Cleveland-Cliffs to recall all Stelco Hamilton workers by December 1 after securing customer commitments

Cleveland-Cliffs is recalling all 175 temporarily laid-off workers at its Stelco subsidiary's Hamilton, Ontario steel plant, reversing a closure that had been in place since September. The company said it secured commitments from customers to resume purchasing its products, prompting the decision to restart the plant's finishing lines. Workers are set to be recalled effective December 1, which Stelco described as a measure of good faith, though the company noted it would take several additional weeks to actually resume steel production.

The Hamilton plant closure had been deeply controversial. Cleveland-Cliffs announced plans in late September to shutter Stelco's cold-rolled and galvanized steel finishing operations in Hamilton, citing U.S. tariffs, weak demand, and an oversupply of imported steel in Canada, with up to 350 to 500 workers affected across the Hamilton Works and Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke, Ontario. Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly accused Cleveland-Cliffs of violating an agreement the company signed with the federal government in 2024 when it secured regulatory approval for its 3.4 billion dollar acquisition of Stelco. The recall now puts Cleveland-Cliffs back in compliance with its commitments under that deal, at least in terms of employment levels.