Industry Minister Mélanie Joly said she is prepared to sit down with Stelco representatives on the basis that the laid off workers are “recalled immediately.”
In a letter dated Oct. 29 obtained by Global News and addressed to Stelco’s president, Paul Simon, Joly said she expects a “concrete and credible plan for re-engagement with these workers.”
Stelco began issuing layoff notices to about 500 employees at the beginning of October following an announcement of its plans to pull back on operations at its Hamilton plant.
The company has said the employees laid off in Hamilton will be offered jobs at their Lake Erie facility but the union representing Stelco workers told Global News only 40 jobs have been offered to the impacted employees.
In a letter sent last week, Joly warned Stelco that if they do not reverse the layoffs within 15 days, the federal government will start legal action against the company that could ultimately lead to the parent company Cleveland-Cliffs being forced to divest of the Canadian steel firm.
Cleveland-Cliffs has maintained its position that one of the reasons for the layoffs is the 50 per cent tariff on aluminum and steel imposed by the U.S., which the company’s leadership has publicly supported.
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While arguing the company has not broken its agreement with the federal government, Cleveland-Cliffs has also argued they “should not be responsible for impacts of external factors beyond its control.”
Speaking to reporters Thursday, Joly said Cleveland-Cliffs and its CEO, Lourenco Goncalves, have actively supported the U.S. tariffs and must “face the consequences” they have on the Canadian market.
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Joly said she reviewed an interim compliance report that was provided by Stelco on Oct. 26 but said the report was “far from satisfactory.”
“It does not alter my belief that Stelco and Cleveland-Cliffs are not in compliance with their undertakings under the Investment Canada Act as set out in my October 22 section 39 demand,” she said in the most recent letter.
The industry minister said she expects Stelco and Cleveland-Cliffs to address her demands “fully and directly” and “provide the underlying data, documents and other evidence necessary to support their assertions.”
With files from Global News’ Mackenzie Gray.
Is this a new new letter or the previous new letter?
I’m losing track.
imagine being so white that you think the govt is able to act with speed against ultra wealthy international corporations
She is a paper tiger ….. all sizzle and no steak. Just like her boss.
The US has already ruined all of the ski resorts in BC and laid off or forced out many of the existing Canadian staff. Where were you then Jolie?
take the company away from the American pigs.
Lmao
Censorship is alive and well at the fact & truth based news company
Hypocrites
Hey Joly:
– Show us the Stelco Contract.
– Show us the tariff deal that Carney walked from.
– Show us the Stellantis deal where they walked away with billions.
– Show us the Northvolt EV Battery deal where they walked away with hundreds of millions.
…just sayin’….
The liberals have a secret deal with trump. Only Poilievre can save us!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
A lot of dissenting comments seem to be removed. News subsidy at work.
Central planning in Ottawa (equivalent to 1950s Moscow) has proven it doesn’t work.
Daaaaisy daaaaisy / giiive meee yooour aaaanswer do, I’m haaalf craaaazy/ all foooor the loooove of yoooou
We need to work together to silence Ben
It’s almost like the CEO shouldn’t have given multiple interviews where he undercut his own claims by pointing out that he bought the plant specifically to stifle Canadian exports and that the plant was making record profits despite that.
Seth Duncan
October 29, 2026 at 12:08 pm
I think you nailed it.
Carney has obviously been deliberately sabotaging the trade negotiations with the US, and it is a well-founded assumption that this would be for his own personal benefit and that of his foreign owners.
Welcum to cunada, toilet bowl full of turd
Lmao yet they’re bringing in more unnecessary workers with zero skills everyday. By far the most inept corrupt government Canada has ever had .
@Anonymous 1:49 Carney has accomplished nothing in 18 months except tough talk but no results to speak of except Canadians losing their jobs.
@Pierre Poutine – Yeah, PeePee would had a deal with Trump and turned Canada into 51st state. That’s you MAGA traitors definition of a good deal. Now, leave!
Won’t anyone think of the poor CEO? His bonus might be at stake, here. How can he keep everything for himself if he’s forced to pay a bunch of annoying workerbees?
Women in politics…. its hard to watch. Society is cooked.
She’s drunk. Of course fighting for jobs in Ontario is the liberal way. The rest of Canada excluding Qubek of course can flock off according to the LPC.
In the case of Ben, he’s a bot.
Wow, looks like a lot of Americans in the comments.
@Try this. Again. The words one chooses shapes how people interpret it. Bimbo is not a neutral description. It has history, like the phrase “female hysteria” where women were at one time forced to have a hysterectomy. Choosing that particular word bimbo frames the idea, it’s like the phrase “welfare queen.” You can disagree and call me triggered but don’t expect a response. Have responded to you before, and I don’t respect people who are obdurate or instrasigent. I do try to listen to people and have changed my opinion when I’m wrong. You and some others can be given 1 million facts but will never change. It’s useless responding. Sorry. Be well!
Your doing a great job. You have only one opinion. Send them to court and replace stelco. This company is anti Canadian.
Why won’t she meet with stelco owner most likely they have every right to do what they want but use our tax payer money on your lawyers not your money right joly
What Corporation would now want to build a manufacturing plant or invest in Canada ? When you have a half wit in Government threatening you if you layoff workers. Get real people !!!
Ben: yep, you are triggered. What would calling a man a bimbo be?
If the shoe fits… Words are just convenient vehicles for communicating ideas. She is worse than useless and an embarrassment. Is there a non-sexist word that applies better?
The Liberals are backing DEI. She was put in that position because of her gender, not because of her skills and abilities. What would you call that?
Ohhh a letter!
I dont get what shes suggesting, should they recall workers to stand around the closed plant or to produce a bunch of unneeded steel that will be hard to sell? Does the agreement really say the company must hurt itself financially and keep the factory running in spite of market conditions? Release the agreement and lets see what we’re working with here…
This woman just loves sending threatening letters and nothing happens. How many dead lines have passed and still nothing happens. What a joke. The best news yet is the EU doesn’t want Canada as an associate member so now what. That was supposed to be Carney’s and this Liberal government ace in the hole that would fix everything. If it wasn’t so pathetic it would be funny
Im sure stelco is shaking
Brookfield wants to get a chance to buy Stelco at a fraction of the cost. Carney will give them a good deal, which means he gets a good deal.
This person a clerk for a lawyer ( her experience as a lawyer) running one of the most important Ministries in Canada. Canadians should be embarrassed.
The political officer has spoken. Better do as she says or the brownshirts will visit. Melanie Joly, personally ensuring foreign capital investment avoids Canada! Another triumph of low IQ voting.
Where is all these “green” jobs Carney boasts about?
@ Ben
October 29, 2026 at 11:01 am I guess we will see how women do when the EU exports the migrant rape gangs to Canada.
@Malcolm Amber. My children will be free to support who they want. They will be taught to respect women, because some men commit sexual assault against women. Encouraging boys and men to treat women respectfully and calling it out when they don’t reduces violence against women and teaches respect towards other human beings. No means no. All my gen z male friends feel the same way. You can call me triggered though, I don’t care.
How annoying
Or what? Pointless losing legal action on the Canadian taxpayers dime to placate useless union workers and unions?
Joly needs to shut her yap. Or yap more and more and then the US can use southern ontario as their point of military invasion using this as an excuse.
@ Ben
October 29, 2026 at 10:31 am
Ben is triggered.
BIMBO, BIMBO, BIMBO
What happens if your children support PP and the Cons or even better…Trump and the Republicans?
@Anonymous. 10:39. PP would have probably had a good deal with USA by now instead of going “Elbows Up”. Total fail by Carney so far.
PP would had given up and gave laid off workers white cowboy costumes.
@Good citizen. Respectfully, I’m more than capable of taking on the world. My intent is to make it a better more respectful place for my children. One that respects women no matter their political persuasion.
The world is a tough place Ben. There are stronger more harsh words than “Bimbo” . Be brave.
Glad to see Joly and Carney standing up for Canada. And for the record, calling a woman “bimbo” is misogynist. Forever single men do this.
Time for Carney to show us a plan on when he will have a deal with the USA. He has no plan. Canada lost 100,000 jobs in August/September and way more to come for October.
Just to be clear: the bimbo is upset because she was taken advantage of and lied to and did not see it coming.