+34
United Steelworkers Local 1005 confirmed Stelco will lay off 350 employees at its Hamilton plant starting October 9 as the company idles finishing operations and shifts production to Lake Erie Works.
Stelco Holdings Inc. will lay off 350 employees at its Hamilton, Ont. plant starting October 9, the union representing steelworkers has confirmed. United Steelworkers Local 1005 verified the planned layoffs on Monday afternoon but did not provide any further details.
Stelco declined an interview request, but in a statement to BNN a spokesperson said its Hamilton Works facility is currently idling its finishing operations while continuing to concentrate steel production at Lake Erie Works.
Job Opportunities at Lake Erie Works
"Very importantly, job opportunities at Lake Erie Works will be offered to Hamilton employees," the spokesperson wrote in an email. "We expect that a significant number of employees affected by the indefinite idle at Hamilton should be absorbed at Lake Erie Works. " Stelco also said the amount of steel it produces will not be impacted by the Hamilton plant idling.
However, there will be a change in product mix, with a higher concentration of hot rolled steel products. The layoffs come as the U.S. steel industry faces continued pressure from tariffs. The United States slapped a 50 per cent tariff on Canadian steel imports on Aug. 22. Those tariffs have continued to affect the steel industry on both sides of the border.
In a written statement provided to CTV News Toronto, a spokesperson for Ontario's Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation, and Trade Vic Fedeli said the Ford government will use every tool it has to help affected workers.
Ontario Government Ramp Up Support Services
"We are ramping up services at our POWER Centre in Hamilton, where we recently increased funding by nearly 50 per cent, to connect workers with training and help them find new jobs as quickly as possible," they said. "As part of our $30-billion tariff relief and support plan, we have also expanded the Protect Ontario Financing Program and the Ontario Together Trade Fund to help more businesses hit by tariffs.
Through our Buy Ontario approach, we are putting Ontario steel first when the government buys materials.
" The spokesperson went on to say that they understand the federal government is reviewing its legal options to protect Stelco workers. "As it does, we need Ottawa to speed up its purchase of Ontario-made steel. That steel should build the pipelines, critical infrastructure, ships and defence equipment our economy needs to remain strong and self-reliant for generations to come," they wrote. Cleveland-Cliffs, an American-based steel manufacturer, acquired Stelco Holdings in a $3.4-billion deal in 2024.
The acquisition placed the Hamilton plant under U.S. ownership. Ontario Premier Doug Ford slammed the owners of Stelco in August last year, accusing the chairman of signing away Canadian steel to the United States. Ford also accused the chairman of supporting U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on numerous occasions.
Cleveland-Cliffs Chairman Criticises Trade Policies
"I got a problem with that guy," Ford said at a news conference. Ford has been a vocal critic of U.S. trade policies affecting Canadian steel and manufacturing. Lourenco Goncalves, the chairman and CEO of Cleveland-Cliffs, said in July that without further trade protections, the future competitiveness of our galvanizing lines in Hamilton is at risk.
"We continue to defend our point of view with the Canadian government officials, asking them to do what is right to protect the steel industry in Canada, just as our American government has done here in the United States," Goncalves said. U.S. political analyst Eric Ham says closures like this are what the president wanted, despite tariffs continuing to impact U.S. taxpayers. The political fallout from the tariffs continues to shape the debate over the future of Canadian steel.
The Hamilton plant layoffs mark a significant blow to the local workforce and the broader Canadian steel industry. The union has not said whether it will challenge the layoffs or seek further protections for workers.
Please follow us on Google to support us
BNNBloomberg 
CTVToronto:Stelco to lay off 350 steelworkers at Hamilton plant, union says 
CP24:Stelco to lay off 350 steelworkers at Hamilton plant, union saysThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Stelco Layoffs Steel Industry Cleveland-Cliffs Hamilton Stelco Layoffs Hamilton Steel Plant United Steelworkers Local 1005 Canadian Steel Tariffs Hamilton Steelworkers
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News: You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Hamilton steel plant to lay off hundreds of workers as U.S. tariffs prompt ‘survival’ moveSteelmaker Stelco Holdings says it's idling some production at its Hamilton plant in response to U.S. tariffs.
Read more »
Stelco to lay off unspecified number of steel workers in HamiltonU.S. parent company says jobs at its Lake Erie Works location will be offered to many of the affected employees
Read more »
Stelco Layoffs Hammer Hundreds Amid U.S. Tariff-Driven Production ShiftStelco Holdings Inc. is laying off up to 500 workers and indefinitely idling operations at its Hamilton plant due to shrinking demand caused by U.S. tariffs, while consolidating production at its Lake Erie facility.
Read more »