Stelco begins issuing layoff notices as first job cuts set to take effect Sunday

The union representing workers at Stelco Holdings Inc.’s steel plant in Hamilton, Ont., says the company has started issuing individual layoff notices, with more expected before the end of the week. Ron Wells, president of United Steelworkers local 1005, says some workers received notices Wednesday telling them not to return for their next scheduled shift. He says about 90 workers are expected to receive notices this week, with the first layoffs taking effect Sunday.

The cuts are expected to unfold over roughly three weeks as operations are idled. Wells says the layoffs at the Hamilton plant are expected to affect roughly 330 workers, with additional cuts expected among co-op workers and employees at the pickling operations at Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke, Ont. He says the company is describing the cuts as indefinite layoffs, while the union is treating them as temporary under its collective agreement.

Stelco, which is owned by U.S.-based Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., announced last week plans to cut up to 500 workers across its Hamilton and Lake Erie facilities, citing the ongoing trade crisis, weak demand and continued import pressure. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly has threatened legal action against Cleveland-Cliffs if it fails to provide a plan outlining how it will honour the job commitments made when it acquired Stelco in 2024. HAMILTON - The union representing workers at Stelco Holdings Inc.'s steel plant in Hamilton, Ont., says the company has started issuing individual layoff notices, with more expected before the end of the week.