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 16, 2026
Accusations, insults fly inside legislature over former teacher discipline commissioner’s exit
Winnipeg Free Press
The political fallout over the departure of Manitoba’s independent commissioner of teacher professional conduct morphed into a bitter shouting match in the legislature Wednesday, as Education Minister Tracy Schmidt continues to defend a government narrative that began to unravel late last week.
Student union gives Wilfrid Laurier University $1.25 million gift
CTV News
Wilfrid Laurier University Students’ Union has decided to mark their 50th anniversary by giving the school $1.25 million to support students.
Sask. government may not accept $10-million donation for full-day kindergarten in Saskatoon
CBC
Education Minister Everett Hindley says he is "very grateful" for a family foundation's multi-million-dollar offer to keep full-day kindergarten going five days a week in Saskatoon, but he won't commit to accepting it.
Students expect their university will mishandle sexual misconduct, if they ever report it
The Conversation
Sexual misconduct – including sexual harassment, stalking, intimate partner violence and sexual assault – is a common problem on U.S. college campuses.
Ford government backs away from abolishing trustees in education overhaul
Global News
The Ford government is backing down from its threat to abolish school board trustees in Ontario and will, instead, add limits to their spending, cap the largest boards at 12 members and change how the bureaucracy is managed.
Yale Report Finds Colleges Deserve Blame for Higher Education’s Problems
New York Times
American colleges and universities bear significant responsibility for plunging public trust in higher education, a Yale University committee suggested in a report released on Wednesday.
Nine universities start legal action over student loan error row
BBC
Nine universities have begun legal action against the government in a row over students being asked to repay loans as soon as possible.
Air Canada pilots win case over religious COVID-19 exemption
The Winnipeg Sun
An arbitrator has ordered Air Canada to grant back pay to seven pilots denied religious exemptions from the airline’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy in a violation of the Canadian Human Rights Act.
Seafood processors launch $2.5M lawsuit against FFAW execs in crab dispute
CBC
Two executives with the union representing Newfoundland and Labrador fish harvesters are the target of a $2.5 million lawsuit that alleges they engaged in an "unlawful conspiracy" to prevent crab harvesters from fishing that involved threats and intimidation.
Jeff Bezos's salary hasn't changed since 1998, yet he's worth $250 billion
MSN
Jeff Bezos's salary at Amazon sparks discussions in corporate circles. Despite his net worth exceeding $250 billion ( approx. Rs 23.29 lakh crore), Bezos earns an annual salary of just $81,400 (approx. Rs 76,01,823), according to Amazon’s 2026 proxy, filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The figures remain unchanged since 1998, showcasing a modest figure, which contrasts with Amazon's $1.6 million expenditure on its security and business travel last year.
Samsung asks court to block illegal strike activities by unions
Reuters
Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) asked a court on Thursday to block its South Korean labour unions engaging in illegal activities during strike, a spokesperson said, as a wage dispute threatens to disrupt operations at the world's top memory chipmaker.
N. Korea, Russia's largest labor unions sign cooperation agreement
The Korea Times
The largest umbrella labor unions of North Korea and Russia held talks in Pyongyang and signed an agreement to boost cooperation, the North's state media said Wednesday.
Germany already told its workers to ditch four-day weeks and work-life balance—now the government wants to cut their pay for calling in sick too
Yahoo
Most people have called in sick at least once. But in Germany, workers have been taking more than one day off sick every month for the past year—and the government has had enough. Now, it’s proposing to dock workers’ wages.
Scientists left 'homeless' after government's job cuts, advocates say
RNZ
An unemployed scientist says she's seen colleagues left homeless and suicidal because of job cuts.
April 15, 2026
Former teacher misconduct commissioner contradicts premier, issues statement denying she was fired
Winnipeg Free Press
What began as a quiet departure has rapidly snowballed into a tangled web of contradictions for the Manitoba government.
Professor sues University of Winnipeg, faculty over student’s complaint
Canadian HR Reporter
A University of Winnipeg professor’s lawsuit over course material linking race, IQ scores and murder rates is testing how institutions balance academic freedom with discrimination protections and fair investigation processes.
Cancelling talk breached Charter freedoms, controversial academic argues in court
CBC
A former Mount Royal University professor and a former University of Lethbridge student were in court Friday for a judicial review of the U of L's decision to cancel a talk that had provoked uproar amongst students and faculty.
Ontario plans to tie high school attendance to grades and mandate final exams. It's getting mixed reactions
CBC
Quickly leaping from and locking up his motorized scooter, Toronto Grade 12 student Bilal Rahimi rushed into school during the Monday lunch hour, having missed his morning periods due to caring for an ailing uncle.
International workers urge Manitoba to extend work permits again
CTV News
Dozens of international students and workers gathered outside the Manitoba Legislature Tuesday, pressing the province to renew a temporary policy that extended expiring work permits.
1% Law: Labour unions demand Quebec government postpone changes
CTV News
Labour unions are calling on the Quebec government to postpone the changes it plans to make to the One Per Cent Law on workforce training, saying they fear a decline in quality.
Canada’s labour ministers agree to ‘harmonize’ some workplace safety standards
Global News
Canada’s provinces and territories plan to create a single nationwide standard for workplace training that Ontario’s labour minister touts as a “one Canada, one standard” plan.
The tough job market isn't getting any better for young Canadians
CBC
Landing a first job can be challenging at the best of times, but in recent years, the search has become even more daunting for young Canadians.
CUPE urges senators to protect workers from AI
CUPE
Artificial intelligence is spreading fast without any rules governing this powerful new technology. Workers need strong laws that protect their jobs and human rights. CUPE has shared that call with members of a Senate committee studying the impacts of AI.
Support postal workers: Take action now
PSAC
In solidarity with the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), and alongside labour organizations across the country, we are mobilizing to defend Canada Post from sweeping federal cuts.
Atlantic Canada’s larger-than-average government workforce cost taxpayers an extra $2.7 billion in 2024
Fraser Institute
Past analyses have shown that Atlantic Canada’s public-sector workforce is unusually large compared with the national average and that high levels of government employment impose significant costs on taxpayers. This bulletin uses Statistics Canada data to quantify the size of Atlantic Canada’s public sector and estimate the fiscal implications of elevated public-sector employment in the region.
The Walt Disney Co. begins laying off 1,000 employees
Winnipeg Free Press
The Walt Disney Co. on Tuesday began layoffs expected to lead to 1,000 job cuts across the company.
‘Power in the hands of people’: union leaders push to revive ailing US labor movement
The Guardian
Leaders of some of the largest unions in the US have unveiled a drive to jumpstart the country’s ailing labor movement and combat growing wealth inequality under Donald Trump.
Sanders and Mamdani back launch of nonprofit to support union organizing and strikes
amNY
Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Sunday threw their support behind the launch of Union Now, a new nonprofit meant to support workers involved in organizing drives, strikes, and contract fights and help unions coordinate large-scale campaigns against major employers, at a Manhattan event led by labor leaders.
Mexico probes allegation Sinaloa faction threatened workers at Canadian-owned gold mine before union vote
CBC
Mexico’s security cabinet is reviewing allegations a prominent organized crime group was involved in strong-arming workers at a Canadian-owned gold mine so they would vote for its management’s preferred union, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said Tuesday.
Unions and businesses join forces to stop ‘race to the bottom’ in public contracts
ETUC
As the European Commission prepares to reform the rules governing over 2 trillion euros in annual public procurement in June, a coalition of unions, businesses and lawmakers held the first-ever Procurement Summit to discuss how Europe should use its enormous spending power to deliver quality goods and services and create decent work.
April 14, 2026
‘Experience and stability’: veteran educator named interim teacher commissioner
Winnipeg Free Press
The Manitoba government has appointed a 30-year veteran of the education department as acting commissioner of teacher professional conduct after the previous appointee was fired for working remotely in Florida.
The hollowing out of public postsecondary education: What do we have to lose?
CCPA
I am a professor of basketweaving. Not actually. I’m an anthropologist. But I feel sure my field is the kind Ontario Premier Doug Ford had in mind when he advised students not to choose “basket-weaving courses” because “there’s not too many baskets being sold out there.”
Ford will 'appoint more of his friends to positions' after school board changes: Teacher’s union (video)
CityNews
Teacher’s unions in Ontario say the province did not consult with educators before tabling the proposed legislative changes.
Ontario introduces sweeping changes to education. Here’s what it means for students and their parents
CTV News
The Ontario government will cut the number of trustees at the Toronto District School Board (TDSB) nearly in half and create new non-elected executive roles as part of a bill aimed at overhauling school governance in the province.
Faculty strike at University of Illinois Springfield continues into second week
Capital News Illinois
A strike by faculty members at the University of Illinois Springfield has entered its second week as the union and administration remained divided over salary increases.
‘Colossal’ pressure: How Russia is targeting university students for military recruitment
CNN
“Everything changed this year.”
Large Manitoba construction sites to require hot-water handwashing stations
Winnipeg Free Press
Large construction sites will be legally required to provide hot-water handwashing stations beginning next year.
Ontario government broadens access to WSIB, raises age cut-off and benefits
Globe and Mail
Ontario will expand insurance coverage to sick or injured workers above the age of 65 and increase the monetary benefits they can claim, as part of a series of reforms to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board compensation system.
Avi Lewis’s Victory Is A Chance For Labour To Revitalize
The Maple
On March 29, NDP members elected Avi Lewis as their new federal leader at the party’s convention in Winnipeg.
Gap between richest and poorest Canadians widened again in 2025, StatsCan says
CBC
The gap between Canada's richest and poorest grew last year as financial markets gained, interest payouts declined and the job market softened, said Statistics Canada on Monday.
Ontario man pleads guilty to illegally employing foreign workers in Banff, Jasper national parks
CBC
An Ontario man pleaded guilty and was fined $70,000 for illegally employing foreign workers in Alberta's Rocky Mountains.
AFR: Union launches bid for WFH, four-day week to combat high petrol prices
United Services Union
The union for tens of thousands of council workers has moved to establish emergency work from home rights, a four-day week and a 50 per cent increase in fuel subsidies to combat the oil shock caused by the Iran war.
‘Everyone is Replaceable’: Death Rattles Oregon Amazon Facility
Western Edge
Sam was helping unload trucks when a heavy thud against concrete echoed across the Amazon warehouse. An employee’s lifeless body lay on the floor.
Bosses say AI boosts productivity – workers say they’re drowning in ‘workslop’
The Guardian
Ken, a copywriter for a large, Miami-based cybersecurity firm, used to enjoy his job. But then the “workslop” started piling up.
More than 20,000 NHS posts to be axed over £1.1bn budget deficit
Unison
Thousands of NHS staff at health trusts across England are to lose their jobs as deficit-hit employers struggle to balance their books, new research by UNISON finds today (Monday).
April 13, 2026
Teacher misconduct commissioner didn’t resign, she was fired: Kinew
Winnipeg Free Press
A day after describing the abrupt departure of the head of teacher misconduct investigations as a resignation, the province was more succinct Friday, saying the commissioner was fired.
Alberta trustees worried about the future of school boards under proposed bill
CBC
Some current and former Alberta public school trustees say an education bill before the legislature erodes so much power from school boards, it raises questions about whether the government wants to eliminate them.
Ontario to cut length of teacher education programs nearly in half
CTV News
Prospective teachers in Ontario will soon have to spend less time in university classrooms and more time learning on the job during practicum placements as the Ford government moves to cut the length of teacher education programs nearly in half.
Media Release: OPSEU/SEFPO slams Fleming College and St. Lawrence College merger as consequence of provincial failure to invest
OPSEU/SEFPO
Friday morning’s announcement by Fleming College and St. Lawrence College leadership to begin the process of merging the two institutions sent ripples across the the union representing college faculty and support staff, OPSEU/SEFPO, as news broke to over 2500 delegates convening for their annual union convention.
How free are classroom teachers? New study examines academic freedom in the United States and Canada
Concordia University
A new study co-authored by David I. Waddington, co-director of the CSLP, sheds light on how classroom teachers in Canada and the United States perceive and navigate academic freedom in increasingly polarized educational environments.
Douglas Todd: Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein put UBC at centre of debate over academic activism
Vancouver Sun
When the University of B.C. hired left-wing activists Avi Lewis and Naomi Klein as faculty, Canada’s second-largest post-secondary institution took a firm position on a polarizing discussion over whether academics should openly advocate political causes.
University of Lethbridge faculty approve new contract
Alberta Worker
On 30 March 2026, the University of Lethbridge Faculty Association published an update regarding contract negotiations for their members.
New Accreditation Rules Could Open ‘Can of Worms’ in Higher Ed, Experts Say
Inside Higher Ed
Stakes are high as the Trump administration looks to rewrite the rules governing accreditation in the first of two week-long rule-making sessions starting today. The overhaul could dramatically change who is in charge of academic oversight and what they evaluate when determining whether an institution should have access to federal aid.
Amid fierce global competition, China launches national plan to boost AI education
South China Morning Post
China has launched a national action plan to embed AI across its education system, in a strategic push to future-proof its workforce amid intensifying global competition in advanced technologies.
Manitoba Adds Nearly 11,000 New Jobs in March
Province of Manitoba
New Statistics Canada data shows Manitoba’s labour market continued to strengthen in March, adding just under 11,000 jobs, Business, Mining, Trade and Job Creation Minister Jamie Moses announced today.
Hot Water Required at Large Construction Sites
Province of Manitoba
The Manitoba government is taking action to strengthen workplace health by requiring hot water for handwashing at larger construction sites, Labour and Immigration Minister Malaya Marcelino announced today.
Taché public works employees back on the job as strike ends
CBC
A strike by public works employees at the Rural Municipality of Taché is over, after unionized members in the southeastern Manitoba municipality ratified a new contract.
Hundreds of Nova Scotia long-term care workers on strike
CTV News
Hundreds of workers from almost two dozen long-term care homes in Nova Scotia hit picket lines this morning after contract negotiations reached an impasse.
20% of US full-time workers have had job tasks replaced by AI, 1 in 12 have used AI agents
The DownCool
As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, the future of work is taking shape in real time.
Trump’s push to privatize airport screening is concerning workers
ABC 10 News
The Department of homeland Security is warning its employees that Friday's paycheck could be their last until congress acts to fund the department, but TSA workers are now concerned about another matter on the table.
April 10, 2026
University of Manitoba Security Services Monthly Report March 2026
University of Manitoba
Province’s first teacher misconduct commissioner resigns suddenly
Winnipeg Free Press
The head of Manitoba’s year-old teacher misconduct registry has abruptly resigned after questions were raised about her working remotely in Florida over the winter.
Small number of Manitoba school divisions granted more time to conduct teacher certification reviews
CBC
The province has granted several school divisions more time to review teacher credentials.
Professor defends course content linking race and IQ scores, cites ‘academic freedom’
CTV News
A tenured professor at the University of Winnipeg who has become the focus of a dispute over course material that draws connections between race, IQ scores, and the likelihood of committing murder insists his claims are factual and shielded by academic freedom.
University of Regina announces strategic vision for the next decade
CTV News
The University of Regina (U of R) announced its strategic vision for the next 10 years.
Halifax’s University of King’s College averts faculty strike
Global News
A faculty strike at Halifax’s University of King’s College has been averted.
Capilano University VP resigns after spotlight on education credentials
Squamish Reporter
A high-ranking official at Capilano University resigned on Tuesday, April 7, following an investigation by the Squamish Reporter into a series of changes made to his official academic biography over the years.
From lecture halls to jail cells: the rising risks of university research
The Strategist
Governments, universities and individual academics should urgently revisit export-control compliance in academia.
Public university professors in Texas say a new law restricts their academic freedom (podcast with transcript)
NPR
Public universities across Texas have instituted sweeping changes in recent months, from canceling gender studies programs to directing faculty to sign a pledge not to indoctrinate students.
Weekend students at 15 universities in England told to return loans and grants
The Guardian
More than 20,000 university students in England who received government maintenance loans and grants worth thousands of pounds have been told they will have to pay them back because their universities wrongly told them they were eligible for the money.
Canada sees modest employment growth in March, jobless rate unchanged at 6.7%
Globe and Mail
Canada’s job growth remained subdued in March while the unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.7 per cent from the prior month, data showed on Friday, signalling continued slack, or underutilized work force, in the labour market.
More accommodation requests being refused, federal unions say
CBC
Two federal public service unions say more and more employees are being denied requests for accommodations to work remotely, particularly for medical reasons, and are accusing the government of being unreasonable.
21 long-term care homes in Nova Scotia to go on strike on Monday: CUPE
CTV News
Twenty-one long-term care facilities in Nova Scotia are set to go on strike this Monday, according to the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE).
Federal workers’ medical requests to work from home are being overlooked, union says
CTV News
Federal public servants will soon be required to work in-office for a minimum of four days per week, but one federal workers’ union says requests to work from home based on medical needs are being overlooked.
Sidelined union 'whistleblowers' file urgent appeal for right to run in PSAC elections
National Post
Three sidelined executives from component units of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) have filed an urgent appeal to an Ontario court to get their union memberships reinstated before next week so that they regain their jobs and their rights to run again in union elections.
The Return of the Union: How Baristas and Warehouse Workers Rebooted the Labor Movement
ABCMoney
It’s difficult not to think about what a 24-year-old barista in Buffalo, New York changed two years before most people were paying attention when you walk into a busy Thursday morning Starbucks, the kind where the espresso machines run nonstop and the mobile order line is backed up to the door. One Starbucks location in that city had its employees vote to form a union on December 9, 2021. At the time, the company had over 9,000 stores in the US. It appears that no one at corporate headquarters has given it much thought. That was an error.
April 9, 2026
RRC Polytech to take over MITT's college programs as closure looms
CBC
Red River College Polytechnic is scheduled to absorb all college programs offered at the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology, which is set to close at an undetermined date.
Okanagan College Faculty Association wins grievance over layoffs
Castanet
The Okanagan College Faculty Association is celebrating a win in a labour dispute over layoffs made by the college last year.
Conestoga College catching heat over president salary amid layoffs
CityNews
Last year was rough for Conestoga College.
‘Just an absolute shame’: Saskatchewan Polytechnic faces backlash over executive compensation
CTV News
Faculty and staff at Saskatchewan Polytechnic are speaking out against a leadership crisis at the trade and technical school they say is dismantling the institution from the inside out.
TDSB to reduce teacher staffing allocation by 600 roles
Toronto Today
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is planning to shed about 607 teacher roles next fall.
Canada moves to expand work authorization for international students and graduates
CIC News
Co-op students and international student graduates will get increased work authorization, should the federal government implement its proposed changes.
‘Masquerading as a university’: inside the brazen rightwing plan to conquer American schools
The Guardian
In the fall of 2013, a silver-haired conservative radio host named Dennis Prager flew to Texas to woo a pair of rightwing billionaires. A few years earlier, Prager had co-founded a digital education non-profit, Prager University, which created snappy five-minute videos that promoted capitalism and “Judeo-Christian values”. The billionaires, fracking tycoons Dan and Farris Wilks, were big fans.
‘Excessive’ financial risks threaten survival of many English universities, report warns
The Guardian
Many English universities are taking excessive financial risks that threaten not only their own survival but that of others in the sector, a thinktank has warned.
Customs Officer Improperly Canceled Visa Of Scholar Charged With Frog Embryo Smuggling: Judge
HuffPost
A U.S. judge on Tuesday ruled that a customs officer improperly canceled the visa of a Russian-born scientist and Harvard University researcher charged with smuggling frog embryos in the U.S.
Health-care recruitment forum leads to dozens of job opportunities, but workers say barriers remain
CBC
The Manitoba government says dozens of health-care workers have already been hired at a recruitment forum in Winnipeg, but some attendees say getting into the system remains difficult.
‘Challenging time’: Nurses, health-care aides hiring forum draws on hope, experience
Winnipeg Free Press
Srishty Sharma doesn’t have a preference — north, south, east or west.
Montreal blue-collar workers’ strike: essential services deemed sufficient
CityNews
Quebec’s Administrative Labour Tribunal (TAT) has approved the list of essential services agreed upon by the employer and the union for the three-day strike planned by Montreal’s blue-collar workers in mid-April.
Government workers fighting anti-hybrid policy
Alberta Worker
Back in March 2022, the Alberta government implemented the Interim Hybrid Work Policy, which allowed certain workers employed by the Alberta Public Service to work from home up to 2 days per week, following the lifting of the public health work-from-home order early in the pandemic.
Ford and Carney governments earmark $228 million for favoured workers and industries
Fraser Institute
The Ontario and federal governments recently announced they are “investing more than $228 million to protect workers and key industries.” Which sounds very nice, until you realize this is just two governments engaging in top-down economic planning whereby they give more than $228 million of taxpayer money to government-favoured workers and industries at the expense of all others.
Inside a huge compound on Thailand-Cambodia border where 10,000 workers scammed people globally
Yahoo
I have often used the word industrial-scale in my own writing to describe the scam compounds that dot this region in Southeast Asia.
