Wait, so are wages going up or down?

Plus, Uber's impatience with Toronto and addressing sexual assaults on campus [The Star] First Up [By Manuela Vega] By Manuela Vega Good morning. The issues with airport, passport and immigration services “never should have happened,” a federal minister admitted. [Here’s more on Ottawa’s response](. Read on for the latest on Uber’s pressure on the City of Toronto, the “national epidemic” of sexual violence at schools and how much money workers are making amid record job vacancies. DON’T MISS Paige Taylor White/The Star star exclusive [Uber grew impatient with delays in city training courses as its drivers quit, emails show ]( In late 2021, Toronto city council stopped issuing new licenses for taxi and ride-hailing drivers until a mandatory training program was in place. But the launch was delayed by challenges finding qualified course providers. In response, Uber — which was seeing a high turnover in its workforce — lobbied senior city staff and the mayor’s office to end the training approval delays, internal emails show. [Here’s an inside look at the pressure from Uber.](. - Go deeper: RideFairTO, which obtained the city’s emails through a freedom of information request, said Uber’s impatience shows its business model relied on a steady stream of low-paid drivers who quickly cycle out of the industry. Uber rejected that claim. - By the numbers: The number of ride-hailing drivers had declined by about 50 per cent since the start of the pandemic, according to a November 2021 city report. But numbers had been fluctuating before that. - ICYMI: [Here’s how Uber warned passengers about wait times and price changes](. Nicole Osborne for The Star education [Sexual violence on campus is a “national epidemic” student leaders want to address]( A year ago, Western University was a scene of chaos. On Sept. 10, 2021, in the aftermath of fire alarms and evacuations, orientation leaders were swamped with calls from students in distress. Hours later, allegations that 30 students had been drugged and sexually assaulted filled social media, among news of other grim events from that night. Now, students from 20 schools and organizations are laying out exactly what needs to happen to keep them safe. [Here are the details of a national action plan calling on post-secondary institutions and governments to make changes](. - By the numbers: In 2019, 71 per cent of students witnessed or experienced unwanted sexualized behaviours in a post-secondary setting, and one in 10 women students experienced sexual assault in a post secondary setting. - More: “We know that the fall is a particularly precarious time for students given that we’re at higher risk for sexual assault in the first eight weeks of the academic year,” said a Western student and contributor to the national action plan released Monday. Star Photographers economy [Record job vacancies are leading to higher wages — but not high enough, economists say]( With 1.03 million vacancies in Canada, employers are trying to attract new workers with higher wages — but the rates being offered just aren’t enough to keep up with inflation. “In real terms, wages are going down,” said one economist. “It’s still positive that we’re seeing wage gains, but it’s too bad that they’re not at the rate of inflation for most workers.” [Here’s more on the factors affecting pay](. - By the numbers: Hourly wages grew 5.2 per cent year-over-year in July as unions negotiated for higher pay and new workers were offered more money. But by then, inflation had risen 7.6 per cent. - More: The highest levels of vacancies were in health care and social assistance, where there were 149,700 available positions last month. - Go deeper: People earning low incomes are struggling just to get by. [Here’s where they’re taking a hit as inflation remains high](. WHAT ELSE [Ottawa is exploring how to protect politicians and journalists]( after Chrystia Freeland was confronted in Alberta. In a letter to a lawyer representing CTV News employees, [Bell Media pushed back on accusations as “outrageous.”]( We deserve to see Doug Ford’s marching orders to his ministers. [But let’s be honest about what secrets they may hide](. After six young people were killed in a weekend crash in Barrie, [here’s what the people who knew them mustered to say](. Millions in scholarship money goes unclaimed each year. [Here’s how students tap thousands for their education](. Fans are calling on Arcade Fire to cancel its tour amid [sexual misconduct allegations against Win Butler](. Trees are vital to the city’s climate change fight. [So why are they on the decline? ]( This ex-paramedic [hopes firefighters’ vaccination win opens door for her to return](. [Several people are “seriously ill” after eating at this Markham restaurant](. A Toronto skydiving student, 21, has died after an incident in Innisfil. [Here’s what we know](. Beer sales are tanking. Molson is [investing $60 million in its Toronto plant to try something different](. Unusual suspects: [How 2,400 loose chicks caused a QEW jam](. GET THIS Cameron Tulk/The Star [An increasing number of young adults intend to vote Conservative in the federal election. Here’s how Pierre Poilievre is appealing to them.]( CLOSE-UP Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty images UKRAINE: Oleksandr Shulga stands in front of his destroyed house following a missile strike in Mykolaiv on Monday. Ukrainian forces have begun a counter-attack to retake the southern city of Kherson, which is currently occupied by Russian troops, a local government official said on Monday. Thanks for reading. You can reach me and the First Up team at [firstup@thestar.ca](mailto:firstup@thestar.ca?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=emailutm_email=6C53B63A8E3FAD70AD4EF13004527437&utm_campaign=frst_142130). I’ll see you back here tomorrow. [The Star]( If you're not enjoying these emails, please tell us how we can make them better by emailing newsletterfeedback@thestar.ca. Or, if you'd prefer, you can unsubscribe from this newsletter by clicking the first link below. [Unsubscribe From This Newsletter]( [Sign Up for More Newsletters and Email Alerts]( [Become a Star Subscriber]( [View in Browser]( [Facebook]( [Instagram]( [Twitter]( Toronto Star Newspapers Limited. One Yonge Street, 4th Floor, Toronto, ON M5E 1E6. 416-367-2000 [PRIVACY POLICY](