vulnerable.
AI Is Ruining My Education
Maclean's
In November of 2022, during my first year of university, I was sitting in the library, staring at a jumbled to-do list and 15 tabs cluttering my computer screen when a friend came to sit with me. With a glint of mischief in his eye, he asked me if I had heard about “it,” then turned his screen around as if he were revealing the cracked coordinates of Atlantis. In a way, he was: there, on his laptop, was ChatGPT in its newborn glory.
University of Virginia strikes deal to pause Trump administration investigations
ABC
The University of Virginia has agreed to abide by White House guidance forbidding discrimination in admissions and hiring, becoming the latest campus to strike a deal with the Trump administration as the college tries to pause months of scrutiny by the federal government.
UC asks California Supreme court to block release of Trump’s UCLA settlement offer
Los Angeles Times
The University of California on Thursday made a last-minute plea to the state Supreme Court, asking justices to block the release of a $1.2-billion UCLA settlement proposal from the Department of Justice as UC battles faculty members who are calling for more transparency about negotiations with the Trump administration.
University of North Carolina faces scrutiny after firing tenured professor
HRD
A North Carolina university’s firing of a tenured professor over alleged misconduct led to a key court ruling on due process in public sector terminations.
As Financial Woes Mount, More Universities Turn To Staff Layoffs
Forbes
Financial pressures are continuing to force more universities and colleges to announce major reductions in staff as they try to stem the red ink. The budget problems reflect a combination of forces, including slumps in enrollment, fallout from the various federal cutbacks orchestrated by the Trump administration and rising costs from inflation.
Manitoba NDP gets D- in fiscal report card
Winnipeg Sun
Manitoba has received a D-minus for fiscal accountability in a national report card that compares how clearly and quickly senior governments report what they plan to spend and what they actually spend. The C.D. Howe Institute’s latest grading, which reviews 2023/24 year-end financial statements and 2024/25 budgets and estimates, places Alberta at the top with an A-plus and puts Manitoba and the Northwest Territories at the bottom with D-minus grades. The institute says too many governments release key numbers late, bury them deep in documents, or use inconsistent accounting that makes comparisons hard for legislators and the public.
Air Canada makes 'difficult decision' to cut management jobs
CBC
Air Canada is reducing a number of non-union management positions, it said Thursday.
Reuters exclusive: ConocoPhillips to layoff Canada employees in November, company memo shows
CTV News
U.S. oil producer ConocoPhillips will begin layoffs at its Canadian operations in the first week of November, according to a memo seen by Reuters on Thursday.
All BC Wildfire Service workers join public sector strike
CityNews
Employees of the BC Wildfire Service and provincial Ministry of Forests walked off the job Wednesday as a strike by public sector workers continues into its eighth week.
BC moves to secure jobs for workers facing catastrophic illness
Benefits and Pensions Monitor
Facing a catastrophic illness or injury could soon mean job security, not uncertainty, for British Columbians—if new legislation passes this fall.
Unifor serves Amazon notice to bargain
Unifor
Unifor Local 114 has officially filed papers to begin negotiations for a collective agreement at the Delta B.C. facility (“YVR2”).
Union of National Employees may be put under 'administration' amid complaints about president
Ottawa Citizen
Canada’s largest public sector union is considering temporarily overseeing the operations of a smaller component union after complaints have piled up about its leadership, according to an internal letter obtained by the Ottawa Citizen.
Staff shortages at Kelowna, Winnipeg airports forcing periodic closings, Air Canada memo warns
Globe and Mail
A shortfall of air-traffic controllers in Canada is at times forcing airport towers at Kelowna and Winnipeg airports to close when the one controller on duty goes on a break, according to a memo to Air Canada pilots seen by Reuters.
American truck maker will end Canadian production of vehicles sold in U.S., union expects 300 layoffs
Globe and Mail
American truck maker Paccar Inc. is putting the brakes on production in Canada and laying off more workers ahead of a 25-per-cent U.S. import tariff scheduled to start next month.
Boeing union sets October 26 vote on contract offer for 3,200 striking workers
Reuters
A union representing over 3,200 striking workers at Boeing (BA.N) said on Thursday that its members will vote on October 26 on an existing contract offer from the company with minor modifications.
WA company TLC Surface Treatment fined almost $1m over death of 16yo Hamiora Sharland
ABC News Australia
A Western Australian company has been issued a record-breaking fine of nearly $1 million, plus costs, over the death of a teenager who was critically injured at a Perth factory two years ago.
‘Still work to be done’: Iceland marks 50 years since Women’s Day Off protests
The Guardian
Iceland is the only country to have closed the gender gap by more than 90%, according to the World Economic Forum, and, for the first time in its history, every national leadership position – including president, prime minister, bishop and police chief – is now held by a woman.
October 23, 2025
International students call on Manitoba NDP to make good on health-care promise
CBC
International students held a rally Wednesday to call on Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew to make good on a promise to bring back their health-care coverage.
2 new college programs aim to produce more Anishinaabemowin, Ininimowin speakers in Manitoba
CBC
Two post-secondary schools in Manitoba hope new bachelor's degrees in Indigenous languages will help revitalize and preserve First Nations cultures.
Speak Out! Tom Alter, MAGA McCarthyism, and the Fight for Free Speech
Haymarket Books
The U.S. is experiencing one of the largest waves of political repression in its history. Academics, socialists, leftists, intellectuals, Palestinians, Muslims, labor organizers, trans people, queer folks, migrants, immigrants, people of color, the disabled, the working-class, the poor are all under attack. The state’s efforts to repress free speech are part of a larger campaign to silence and stamp out dissent of all kinds, andmove the U.S. further towards authoritarianism. Recently, Tom Alter, a tenured historian, was fired from his job at Texas State University, simply for speaking as a Socialist.
Amendments to the Workplace Safety and Health Regulation and the Administrative Penalty Regulation
Province of Manitoba
The proposed amendments to the Workplace Safety and Health Regulation (Regulation) will implement consensus recommendations from the Workplace Safety and Health Act Review Committee (Review Committee). The Regulations will adopt mandatory training standards and certification requirements for those that work with asbestos or conduct asbestos sampling, establish a public registry of training providers and employers that work with asbestos or conduct asbestos sampling, and will require building owners to have the same responsibilities as employers related to asbestos.
Dozens of firefighting positions unfilled when Manitoba wildfires began in May: documents
CBC
When wildfires began rapidly spreading across Manitoba in May — the start of a fire season that forced 32,000 out of their homes — the province was short dozens of fire rangers, and 25 per cent of its wildfire division positions were vacant, CBC has learned.
Canada Post workers union loses challenge of back-to-work order
CBC
The Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) has dismissed an argument from the Canada Post workers union that a government back-to-work order was unconstitutional.
Carney says Canada should prepare for ‘sacrifices’ as he outlines plan for budget
CBC
Prime Minister Mark Carney said Canadians should be ready for some “challenges” and “sacrifices” in a speech outlining some of his government’s priorities for the upcoming federal budget.
62 young nurses leave N.B. for every 100 who start, think-tank says
CBC
For every 100 nurses under the age of 35 who started in New Brunswick in 2023, there were 62 other young nurses who left, according to a new report by a public-policy think tank.
Tensions high as WNBA labour battle continues — and deadline looms
CBC
Tension is rising in the ongoing labour battle between the WNBA and the union representing the players, with the existing collective bargaining agreement expiring next week and no new deal in sight.
NAPE is prepping to negotiate with government, and unions are sharing their priorities (video)
CBC
Newfoundland and Labrador’s largest public sector union is preparing to sit down with the new government to hash out collective bargaining agreements, and this week various union sectors are outlining what they need to see included. The CBC’s Terry Roberts reports.
Popeyes franchises shut down over unpaid wages placed into receivership
Globe and Mail
A Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen franchisee whose restaurants were shut down last month after employees raised allegations of unpaid wages has had his companies placed into receivership, with debts totalling roughly $10.8-million.
EQB to cut about 8% of workforce, take $85-million charge as part of restructuring
Globe and Mail
Financial services company EQB Inc. EQB-T says it is cutting about 8 per cent of its workforce as it restructures its operations.
Saskatchewan health-care workers ‘at a breaking point,’ unions say
Global News
Three unions representing nearly 30,000 health-care workers in Saskatchewan say they are seeing their members leaving the industry as a result of high stress and low wages.
300 Quebec workers laid off by truck manufacturer Paccar ahead of U.S. tariffs
Global News
U.S.-based truck maker Paccar Inc. has laid off 300 workers at its Sainte-Thérèse, Que., plant, just weeks before a 25 per cent U.S. import tariff on commercial trucks is set to take effect on Nov. 1.
Canadian nursing job vacancies triple in five-year span: MEI report
CTV News
Canadian nurses are leaving the profession in droves with job vacancies tripling within a five-year period, according to a new report from the Montreal Economic Institute (MEI).
NDP’s Avi Lewis helps author report accusing pro-Israel Jewish group of promoting anti-Palestinian racism
Toronto Star
Federal NDP leadership candidate Avi Lewis is among a group of Jewish academics slamming one of Canada’s biggest pro-Israel Jewish groups as anti-Palestinian in a new report released Tuesday.
Federal Employee Unions File Expanded Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration’s Illegal Shutdown Firings
AFGE
Labor unions challenging the Trump administration’s illegal mass firing of federal employees during the government shutdown on Tuesday expanded their lawsuit to cover additional federal workers and asked the court to issue a preliminary injunction extending its order barring the administration from firing any workers as the litigation proceeds.
OPINION: America is overdue for a general strike
St. Louis/Southern Illinois Labor Tribune
“May Day 2028 will be the defining moment of our generation,” United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain declared in a recent Jacobin essay.
New Zealand ‘mega strike’: 100,000 public sector workers demand better conditions
The Guardian
An estimated 100,000 nurses, teachers and public sector staff walked off the job in New Zealand on Thursday to call on the government to better fund and resource public services, in one of the country’s largest ever strikes.
$930 per week pay cut warning for Aussie workers amid Fair Work gender-based review
Yahoo Finance
Hundreds of Australian community and disability workers will walk off the job today to rally against “devastating” pay cuts proposed by a major business lobbying group. It’s feared the plan would result in wage cuts of up to $930 a week, leading to a “mass exodus” of workers from the sector.
October 22, 2025
U of Winnipeg's strategic plan outlines priorities amid financial challenges (video)
CBC
The University of Winnipeg has a new five-pillar strategic plan to help guide it through the next five years. The new strategic plan comes as the university navigates financial troubles and was forced to suspend programs earlier this year. The university's faculty association hopes the plan will address those issues.
U of W emphasizes revitalizing downtown
Winnipeg Free Press
The University of Winnipeg has charted a course for the next five years that leans heavily on its position as a member of the downtown community.
MUN faculty, students concerned about upcoming program cuts
CBC
A new university president and a new provincial government signals the start of a new chapter for Memorial University as it struggles to stay afloat financially.
Misogynistic ideas made popular online are popping up in Canadian classrooms, survey says
CBC
In her Grade 8 to Grade 12 classrooms, Annie Ohana says ideas with toxic undertones are often not far away.
Mount Saint Vincent University part-time faculty to go on strike
CTV News
Part-time faculty at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax will go on strike starting Wednesday following the last round of negotiations.
Regina students' union says vote to dissolve URSU passed by a 70-13 count
Regina Leader-Post
A vote to dissolve the University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU) has been declared valid by the student organization.
College faculty are under pressure to say and do the right thing – the stress also trickles down to students
The Conversation
Heavy teaching loads, shrinking university budgets and expanding workload expectations have fueled stress and burnout among professors and other university employees in recent years.
Rutgers University Senate Passes Academic Freedom Resolution After Prof Flees US
Truthout
On Friday, October 17, the Rutgers University Senate overwhelmingly approved a resolution in support of academic freedom, spurred by the recent attacks on History Professor Mark Bray.
Judge tosses review into wage hikes for Métis, Michif CFS workers
Winnipeg Free Press
The union representing Métis and Michif child and family services is relieved a judge has tossed an application to review a wage agreement.
Union calls ban of Charlottetown water and sewer workers from city hall 'ludicrous'
CBC
Some striking Charlottetown water and sewer workers have been served trespass orders after more than 50 union members and supporters rallied outside a city council meeting last week.
NDP leadership candidate Heather McPherson to table bill prohibiting company unions
iPolitics
NDP leadership hopeful Heather McPherson is proposing a private members’ bill that would ban company-backed unions.
CUPE welcomes NDP bill to ban unpaid work for flight attendants
CUPE
Flight attendants across Canada represented by CUPE are welcoming new legislation from the federal NDP that will finally make it illegal for airlines to force flight attendants to perform countless hours of work for free every month.
Government Committee to Examine the Situation at Canada Post
CUPW
This week, the Standing Committee on Government Operations and Estimates (OGGO) will begin hearings into the situation at Canada Post. This committee was responsible for the broad review of the public post office in 2016 and the more recent examination of rural post offices in 2024.
Remote strike: How BC government workers take the picket online
Castanet
Every day, Tiffany Prince boots up her computer, opens up Zoom and joins the BC General Employees’ Union strike.
Nearly a quarter of American workers didn’t take any of their vacation days this year, says new survey
CNBC
Going on vacation is a great way for workers to decompress from their busy schedules, but some don’t feel comfortable taking even a few days off, according to a new report from FlexJobs.
Amazon Plans to Replace 600,000 Human Workers With Robots, Report Says
CNET
Amazon has been using robots in its warehouses for over a decade, and that's not stopping anytime soon. According to a report Monday from The New York Times, Amazon is seeking to ramp up its robot army at the cost of human jobs.
AI is already taking white-collar jobs. Economists warn there’s ‘much more in the tank’
CNBC
JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs are harnessing it to employ fewer people. Ford CEO Jim Farley warned that it will “replace literally half of all white-collar workers.” Salesforce’s Marc Benioff claimed it’s already doing up to 50% of the company’s workload. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon told The Wall Street Journal that it “is going to change literally every job.”
October 21, 2025
The right time to reflect on precarious employment
Winnipeg Free Press
The University of Winnipeg has a dirty secret the administration doesn’t want you to know: in any given term, half of the university’s students are taught by poorly paid contract academic staff with no benefits and no job security. These professors are fully qualified and experienced, with doctorates, graduate degrees and terminal degrees who also write, research and publish, yet we have to apply for each of our courses every year, and often every term.
Rare provincewide university student strike being co-ordinated in Nova Scotia
The Chronicle Herald
The Canadian Federation of Students Nova Scotia has voted to co-ordinate a provincewide student strike from March 16 to 21, 2026.
Violence against Quebec school staff on the rise, unions say
CTV News
Despite measures taken by François Legault’s government in recent years, violence against school support staff is continuing to rise, according to two unions.
Alberta government mum on back-to-work bill details as teachers strike continues
Global News
The Alberta government is keeping its legislative cards close to its chest when it comes to passing an order to end a provincewide strike by teachers.
Dalhousie Board and CUPE reach tentative agreement, averting strike action
Dalhousie University
The Dalhousie University Board of Governors and CUPE Local 3912 have successfully reached a tentative collective agreement. The bargaining teams met with the government conciliator today (Monday, October 20) and were able to resolve the remaining outstanding items.
How scientists are pushing back against Trump’s funding ‘deal’ for universities
Nature
US President Donald Trump asked US universities earlier this month to sign a ‘compact’ aligning their student admissions, hiring and research with his administration’s priorities — or risk forfeiting federal research funds. And many scientists have been calling on their institutions to reject the offer.
Arts and culture industries create 20,000 jobs, study finds
Winnipeg Free Press
Art and culture are key components of Manitoba’s identity and economy, according to new data released by the Manitoba Arts Council on Monday.
Manitoba welcomes 6 new doctors from south of the border, nearly 30 more still being recruited
CBC
Hospitals and clinics are starting to get a boost from south of the border, with a group representing doctors in the province saying the political climate in the U.S. is driving some of their physician colleagues to Manitoba.
As unemployment climbs, the promise of a grocery store job lures hundreds
CBC
Not long ago, Casey McLaughlin was executive director of the Yukon Transportation Museum in Whitehorse, but earlier this month she found herself lining up with hundreds of others at a job fair in Ottawa, vying for a coveted position at a new Food Basics grocery store.
STM maintenance workers threaten to go on 3rd strike, this time for a month
CBC
Maintenance workers with Montreal's transit authority issued a notice Tuesday morning to go on a third strike this year — and this one could last a month.
Federal Science Under Strain as Report Flags Risks Ahead of Proposed Cuts
Cision
A new report released today by the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), the union representing the scientists, researchers and engineers working for the federal government, highlights significant warning signs in Canada's federal public science system – and urges renewed investment to ensure long-term resilience, not more cuts.
From factory floors to office towers: the 40-year shift in Canadian employment
Globe and Mail
The evolution of employment across sectors offers a clear window into the forces shaping an economy. Economist Arnold Harberger once noted that growth doesn’t unfold uniformly, like dough rising slowly and evenly in the oven, but rather in bursts, like mushrooms springing up unpredictably from the forest floor.
Amazon accused of freezing pay and intimidating staff as part of union crackdown
The Logic
Amazon has been accused of ramping up a campaign of intimidation against workers who recently formed a union at its warehouse in Delta, B.C., according to documents obtained by The Logic.
The Red Scare Is American Past and Present
Jacobin
If we want to understand how we arrived in this authoritarian moment in 2025, we need to understand one of the central pathways that brought us here: McCarthyism.
Welfare cuts have fuelled rise of far right and populism, top UN expert says
The Guardian
Decades of efforts by mainstream politicians to roll back welfare programmes have given rise to an “extremely dangerous” discourse that has helped fuel the rise of the far right and rightwing populists in countries around the world, a top UN expert has told the Guardian.
New Zealand government denounces looming strike by 110,000 workers for being pro-Palestine
World Socialist Web Site
On October 19, New Zealand’s Minister for Public Service Judith Collins, who is also the defence minister, issued an “Open letter to the people of New Zealand” denouncing the strike actions scheduled for Thursday involving roughly 110,000 workers and demanding that they be called off.
October 20, 2025
Second alleged assault at Oak Park High School prompts arrests
Winnipeg Free Press
Winnipeg police made arrests in a second alleged assault at a Charleswood high school, while investigating an attack against a different student who is a newcomer from Ukraine.
'Anger, hopelessness,' as Sask Polytech lays off more than 120 staff: union
CBC
The Saskatchewan Government and General Employees’ Union says 58 non-faculty employees have been laid off from Saskatchewan Polytechnic since January, adding to the 66 faculty members who also lost their jobs at the school this year.
Students and Workers Reject Bill 33: Hands Off Our Education!
Globe and Mail
With the imminent return of the Ontario Legislature, students and workers are sending a final message to the government: reject Bill 33.
How Alberta Teachers Are Winning the Public Opinion Battle
The Tyee
As a strike by about 51,000 teachers enters its second week, the Alberta Teachers’ Association is winning the fight for public support.
College Part-Time Support Staff Bargaining Update #16: Part-time college support staff vote “YES” and deliver strike mandate
OPSEU
The results are in! This week, part-time support staff took a massive step forward in holding our first ever strike vote, and 64% of us have voted “YES”!
Report points to longer waits, higher fees for Manitoba freedom of information
Winnipeg Free Press
The Manitoba government has been taking longer to respond to freedom of information requests and collecting more money from people filing them, newly released figures show.
Vancouver’s Film and TV Industry is Facing One of its ‘Toughest Slowdowns’. Animators and Visual Effects Workers Are Unionizing to Take Back Control.
PressProgress
Amid pressure from Donald Trump’s tariffs, the threat of artificial intelligence and the disruptive influence of streaming services, Canadian animation and visual effects workers in Vancouver are organizing their workplaces to secure their jobs and raise wages.
Ontario hit NextStar EV battery plant in Windsor with 10 stop work orders over hazards, documents show
CBC
Workers at a massive, publicly subsidized electric vehicle (EV) battery plant project in southwestern Ontario have faced repeated health and safety hazards, including high levels of carbon monoxide, electrical risks and flooded parking lots, according to government records obtained by CBC News.
Striking B.C. public service workers agree to mediation after 7 weeks on pickets
CBC
The union representing 34,000 striking public sector workers says it will enter into mediation over a labour dispute that has threatened the delivery of services in the province.
Ontario labour minister faces resignation calls amid discord between public, private sector unions
CTV News
The minister in charge of Ontario’s Skills Development Fund is facing calls for his resignation from a union leader in the wake of allegations that over $100 million for jobs retraining have been funneled to projects helmed by political allies.
Computer science graduates face shifting job market as AI disrupts entry-level roles
CTV News
Once seen as a near-guaranteed path to a well-paying tech job, computer science is no longer the sure-fire bet it once was for graduates.
Working mothers are paying the price for return-to-office order
CTV News
As companies across Canada enforce return-to-office (RTO) orders for employees, some wonder how to balance their responsibilities, especially mothers who juggle caregiving with their full-time careers.
Quebec union warns omnibus bill could put public sector workers’ safety at risk
Toronto Star
One of the major unions in Quebec is calling attention to an omnibus bill it says could put the health and safety of public sector workers at risk.
Workers in Ontario were shortchanged nearly $200 million in unpaid wages, a new report says: ‘A massive crisis happening in plain sight’
Toronto Star
Alberto Ojeda is still waiting for more than $31,000 a Toronto employer owes him — wages the provincial Ministry of Labour ordered paid more than three years ago. Despite a clear ruling from the ministry and a detailed investigation by an employment standards officer, seen by the Star, the province has yet to recover a cent.
Edmonton care workers try to unionize
Alberta Worker
Earlier this week, the Alberta Labour Relations Board published their latest new applications report. In it was an application for union certification.
Biggest US labor unions fuel No Kings protests against Trump: ‘You need a voice to have freedom’
The Guardian
Recovery from a recent surgery for colon cancer will not stop James Phipps, 75, from attending Saturday’s No Kings demonstration in Chicago, Illinois. “I have a burning desire to be a part of the protest.” he said, “because that’s all I’ve done all my life.”
As Kaiser Workers Strike, ‘Not-for-Profit’ Is Sitting on $67 Billion
American Prospect
Forty-five thousand workers at Kaiser Permanente—ranging from nurses to therapists to pharmacists—are on strike across the West Coast and Hawaii, in the country’s largest labor action of 2025, and the largest strike in the U.S. since the October 2024 longshore workers strike. The five-day limited-duration strike comes as workers continue to face major short staffing and wage increases that have lagged behind inflation in some of the country’s highest-cost-of-living areas.
October 17, 2025
Manitoba Government Acts to Protect Democracy and Fundamental Freedoms
Province of Manitoba
The Manitoba government has introduced legislation that would require any provincial legislation invoking Section 33 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, commonly known as the notwithstanding clause, to be automatically referred to the Manitoba Court of Appeal for an opinion on whether the law violates charter rights, Premier Wab Kinew and Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced today.
Province will consider back-to-work legislation for Alberta teachers if strike continues to drag
CBC
Alberta's finance minister says the province will consider back-to-work legislation if teachers are still off the job when the legislature returns later this month.
McGill faculty association votes to boycott Israeli cultural and academic institutions
CTV News
Teachers and librarians at a McGill University association voted to boycott Israel’s cultural and academic institutions this week as debates continue to swirl about academic freedom.
Sask. Polytech unions say there’s a chill over faculty as over 100 staff laid off since April
CTV News
The number of layoffs at Saskatchewan Polytechnic continues to grow.
Atlantic Canada sees sharp decline in international student enrolment
Globe and Mail
International student enrolment is down sharply at universities in Atlantic Canada this year as the federal government’s cap on the number of study permits it will process takes a toll on the postsecondary sector.
Canada’s postsecondary system must pivot to meet economic challenges ahead, RBC report says
Globe and Mail
The Canadian postsecondary system should consider major changes to meet the economic challenges facing the country, according to a new report from Royal Bank of Canada.
At least 8,000 people rally for public education in Edmonton Thursday
CBC
Vehicle car horns echoed in downtown Edmonton Thursday morning, as some motorists rooted for thousands of educators rallying in the area on Day 11 of the provincewide teachers’ strike.
4 universities reject White House funding deal with attached demands. 5 schools yet to respond
CNN
The battle for academic freedom and institutional sovereignty in higher education continues to play out as another university has rejected a White House offer for expanded access to federal funding in return for agreeing to a series of demands.
Trump administration’s layoffs would gut department overseeing special education, eliminating parents’ last resort
The Conversation
A federal judge on Oct. 16, 2025, paused the Trump administration’s latest round of layoffs, which targeted more than 4,000 federal workers at a range of agencies, including 466 workers at the Department of Education.
Scotiabank lays off staff across Canada as it streamlines costs
Globe and Mail
Bank of Nova Scotia is laying off staff across its Canadian banking unit, part of the lender’s continued efforts to adjust its businesses through its multiyear turnaround plan
‘A bit of a chess match:’ Postal workers union says shifting to rotating strikes part of strategic push to end labour stalemate
iPolitics
Canada Post employees are back on the job after a two-week-long strike, but their union says it will continue to use work stoppages to press for a new labour deal.
Canada pays highly educated immigrants less money than the U.S., study finds
National Post
Canada is “relatively successful” at attracting highly educated immigrants, but their counterparts in the United States earn more and have access to better opportunities, a new study says.
Unions sue Trump administration over social media 'surveillance' program
NBC
Three labor unions represented by the Electronic Frontier Foundation sued the Trump administration on Thursday over a program that is searching the social media posts of visa holders, arguing that the practice violates the First Amendment rights of people legally in the United States.
More than 100,000 workers prepare to strike in New Zealand
World Socialist Web Site
More than 100,000 public sector workers—including teachers, nurses, doctors and other healthcare workers—are preparing to strike on October 23, in what is expected to be New Zealand’s largest industrial action in more than 40 years.
