'It's devastating': Hundreds of Stelco workers in Hamilton and Nanticoke face uncertain future due to layoffs

Aerial shot of Stelco Hamilton Works production facility at the Hamilton Harbour. (Patrick Morrell/CBC)Social SharingHundreds of Stelco workers in Hamilton are facing an uncertain future after the company announced Monday it will indefinitely idle its cold-rolled and coated operations at its Hamilton Works plant.

Ron Wells, the president of United Steelworkers Local 1005, says the wind-down is expected to begin Oct. 9, with about 350 workers from the Hamilton plant expected to be laid off.

He said the total layoffs could be up to 500 in total, between the Hamilton and Lake Erie Works plant in Nanticoke, Ont. Stelco has also said up to 500 workers could be affected.

"I hate using 'we're disappointed' — we're disgusted," Wells told CBC Hamilton Tuesday morning.

Hamilton steel plant to lay off hundreds of workers as U.S. tariffs prompt 'survival' move

For families connected to the plant, the uncertainty is already taking a toll.

Jillian Watt's husband is a line worker, and has worked at Stelco in Hamilton for 21 years. She said he has not yet been told whether he will be among those laid off.

"They haven't spoken to individuals, so it's kind of still up in the air," she said Tuesday morning. Watt, who is a union representative for a Canadian Union of Public Employees heath workers local, spoke to CBC from the entrance to National Steel Car, just down the road from Stelco.

National Steel Car workers have been on strike for a 48 days and have been regularly joined on the picket line by other unionized workers.

Watt is particularly concerned about whether her husband's experience with the company is enough if layoffs are decided by seniority. She said the possibility of losing the family's main source of income is particularly stressful.

"It's a breadwinner for a family. We have four kids, you know, trying to make it by," she said. "It was a bit of a kick to the gut for both of us."

Jillian Watt says she's nervous about what will happen to her husband following the news that Stelco will be laying off about 350 workers. As of Tuesday, they have not received any notice. (Claude Beaudoin/CBC)Watt said her husband had already been concerned about the plant in recent months, as operations were idled and orders slowed. Now, they are awaiting the verdict of what happens next. "It's very stressful," she said.

Wells said the union was told about the layoffs during a meeting with the company Monday morning.

He said he has been talking with workers concerned about how long the layoffs could last because the company has not provided an end date.

"They're asking how long is this going to last? Should we start looking for another job?" Wells said. "People are concerned."

Ron Wells, president of USW Local 1005, says he is "disgusted" by the decision to lay off approximately 350 workers. (Meagan Fitzpatrick/CBC)The company has said some affected workers could be offered jobs at Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke.

But Wells said the union was told there are only roughly 40 to 45 openings there — a number he says falls well short of the potential layoffs in Hamilton. 

Wells is also questioning the commitments Cleveland-Cliffs made when it acquired Stelco in 2024.

He said the agreement included a commitment to maintain the number of unionized employees for five years, and he wants the federal government to enforce it. 

"You have people making these decisions in Cleveland and they have no ties to our community," Well said. "If 350 Hamiltonians lose their jobs, they don't care."

Hamilton steelmaker Stelco sold to Cleveland-Cliffs for $3.4B

Pat Persico, the senior director of corporate communications for Cleveland-Cliffs, told CBC News in an emailed statement that while Stelco is idling some of its operations in Hamilton, the company's total output of steel will not be impacted as it consolidates production at its Lake Erie Works.

"Very importantly, job opportunities at Lake Erie Works will be offered to Hamilton employees," Persico wrote in an email. "We expect that a significant number of employees affected by the indefinite idle at Hamilton should be absorbed at Lake Erie Works."

Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath said the city has been working with the federal and provincial governments in response to the announcement.

"The fight is not over," Horwath told CBC's As It Happens radio program on Monday.

She said she believes Cleveland-Cliffs is not living up to commitments made to workers and that she has asked city staff to review commitments made during the company's restructuring process.

"We're going to fight tooth and nail to have them basically live up to their commitments and protect these jobs," she said. 

Karina Gould, the Liberal MP for nearby Burlington, called the decision "devastating news" for Hamilton and said the federal government is prepared to provide support to maintain operations and protect jobs.

"This is a very difficult time," Gould said.

Hamilton mayoral candidate Keanin Loomis, who is the president and CEO of the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction, also called the announcement "devastating."

"Steel jobs have supported generations of Hamilton families and remain vital to our local economy," Loomis said in a statement on social media.

The impact of tariffs has been a discussion topic on the municipal election campaign trail, with several candidates sharing proposals on how to respond to trade uncertainty.

For Watt, the announcement represents another difficult moment for a city where steel means so much.

"My grandfather, my dad, my uncles, they all worked at Stelco," she said. "My husband and my brother are there, and this is going to have a huge impact."

Jeffery is a reporter with CBC Hamilton. He previously worked as a reporter at CBC Saskatchewan in Regina, and was an associate producer at CBC Toronto. You can reach him at jeffery.tram@cbc.ca.