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.

November 6, 2026

Wilfrid Laurier University and University of Guelph want to create new law schools
CTV News
Aspiring lawyers could soon have more choices when it comes to higher education in Ontario.

Post-secondary students across Ontario walk out of classrooms to protest OSAP changes, tuition hike
CBC
University and college students across Ontario are protesting rising tuition fees and the province's changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) in a walkout Thursday. 

U of T's dentistry dean to step down following antisemitic images in course material
CP24
The University of Toronto says its dean of dentistry will be stepping down immediately, following an investigation into his use of antisemitic imagery in February.

U15 universities ready to support Canadian sovereignty and security following Budget 2026
U15
U15 Canada has signalled that Canada’s leading research universities remain ready to work with government partners to advance sovereign capabilities that will keep Canada secure and create economic opportunities for Canadians.

University support staff pushed to the limit: Ontario must address underfunding and governance failures
OSSTF/FEESO
Today, the Ontario Secondary School Teachers’ Federation (OSSTF/FEESO) released a landmark study, “Pushed to the Limit: A Study on the Psychosocial Hazards and Working Conditions of University Support Staff”. The study documents the connection between chronic underfunding of Ontario’s universities and excessive support staff workloads. This government's underfunding of post-secondary education has had a direct impact on recognition, leadership, transparency, and fairness for support staff in Ontario’s post-secondary education system.

The Education Department Is In Trouble As Student Loans, College Funding Likely To Draw Democratic Scrutiny
Forbes
The Education Department and Secretary of Education Linda McMahon are likely to face new congressional scrutiny in the coming months after Democrats won landslide victories in this week’s midterm elections. Incoming House and Senate Democrats have not yet outlined a concrete plan for new investigations, but they are likely to focus their attention on several issues including student loans, college and research funding, and the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the Education Department or outsource its operations to other agencies.

US Justice Department sues Penn State over undocumented students’ tuition
Al Jazeera
The United States Department of Justice has sued Pennsylvania State University, accusing the institution of violating federal law by offering in-state tuition rates to undocumented students while denying the same reduced rates to all US citizens.

Almond Nail Bar staff in work stoppage
Winnipeg Free Press
Technicians at multiple local Almond Nail Bar locations have walked off the job, calling for their paycheques.

Canada’s unemployment rate edges up to 6.7% in October, a six-month high
Globe and Mail
Canada’s unemployment rate went up to a six-month high in October and the economy lost a few thousand jobs as the private sector and full-time employment saw declines, data showed on Friday.

Budget 2026 doubles down on corporate handouts and attacks on workers
CUPE
CUPE, Canada’s largest union, says the 2026 federal budget is the next step in selling what Canadians have built over generations to billionaire investors. The result: cuts to jobs and vital public services that workers and their families depend on. 

Why 1,200 Miners Are on Strike in BC
The Tyee
The union for striking workers at the Highland Valley Copper mine near Kamloops says safety issues — including silica dust and degrading equipment — are a key factor behind the workers’ 100 per cent strike vote mandate.

Canva layoffs: design giant to cut or relocate more than 1,200 jobs in major restructure
The Guardian
Canva is cutting or relocating more than 1,200 jobs, representing 22% of its global workforce, as part of a major restructure that includes laying off staff who helped build the Australian-founded design platform.

Fearing AI disruption, white-collar workers are quitting their jobs
The Guardian
When artificial intelligence researcher Mrinank Sharma quit his job at Anthropic earlier this year, the news rippled across the internet. In his resignation letter, posted on X and viewed 15.3m times, Sharma warned of a world “in peril” from the technology he had helped build.

‘Every day, someone loses a hand or a leg’: the brutal reality of India’s textile recycling industry
The Guardian
For three months, Suraj Kumar’s job was to feed discarded clothes into shredding machines in Panipat, an industrial city in the north Indian state of Haryana. Clothes discarded in the US, Canada and Europe arrive in the city to be torn back into fibres and spun into yarn, feeding a textile recycling industry that supplies markets across the world.

London Tube drivers to go on strike across three months as RMT union continues fight against four-day working week
Daily Mail
London Underground drivers are to stage a series of 24-hour strikes over the coming months in a dispute over the introduction of a four-day week, the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has announced.

November 5, 2026

Dark mornings fuel school safety fears
Winnipeg Free Press
School officials are fielding complaints about Manitoba’s decision to abandon biannual clock changes as they urge children to wear bright clothing and take other safety precautions to commute to class in the dark.

Call to revoke Buffy Sainte-Marie’s honorary doctorate from Brandon U
Winnipeg Free Press
Brandon University has been urged to revoke the honorary doctor of music degree given to singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie in 2011.

University libraries are being swarmed by AI bots, putting public access at risk
CBC
Academic libraries are fighting off swarms of data-scraping bots — that are slowing or crashing sites meant for students, researchers and the public — as AI companies continue hunting for content to feed their large language models.

New Alberta bill would compel ‘neutrality’ for post-secondary institutions on political issues
CBC
Universities will be compelled to stay neutral and allow freedom of expression if the Alberta Legislature passes a new bill introduced by the United Conservative government on Tuesday.  

Ontarians say public education has worsened under Doug Ford’s government
Toronto Life
Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives are still the party to beat in the province, but Doug Ford does have a weak flank. According to a new poll from Liaison Strategies, the majority of Ontarians (62 per cent) disapprove of the way his government has handled public education and think the public system has deteriorated under his leadership.

Elementary and secondary education: Enrolment growth slows, as school populations shift toward higher grades, 2024/2025
Statistics Canada
From 2023/2024 to 2024/2025, enrolment in public schools in Canada grew by 86,300 people (+1.6%) to a record 5.5 million. However, growth slowed from the 2.3% increase recorded a year earlier, which was the largest increase since the compilation of these statistics began in 1997/1998.

UBC professor regrets helping colleague approve Galloway accuser’s unfinished thesis to complete degree
Globe and Mail
A University of B.C. creative-writing professor says she regrets her role in the granting of a degree to the woman who accused bestselling author Steven Galloway of sexual harassment and sexual assault, even though the woman did not finish her mandatory graduate thesis.

Google will cut off search access for students at schools that reject AI tools
CTV News
Students using Google software in the classroom will not be allowed to access the company’s search engine unless their school system also opts in to artificial intelligence tools, the tech giant said Tuesday.

More than 900 academics urge UK to reverse decision to bar Andreas Malm
The Guardian
More than 900 academics have voiced their opposition to the government’s decision to block the climate academic Andreas Malm from entering the UK, warning that the move represents “a grave violation of academic freedom and freedom of expression”.

In Manitoba, expectations are high for federal budget
Winnipeg Free Press
Additional funding for the Port of Churchill Plus project, more social housing and improvements to First Nations health services are among Manitoba organizations’ wishes ahead of Thursday’s federal budget.

From job cuts to AI, public service unions are closely watching today's budget
CBC
From concerns around job cuts and the work-in-office mandate to the implementation of artificial intelligence, Canada's largest public service unions are keeping close watch on Thursday's federal budget.

New changes to immigration policy harmful to young workers
Rabble
In October of this year the federal government announced measures that will make it easier for employers to seek out foreign workers. According to Immigration Minister Lena Diab, this change will reduce red tape to ensure the country can find people to “fill gaps that we cannot fill.”

Unifor launches union drive for Amazon warehouses in Toronto area
Globe and Mail
Unifor is launching an organizing drive for thousands of Amazon workers across warehouses in the Greater Toronto Area in an effort to replicate its success in unionizing a facility in British Columbia last year.

Reform Candidate Says UFCW Rep Tailed Him for 300 Miles to Thwart Petition Effort
Labor Notes
In a union that has been headed by one family with no competitive elections since 1984, a group of grocery workers is organizing for change. But this week, they say, union staff who back the incumbent administration went to outrageous lengths in an attempt to make sure there’s no election this year either.

French unions join forces for nationwide strikes, increasing pressure on Macron’s government
CP24
Tens of thousands of trade union members joined nationwide strikes and demonstrations on Thursday to demand higher wages and support the high school protest movement, piling fresh pressure on the beleaguered government.

France’s Police Unions Are Throwing Their Weight Around
Jacobin
“The proportionate use of force should never be an obstacle to the job of restoring order,” French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez wrote in a September 30 message to police chiefs. High schoolers across the country had only just launched a wave of campus blockages over poor learning conditions, in demonstrations that would soon morph into a full-fledged social crisis. In an October 6 government questions session, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu dismissed as “slander” any claims of systemic violence in policing and crowd-control tactics.

November 4, 2026

Child care gap: 77K spaces needed to reach national benchmark
Winnipeg Free Press
The province needs at least 77,000 more child care spaces to meet the national access benchmark — and a plan for getting there, the Child Care Coalition of Manitoba said Tuesday.

Manitoba needs 77,000 more daycare spaces to meet national benchmark: Child Care Coalition
CBC
At least 77,000 more child-care spaces must be created in the province to meet a national access benchmark, the Child Care Coalition of Manitoba says.

Manitoba presses Ottawa on international student decline
Brandon Sun
Manitoba has asked the federal government to reconsider immigration policies affecting international students coming to Canada.

Ontario’s OSAP pause hits paramedic students
Globe and Mail
Paramedic students at a career college in northern Ontario who were approved to receive funding through a signature government program aiming to boost health-care staffing have been swept up in the provincewide pause on student aid.

Alberta tables bill to end tuition hike cap, bar schools from expressing ideological positions
Globe and Mail
Universities and colleges in Alberta won’t be allowed to take official positions on sensitive ideological and political matters under proposed legislation that would also pave the way for lifting the province’s 2-per-cent cap on average annual domestic tuition increases.

Toronto child-care workers reach deal after month-long lockout
CBC
Workers at unionized child-care centres in Toronto have reached a tentative deal with non-profit Ideal Child Services (ICSG), bringing an end to a month-long lockout.

Students blockade dozens of French schools and universities
CTV News
Students blockaded dozens of high schools and universities across France on Tuesday to maintain pressure on the government over education reforms as trade unions prepared for a nationwide strike.

Spain: Education unions mobilise for public education, workers’ rights and equality
ETUCE
On 14 October, education workers in the Community of Madrid began an indefinite strike demanding better working conditions, adequate resources and a stronger public education system.

International doctors face discrimination, harassment in the workplace, new report says
CBC
International doctors practising in Manitoba are facing discrimination and harassment in the workplace, according to a new report by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

Nearly 2-month-old strike at Selkirk steel recycling plant could head to arbitration
CBC
A nearly two-month-old strike at a steel recycling plant in Selkirk, Man., could go to arbitration if no deal is reached in the coming days.

Quebec unions warn labour disputes could skyrocket if federal reform Bill C-39 passes
City News
If Bill C-39 is passed as it stands, the number of labour disputes in companies under federal jurisdiction could double or even triple, the Fédération des travailleurs et travailleuses du Québec (FTQ) warns.

Government’s case for restricting workers’ rights doesn’t pass fact check: CLC
Canadian Labour Congress
The federal government is using concerns about labour disruptions to justify new powers to end legal strikes, without demonstrating that those powers would make Canada’s economy more stable, says the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC).

Hundreds of gig workers protest ‘unliveable’ pay, deliver demands to Uber
Toronto Today
Hundreds of food delivery couriers temporarily stopped working on Monday afternoon to protest their working conditions — and to deliver a letter of their demands to Uber.

Nova Scotia Workers Win Estimated $470 Million Settlement
The Maple
Tens of thousands of Nova Scotia public sector workers who had their constitutional rights to freely bargaining restricted will now receive up to $470 million in compensation.

SGEU requests mediator as negotiations with gov’t reach impasse
CTV News
A union representing Saskatchewan government workers has reached an impasse with the province in its ongoing collective bargaining negotiations.

Unions gain access to thousands of Google workers after UK employment rights overhaul
The Guardian
Trade unions are expected to make further inroads into big tech companies in the UK after new rights for unions to access workplaces came into force, with Google UK signing an agreement on Monday.

Some 38,000 people back the first wave of strikes in the German industry
Democrata
Germany’s largest union, IG Metall, has launched an initial round of strikes within collective bargaining in the metalworking and electrical sectors, with the participation of some 38,000 employees in 220 protest actions carried out this Monday at their workplaces.

The Gig Economy's Gender Blind Spot: Why India's Labour Codes Fail to Protect Women Workers
Devdiscourse
India's digital labour economy is expanding rapidly, creating new earning opportunities while exposing a persistent contradiction in how work is regulated. Women can provide services through digital platforms, accept assignments and generate income without acquiring the legal protections traditionally associated with employment. Recognition as a platform worker does not necessarily guarantee maternity benefits, equal pay, protection against harassment or meaningful collective bargaining.

November 2, 2026

Trustee candidates face stricter rules 
Winnipeg Free Press
School board candidates have been assigned mandatory post-election math homework for the first time in Manitoba’s history.

'Cybersecurity incident' hits Garden Valley School Division
CBC
The Garden Valley School Division in southwestern Manitoba says its IT infrastructure has been impacted by a "cybersecurity incident."

N.S. school support staff strike averted as province, union reach tentative deal
CBC
About 5,500 Nova Scotia school support staff workers will not go on strike Monday after reaching a tentative deal with the province late Friday evening.

Sask Polytech achieves highest Indigenous enrolment in five years
Saskatchewan Polytech
Saskatchewan Polytechnic is reporting its highest Indigenous student enrolment in five years, with a total of 1,425 Indigenous students enrolled for the 2026 fall term.

Indian students cite visa issues, job prospects and safety concerns for avoiding Canada
Globe and Mail
Muskan Thakur has a year and a half left in her biochemistry degree and has already crossed Canada off her list. When she finishes in early 2028, she plans to apply to universities in Norway.

France’s school protests resume on smaller scale as students return from break
Globe and Mail
French high school student protests resumed on Monday on a much smaller scale than in past weeks as pupils returned from a two-week break, with youngsters trying to blockade a few high schools in Paris, Marseille and Rennes, French media reported.

Climate academic Andreas Malm barred from entering UK
The Guardian
Andreas Malm, the climate academic and author of How to Blow Up a Pipeline, has been blocked from entering the UK before he was due to speak alongside a co-founder of the banned group Palestine Action.

Conservative Jewish activist vows not to be silenced after being attacked on University of Michigan campus
Fox
A conservative Jewish activist who was shoved to the ground during a debate at the University of Michigan is speaking out about the violent encounter, vowing not to let the attack silence her.

Walkout creates chaos at St. James Smitty’s 
Winnipeg Free Press
Gordon Sharpe wanted to eat a meal at the St. James Smitty’s Wednesday, but he got a helping of bad news instead.

Staff walk out of Winnipeg restaurant, allege disrespect and discrimination
CBC
More than a dozen employees walked out of a Winnipeg restaurant this week after enduring what they describe as disrespectful treatment while on the job. 

Doerkson says 'preference' is for B.C. public servants to return to office work
CBC
British Columbia's incoming premier says his "preference" is to see teleworking public servants return to the office environment.

Unions rally against plan to privatize operation of Vancouver airport
CBC
Unionized public sector workers rallied at the Vancouver International Airport (YVR) on Saturday against federal plans to privatize the operation of the facility.

‘Are You With Us, the Workers, Or Are You With the Big Tech Billionaires?’
Politico
Liz Shuler, who leads the largest labor coalition in the country, has a warning for politicians hoping to run in 2028: The next two years will be a “which-side-are-you-on moment.”