Industry Minister Mélanie Joly has written to Stelco president Paul Simon asking Cleveland-Cliffs to present a plan within five days to maintain specified job levels.
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Industry Minister Mélanie Joly sent a letter to Stelco president Paul Simon on Monday expressing “extreme disappointment” with the company’s plan to lay off 500 workers at the Hamilton-based steel plant.
Joly’s letter was prompted by Stelco’s response to U.S. tariffs and other market pressures, and Canada’s approval in 2024 under the Investment Canada Act for the purchase of Stelco by Cleveland-Cliffs.
Joly said Canada’s approval of the takeover was contingent on Cleveland-Cliffs maintaining the number of union jobs and the majority of non-union positions, adding that those conditions do not expire due to changes in “business strategy or market conditions.”
Joly wrote that Ottawa is asking Cleveland-Cliffs to provide its plan to comply with all undertakings from the original acquisition within five days, or the government will consider legal action.
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