The Ontario government received advance notice from Stelco days before the company announced layoffs affecting over 350 employees due to the trade war with the United States. Minister Vic Fedeli confirmed the government's prior knowledge but declined to disclose specifics about any offers made or discussions had regarding potential funding to mitigate job losses. This is part of a pattern where companies like Diageo and Algoma Steel also informed the Ford government before publicly announcing significant layoffs related to tariffs.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-29,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Stelco Holdings Inc., a major steel manufacturer owned by U.S.-based Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., has announced plans to lay off 350 workers at its Hamilton plant in Ontario. The layoffs are part of a broader strategy to concentrate production at the Lake Erie Works plant in Nanticoke, starting October 9th. United Steelworkers Local 1005 president Ron Wells expects job losses to affect up to 500 employees between both plants due to U.S. tariffs and weak demand. Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Vic Fedeli, revealed that the Ford government was informed days before the announcement but emphasized no definitive decisions were made until workers were officially notified. Prime Minister Mark Carney has condemned Stelco's decision as a "betrayal" and vowed to explore legal options against the company for breaching its job-maintenance commitments in Canada.
Written for “Stelco Layoffs Hamilton” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 12 other(s) covering the same event.
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.
asserted
company → announce → 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.
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it → own → 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.
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government → come → statement
“Quite recently, quite recently,” Minister Vic Fedeli said of the timing of the conversation with Stelco.
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Fedeli → say → 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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union → ’re → announcement
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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.
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public → get → losses
In the summer of 2025, one day before Crown Royal maker Diageo revealed it planned to shut down the bottling facility in Amherstburg, Ont.
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it → reveal → Amherstburg
the company reached out to Ford’s office to offer the government a “heads up.”
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company → reach → 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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workers → say → war
In both cases, the government tried to intervene.
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government → try → cases
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.
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Algoma → call → cuts
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Khan → show → party
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Alberta → announce → Edmonton
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ministers → near → funding
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.
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manufacturer → say → program
“I would say that these offers are made to all companies,” Fedeli said.
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Fedeli → say → companies
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.”
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government → ask → 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.
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tariffs → speak → layoffs
“It’s extremely devastating,” Union local president Ron Wells said.
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Wells → ’ → ?
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