The fight over Canadian steelworker jobs
Summary
Cleveland-Cliffs announced temporary shutdowns at parts of Stelco’s Hamilton and Nanticoke, Ontario, operations, leading to hundreds of Canadian steelworker layoffs. The company cites U.S. tariffs and competition from cheaper imported steel, while the union questions whether the shutdowns were necessary and says the owner’s business interests may also be at play.Key Facts
- Stelco worker Chelsey Masteij was laid off on October 9 after about three years at the Hamilton plant.
- Stelco’s American owner, Cleveland-Cliffs, announced in late September that it would temporarily shut down parts of its Hamilton and Nanticoke operations.
- U.S. President Donald Trump raised tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, including Canadian products, to 50 percent in June 2025.
- Stelco said Canadian exports of cold-rolled and coated steel to the United States fell 58 percent in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the quarterly average before the trade war.
- Demand for steel has also fallen in Canada, including from the auto industry, a major buyer of cold-rolled steel from the Hamilton plant.
- Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenco Goncalves warned in July that the company might reduce Canadian production unless Ottawa did more to protect the industry from imports.
- The United Steelworkers union questioned whether Cleveland-Cliffs was using difficult market conditions to advance its business interests.
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