Campus Layoffs, Diplomat Cuts, AI Talks Pay, EDI Debated at U of A

In this episode: mass layoffs at Canadian colleges, removal of EDI criteria during hiring at the University of Alberta, cuts among the Canadian diplomatic workforce, how workers are using AI to access pay data, and other topics.

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1. Canada’s college system is facing a deepening crisis, with mass layoffs, program cuts, and steep enrolment declines nationwide | Canadian colleges are in crisis — mass layoffs are gutting campuses near you, and students could pay the price
2. Global Affairs Canada is cutting 1,240 positions, including many skilled diplomats | Global Affairs laying off its most skilled diplomats, union says 
3. The University of Alberta’s board has approved a new hiring policy that removes explicit references to equity, diversity, and inclusion, or EDI | U of A board approves controversial new hiring policy, which removes EDI | CBC News 
4.  US workers send 3 million messages per day to OpenAI Chat GPT asking about compensation | Equipping workers with insights about compensation | OpenAI 
5. Canada and Saskatchewan have announced a joint initiative to support workers affected by global tariffs, investing $15.6 million over three years | Governments of Canada and Saskatchewan partner to protect tariff-impacted workers and strengthen the workforce - Canada.ca 
6. Canada’s federal minimum wage is set to rise on April 1, 2026 for workers in federally regulated sectors | Government of Canada raises the federal minimum wage - Canada.ca