Canada Industry Minister Demands Immediate Recall of Laid-Off Stelco Workers

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly has demanded that Stelco immediately recall workers who were recently laid off from its Hamilton plant. In an Oct. 29 letter directed to company president Paul Simon, Joly called for a reliable strategy to re-engage the affected employees.

Stelco began distributing layoff notices to approximately 500 workers at the start of October due to scaled-back operations in Hamilton. Although the company stated these employees would receive job offers at its Lake Erie facility, the workers' union reported that only 40 positions have actually been offered.

Joly previously issued a warning giving Stelco 15 days to reverse the job cuts or face federal legal action that could force parent company Cleveland-Cliffs to divest from the Canadian steel firm. According to Joly, Cleveland-Cliffs and its CEO must deal with the repercussions of U.S. tariffs on aluminum and steel, which company leadership has publicly supported.

Cleveland-Cliffs has asserted that it has not violated its agreement with the federal government and argued that it should not be held accountable for external factors outside of its control. Meanwhile, Joly dismissed an interim compliance report from Stelco as inadequate and insisted that both companies fully address her demands with necessary supporting documentation.