Hamilton, Ontario

Mohawk College is offering voluntary buyout packages to full-time administrative, faculty, and support staff, with applications open until the end of January. This follows massive layoffs of 255 full-time jobs (20% of workforce) that occurred between December 2024 and February 2025, which were driven by a projected $50 million deficit and reduced international student enrollment.

Democracy on Locke, a vegan café in Hamilton, Ontario, closed suddenly and laid off approximately a dozen workers a week before Christmas. The closure came just months after workers unanimously voted to unionize in March 2025 and signed their first collective agreement in October, with the owner citing resignations of key management as the reason for the shutdown.

Mohawk College laid off at least 380 employees and suspended more than a dozen programs in late 2024 and early 2025 to address an expected $50-million deficit caused by federal caps on international student permits. The college's cuts are part of a broader crisis affecting Ontario colleges, which have collectively cut $1.8 billion, suspended over 600 programs, and eliminated more than 8,000 positions due to reduced international student enrollment.