Stelco Workers Await Layoff List as Hamilton Wind-Down Nears

Stelco workers were still awaiting a layoff list on September 30 as the steelmaker prepared to begin idling cold-rolled and coated operations at Hamilton Works around October 9. Stelco says up to 500 employees across its Hamilton and Lake Erie facilities could be affected. That is a potential impact across two sites, not a final layoff count.

The company plans to concentrate production at Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke, Ontario. A Cleveland-Cliffs spokesperson told The Canadian Press that Hamilton employees would be offered job opportunities there and that the company expected to absorb a significant number. It did not give a transfer count, leaving workers without a firm picture of how many positions will move with the work.

Different dates for the two sites

Stelco said its HR team would notify affected employees as Hamilton operations wind down. CHCH reported October 24 as a prospective date for workforce effects at Nanticoke, distinct from the planned Hamilton wind-down around October 9. Neither date means the announced job changes have already taken place.

In an employee letter reported by CHCH, Stelco said demand for the affected products in its traditional markets in the second quarter of 2026 was nearly 25% below the quarterly average in 2024. Cleveland-Cliffs also cited imports and said it expected overall steel tonnage to remain unchanged, although the product mix would change. Those company statements do not establish how many employees will ultimately work at either site.

Employment commitments face scrutiny

The workforce changes also raise a question about commitments tied to Cleveland-Cliffs’ acquisition of Stelco, completed in November 2024. Canada’s approval required binding five-year undertakings, including employment of at least the same number of unionized workers and the vast majority of nonunion workers as at the transaction announcement.

The federal government said September 29 it intended to pursue those employment obligations. That is a stated government position, not a ruling that the planned changes breach the undertakings. For employees, the immediate next step is individual notice from Stelco as the wind-down approaches.