Customer Agreements Enable Restart
Stelco, a wholly owned Canadian subsidiary of Cleveland-Cliffs Inc., announced on November 13, 2026, that it will restart its Hamilton, Ontario finishing operations. The company will recall all 175 laid-off workers on December 1 and pay full retroactive standard wages covering the temporary layoff period.
Stelco originally idled the Hamilton finishing lines on September 28, citing unsustainable market conditions for cold-rolled and coated steel; that shutdown put 175 employees out of work and drew sharp criticism from labor unions; following weeks of outreach, the company confirmed it had secured enough customer commitments to resume production. In an official press release, Stelco President Paul Simon said, I would like to thank our valued customers for the faith they have placed in us, and our workers for the patience and resilience they have continued to demonstrate during this challenging period.
Even while announcing the recall, Cleveland-Cliffs criticized Ottawa's trade response, arguing that customers backed the Hamilton plant despite a lack of federal action to fix gaps in Canada's tariff response program, and company executives warned that offshore imports of galvanized steel continue to flood Canada and erode domestic market share.
Canadian Industry Minister Melanie Joly addressed reporters in Hamilton on Friday following the company's announcement. Ottawa had previously invoked binding commitments made under the Investment Canada Act when Cleveland-Cliffs acquired Stelco; those legal undertakings required the U.S. buyer to protect Canadian jobs and production capacity. Union leaders welcomed the December 1 payroll restoration ahead of the winter holidays. All 175 employees will return to active status on December 1 while technicians complete multi-week equipment restarts. Union leaders will meet plant managers next week to finalize shift schedules and safety briefings ahead of the December 1 restart.
