Days before a prominent Hamilton steelmaker announced it would lay off more than 350 employees due to the trade war with the United States, the company informed the Ford government of the upcoming job losses.
Stelco, which is owned by U.S.-based Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., told employees on Monday that it would indefinitely idle production at the Hamilton facility in the coming weeks and would offer laid off workers jobs at a nearby steel mill in Nanticoke.
While the announcement came as a shock to employees, Ontario’s minister of economic development told Global News the government was given a heads up ahead of the public statement.
“Quite recently, quite recently,” Minister Vic Fedeli said of the timing of the conversation with Stelco.
“But like with all companies, whether they’re steel companies or copper, aluminum, lumber, we’ve been dealing with these companies for some time, being able to go over the programs that are available in Ontario.”
When asked for a specific timeline, Fedeli said the conversation took place “within days” of the announcement but added that “nothing was definitive” until the union and employees were informed.
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While the Ontario government routinely receives advance notice of large scale job losses, this is the third tariff-related layoff the Ford government was aware of before the public was made aware.
In the summer of 2025, one day before Crown Royal maker Diageo revealed it planned to shut down the bottling facility in Amherstburg, Ont. the company reached out to Ford’s office to offer the government a “heads up.”
Later that year, Ford said Algoma Steel also told the government in advance that it planned to cut roughly 1,000 positions due to the tariff war before workers were informed.
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In both cases, the government tried to intervene.
Ford personally called the head of Diageo Canada to discuss options for the plant to remain on Canadian soil, while Algoma was given a $100 million taxpayer funded loan to reduce the severity of the staffing cuts.
In Stelco’s case, Fedeli wouldn’t say what – if anything – the government offered to avoid layoffs or whether the manufacturer applied for a government temporary funding program.
“I would say that these offers are made to all companies,” Fedeli said.
When asked why Stelco wasn’t interested in additional funding to keep the mill open, Fedeli said the government doesn’t reveal discussions about “individual prospects.”
“We don’t speak about the specifics of who got what and where, other than when they’re announced.”
United Steelworkers Local 1005, which represents workers at the plant, told Global News it was told by the company that U.S. tariffs on steel, plus the lack of steel imports from other countries were behind the layoffs.
“It’s extremely devastating,” Union local president Ron Wells said.
With files from Sean Previl
I like when 350 people in steel industry,or a couple thousand in Auto get laid off in Ontario its front page news.But when the Liberals put the screws to the oil and gas industry for a decade causing 100s of thousands of lost jobs in Western Canada,not a peep,Canada is broken.
Poor poor pitiful you, poor poor pitiful you! Welcum to cunada, land of oppoortunity!
A liberal expectation and a majority of Canadians support the slow destruction of what used to be a country to be proud of.
I have poop for brains.
Ford failed us again. Thanks for looking out for you friends
Thank you, governor Mark!…..
Love how Global tries to spin this as the Fords government fault.
It is hilarious
This is why American ownership or control of Canadian Companies should be forbidden. They have declared a trade war. Take our assets back.
Brian
Unions and their members are cartels that utilise coercion for higher wages, expensive benefits and costly working conditions. This creates a progressively finite economy by continuously compounding the destruction of capital.
Vinny is obsessed with me
Anonymous is obsessed with me
Vinny,
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Ford won’t do anything. That would mean he knows how to govern.
Doug Brown. How did unions kill the jobs? Greedy corporations only worried about the next quarter are what killed jobs.
Unions kill jobs. WE need a government that can think beyond the current day.
Seriously if anyone thinks the government at any level cares your fooling yourself. All they care about is keeping there own jobs with there nice perks and big fat pensions. Sad to say but hope it’s not only conservatives but also alot of liberals and maybe then they will stop proping up these government’s. Sorry for all the families that are effected by these decisions that will now ruin families.
How’s the elbows up!? One day the elbows up cult will realize that you won’t be winning this fight
“THEY TOOK R JAWBS”
Hey Colin, what did you expect Ford to do? Thats like blaming me for today’s weather because I happened to look up the forecast a few days ago.
Is there not enough demand for Stelco Steel for projects here in Canada? Our new oil pipeline across Canada. Our three future military bases in the North…all the future mining camps in the Artic. … Carney what is going on ?
They don’t care any more than the LPC does
The anti Trump sentiment benefits them and the uswful idiots fall for it every time