Stelco to Recall 175 Laid-Off Workers at Hamilton Plant on Dec. 1

Stelco is recalling 175 temporarily laid-off workers as it plans to restart its Hamilton, Ont., finishing operations on Dec. 1.

The company says the move is due to increased customer demand.

Stelco parent company Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. raised the ire of Ottawa when it announced the layoffs in September.

The federal government said the cuts went against conditions it set when it approved the American company’s purchase of the steelmaker.

Cleveland-Cliffs cited US tariffs, weak demand for Canadian steel and competition from imported steel products as reasons for the cuts.

However, it says it has now reached agreement with a sufficient volume of its customers to restart the operations and recall all the laid off workers.

The company noted that it will take several weeks to restart the operations, but that all affected employees will be made whole retroactively for the standard wages they would have received during the period in which they were temporarily laid off.

Company Statement

Stelco said in a press release that on September 28th it temporarily idled its Hamilton finishing operations, impacting 175 employees, in response to unsustainable market conditions for its cold rolled and coated products.

The company said it has reached agreement with a sufficient volume of its customers to restart its Hamilton finishing operations and recall all 175 workers on December 1st.

Stelco said customers have committed to support its Hamilton finishing operations despite the lack of response from the federal government to address the shortfalls in their tariff response program and the continued flood of offshore imports of galvanized products that have eroded the domestic market.

"I would like to thank our valued customers for the faith they have placed in us, and our workers for the patience and resilience they have continued to demonstrate during this challenging period," said Paul Simon, President of Stelco.

Background

United Steelworkers Local 1005 members and supporters gathered for a rally outside Stelco Hamilton Works facility, following layoffs announced by US owner Cleveland-Cliffs, in Hamilton, Ont., on Thursday, Oct. 29, 2026.

Stelco, a wholly owned subsidiary of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., is a low cost, Canadian steelmaker with one of the newest and most technologically advanced integrated steelmaking facilities in North America. Stelco produces flat-rolled value-added steels, including premium-quality coated, cold-rolled and hot-rolled steel products, as well as pig iron and metallurgical coke.

Why it matters

The recall reverses layoffs that had drawn criticism from the federal government, which said the cuts went against conditions it set when it approved Cleveland-Cliffs’ purchase of Stelco. The restart affects 175 workers and will take several weeks to complete, with employees receiving retroactive standard wages for the layoff period.

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Sources

• nationalobserver.com: Stelco to recall 175 laid-off workers in Hamilton, Ont., on Dec. 1 | Canada's National Observer: Climate News
• ca.finance.yahoo.com: Stelco to Recall Hamilton Workforce in Response to Improved Customer Demand

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.