Stelco's owner hopes to bring back its 175 laid-off workers before Christmas

Layoffs, not “up to 500”

175 workers laid off

Cleveland-Cliffs chief executive Lourenco Goncalves says the layoffs were never 500 but 175, despite a Sep 28 internal letter warning that up to 500 workers could be affected.

He says the plan depends on Canadian customers buying Canadian steel, not on tighter import limits. He also says Stelco will not be sold for at least a year and that he will talk to no buyer, real or imaginary, this calendar year.

“We are opposed to our members being used as pawns.”

— Ron Wells, United Steelworkers Local 1005

What's next

Industry Minister Mélanie Joly has said the company must present a concrete plan and timeline for bringing workers back before she agrees to meet Goncalves. It is not known whether his plan meets that condition.