Stelco Idles Hamilton Finishing Operations, Cutting Hundreds of Jobs

Stelco Holdings Inc. is idling finishing operations at its Hamilton Works facility, a move the company says is driven by "market uncertainty" and prolonged business injuries caused largely by steel imports into Canada, according to CityNews Toronto.

Stelco informed the company's workforce that up to 500 employees will be impacted, though Ron Wells, president of United Steelworkers Local 1005, believes the actual job losses will be closer to 350, Global News Toronto reports. Wells stated that the company cited low prices for coated products and an inability to make money under current conditions as reasons for the layoffs. He noted that the company specifically pointed to U.S. steel tariffs and a lack of imports from other nations.

U.S. President Donald Trump implemented Section 232 duties on Canadian steel products of up to 50 per cent about a year-and-a-half ago, Global News Toronto reports. While Prime Minister Mark Carney's government implemented counter-tariffs and foreign steel quotas, Wells argued these measures are not "strong enough."

The company intends to move production focus to its Lake Erie Works plant located in Haldimand, Ont. Pat Persico, a spokesperson for parent company Cleveland-Cliffs Inc.—which acquired Stelco in 2024—stated that while the product mix will shift toward a higher concentration of hot rolled steel, total steel tonnage will remain unaffected, per CityNews Toronto and Global News Toronto.

Stelco told Global News Toronto it expects a "significant number" of affected workers to be absorbed by the Lake Erie facility, though CityNews Toronto reports the exact number of available positions remains unknown. The layoffs drew criticism from Hamilton East-Stoney Creek MP Ned Kuruc and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre, both of whom described the impact on the Hamilton community as devastating.