---
title: "Up to 500 Stelco Workers Affected by Hamilton Idle as Lake…"
canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/blog/stelco-hamilton-layoffs-lake-erie-works-jobs"
language: "en"
author: "drashtigarach"
published: "2026-09-29T14:00:14.000Z"
modified: "2026-10-02T19:50:48.757Z"
---

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# Up to 500 Stelco Workers Affected by Hamilton Idle as Lake Erie Works Jobs Are Offered to Some

Up to 500 Stelco employees are affected as Hamilton Works begins winding down around Oct. 9. The union counts 350 layoffs and 46 Lake Erie openings for them.

[![Drashti Garach](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/5719d740-e510-42bc-8017-e040d145f35f_1766029465094.png)Drashti Garach @DrashtiGarach](/blog/author/drashtigarach)

[September 29, 2026](/blog/archive/2026/09)14 min read

![A steel mill with tall stacks on a harbour with rolled steel coils lined up in the foreground](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/final-10397.jpg)

[https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Up%20to%20500%20Stelco%20Workers%20Affected%20by%20Hamilton%20Idle%20as%20Lake%20Erie%20Works%20Jobs%20Are%20Offered%20to%20Some&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fstelco-hamilton-layoffs-lake-erie-works-jobs](https://x.com/intent/tweet?text=Up%20to%20500%20Stelco%20Workers%20Affected%20by%20Hamilton%20Idle%20as%20Lake%20Erie%20Works%20Jobs%20Are%20Offered%20to%20Some&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fstelco-hamilton-layoffs-lake-erie-works-jobs)[http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fstelco-hamilton-layoffs-lake-erie-works-jobs](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fstelco-hamilton-layoffs-lake-erie-works-jobs)[https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fstelco-hamilton-layoffs-lake-erie-works-jobs&title=Up%20to%20500%20Stelco%20Workers%20Affected%20by%20Hamilton%20Idle%20as%20Lake%20Erie%20Works%20Jobs%20Are%20Offered%20to%20Some](https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fstelco-hamilton-layoffs-lake-erie-works-jobs&title=Up%20to%20500%20Stelco%20Workers%20Affected%20by%20Hamilton%20Idle%20as%20Lake%20Erie%20Works%20Jobs%20Are%20Offered%20to%20Some)[mailto:?subject=Up%20to%20500%20Stelco%20Workers%20Affected%20by%20Hamilton%20Idle%20as%20Lake%20Erie%20Works%20Jobs%20Are%20Offered%20to%20Some&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fstelco-hamilton-layoffs-lake-erie-works-jobs](mailto:?subject=Up%20to%20500%20Stelco%20Workers%20Affected%20by%20Hamilton%20Idle%20as%20Lake%20Erie%20Works%20Jobs%20Are%20Offered%20to%20Some&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.metaintro.com%2Fblog%2Fstelco-hamilton-layoffs-lake-erie-works-jobs)

Hundreds of Hamilton steelworkers learned on Monday that their work is being [indefinitely idled](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216), with no end date. [Stelco](https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/news/news-releases/detail/643/cleveland-cliffs-announces-the-acquisition-of-stelco) will indefinitely idle its cold-rolled and coated operations at Hamilton Works, with the wind-down set to [begin on Oct. 9](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216), and the company puts the number of affected employees at [as many as 500 across Hamilton and Lake Erie Works](https://www.chch.com/chch-news/stelco-to-indefinitely-idle-hamilton-works-operations-impacting-up-to-500-employees/). The union local at the plant counts [350 layoffs at the Hamilton site](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-stelco-hamilton-steel-layoffs-cleveland-cliffs-lake-erie-works/). Jobs at the company's Lake Erie Works mill in Nanticoke would be offered [to some of the Hamilton employees](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-stelco-hamilton-steel-layoffs-cleveland-cliffs-lake-erie-works/), but how many is the open question. For [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) readers who work in Ontario steel or know someone who does, this piece sets out what is closing, who is affected, what the Lake Erie offer really covers, and what Ontario law and the federal Employment Insurance rules say a laid-off worker is owed.

## What Exactly Is Stelco Idling in Hamilton?

The shutdown hits the finishing end of the plant, not the whole site. Stelco is idling its [cold-rolled and coated operations](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216) at Hamilton Works. The move [will not affect its ability to supply hot-rolled steel products](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216).

That fits how the business is built. When [Cleveland-Cliffs](https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/news/news-releases/detail/643/cleveland-cliffs-announces-the-acquisition-of-stelco) agreed to buy Stelco in 2024, it described the company as two Ontario sites, with Lake Erie Works as [the newest and lowest-cost integrated steelmaking facility in North America](https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/news/news-releases/detail/643/cleveland-cliffs-announces-the-acquisition-of-stelco) and Hamilton Works as a downstream finishing and cokemaking facility. The same release put Stelco's shipments at [approximately 2.6 million net tons of flat-rolled steel annually](https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/news/news-releases/detail/643/cleveland-cliffs-announces-the-acquisition-of-stelco), mainly hot-rolled steel sold to service centres.

Production is being pulled south. Stelco will [concentrate its steel production at Lake Erie Works](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-stelco-hamilton-steel-layoffs-cleveland-cliffs-lake-erie-works/), with total tonnage unchanged but a product mix tilted towards more hot-rolled steel. The idle is [indefinite](https://www.chch.com/chch-news/stelco-to-indefinitely-idle-hamilton-works-operations-impacting-up-to-500-employees/), with the company promising to [keep evaluating its operations should conditions improve](https://www.chch.com/chch-news/stelco-to-indefinitely-idle-hamilton-works-operations-impacting-up-to-500-employees/).

## How Many Workers Are Affected, 500 or 350?

Both numbers are real, and they measure different things. The company figure is a ceiling that covers two sites. In the staff memo, [as many as 500 employees will be affected both in Hamilton and at Lake Erie Works](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-stelco-hamilton-steel-layoffs-cleveland-cliffs-lake-erie-works/) in Nanticoke. It is a maximum, not a firm layoff count.

The union figure is a count of layoffs at one site. Ron Wells, president of [United Steelworkers Local 1005](https://www.cp24.com/local/hamilton/2026/09/28/stelco-to-lay-off-350-steelworkers-at-hamilton-plant-union-says/), estimates [350 steelworkers will be laid off](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216) after a Monday morning briefing from the company. Keep the two apart. The company figure includes Lake Erie Works and is a ceiling, while the [350 layoffs](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-stelco-hamilton-steel-layoffs-cleveland-cliffs-lake-erie-works/) are the local's count for the Hamilton site alone.

Who goes first is a seniority question. Wells wants to [make sure it's done by seniority](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216), and the company is working with union leadership to [meet its obligations under the collective agreements](https://www.chch.com/chch-news/stelco-to-indefinitely-idle-hamilton-works-operations-impacting-up-to-500-employees/). Affected employees will be [notified by human resources](https://www.chch.com/chch-news/stelco-to-indefinitely-idle-hamilton-works-operations-impacting-up-to-500-employees/) as the lines wind down over the coming weeks.

> Christmas ain't that far away, and we have no idea the duration of these layoffs, Local 1005 president Ron Wells said, according to [the CBC News report](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216).

## Why Is Stelco Idling These Lines Now?

The company points to [U.S. tariffs and a shrinking market](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216) for its cold-rolled and coated steel. In its letter to staff, Stelco blames the United States' imposition of [232 tariffs](https://www.chch.com/chch-news/stelco-to-indefinitely-idle-hamilton-works-operations-impacting-up-to-500-employees/) for a major decline in its market for cold-rolled and galvanized goods. By the memo's own figures, demand for these products in the markets traditionally serviced by Stelco [declined by almost 25% in Q2 2026](https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/stelco-idling-hamilton-ont-plant-201659633.html) over the quarterly average in 2024, including [a 10% decrease in market demand in Canada](https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/stelco-idling-hamilton-ont-plant-201659633.html).

Imports are the other half of the squeeze. Stelco's vice-president of sales blames a market that has [contracted significantly, while import penetration for these products remains at heightened levels](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216). Colin Mang, an economist at [McMaster University in Hamilton](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216), puts Canada's imports of flat products like Stelco's at [about 1.2 million tons from other trading partners](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216), because free trade agreements make those imports hard to restrict.

The warning signs were public. In July, Cleveland-Cliffs chairman Lourenco Goncalves warned that without further trade protections [the future competitiveness of our galvanizing lines in Hamilton is at risk](https://www.cp24.com/local/hamilton/2026/09/28/stelco-to-lay-off-350-steelworkers-at-hamilton-plant-union-says/). The U.S. has imposed [50-per-cent levies on steel from Canada](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-stelco-hamilton-steel-layoffs-cleveland-cliffs-lake-erie-works/).

Hamilton workers have seen this pattern before. [ArcelorMittal Long Products Canada](https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/stelco-idling-hamilton-ont-plant-201659633.html) announced in June of last year that it was closing its wire drawing mill in Hamilton, putting [153 employees out of work](https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/stelco-idling-hamilton-ont-plant-201659633.html). For a wider look at job cuts in the city, see our piece on [position cuts at Hamilton Health Sciences](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/hamilton-health-sciences-413-job-cuts).

## Will Hamilton Workers Get Jobs at Lake Erie Works?

Some will be offered roles, but the [statement from Cleveland-Cliffs](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216) gives no number. It says that [job opportunities at Lake Erie Works will be offered to Hamilton employees](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216), and it expects a significant number of affected employees to be absorbed there. Jobs would be offered [to some of the Hamilton employees hit by layoffs](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-stelco-hamilton-steel-layoffs-cleveland-cliffs-lake-erie-works/).

The union's figure is small by comparison. By Wells' count, there are [only 46 job openings at Lake Erie Works](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-stelco-hamilton-steel-layoffs-cleveland-cliffs-lake-erie-works/) for Hamilton workers facing layoffs. The company statements we reviewed do not list the roles, the shifts or the pay, so a worker weighing a move should ask for those details in writing.

Distance matters too. Lake Erie Works sits in [Nanticoke, Ont.](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-stelco-hamilton-steel-layoffs-cleveland-cliffs-lake-erie-works/), south of Hamilton, so a transfer could mean a longer commute. For families, that commute is part of the offer.

> We expect that a significant number of employees affected by the indefinite idle at Hamilton should be absorbed at Lake Erie Works, Cleveland-Cliffs spokesperson Pat Persico wrote, according to [the CBC News report](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216).

## What Did Cleveland-Cliffs Promise When It Bought Stelco?

The union's anger rests on the terms of the takeover. Cleveland-Cliffs struck a deal to acquire Stelco in a transaction valued at about [CAD $3.4 billion](https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/news/news-releases/detail/643/cleveland-cliffs-announces-the-acquisition-of-stelco), bringing [an additional 1,800 United Steelworkers](https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/news/news-releases/detail/643/cleveland-cliffs-announces-the-acquisition-of-stelco) union employees into its workforce. The release projected about [$120 million of estimated annual cost savings with no impact to union jobs](https://www.clevelandcliffs.com/news/news-releases/detail/643/cleveland-cliffs-announces-the-acquisition-of-stelco).

The deal [closed in November 2024](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216). In Wells' account, one of the commitments made then was [to maintain the same number of unionized employees](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216), and he argues the company is now [violating those commitments](https://www.chch.com/chch-news/stelco-to-indefinitely-idle-hamilton-works-operations-impacting-up-to-500-employees/).

Ottawa is pressing the same point. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly insists the government offered [financial support to sustain operations and protect jobs](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216), and called the decision to reject those proposals extremely disappointing. Hamilton Mayor Andrea Horwath has vowed to hold both companies to their commitments, saying [the fight is not over](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216). None of that stops the wind-down, but it could shape what the companies offer workers in the months ahead.

## What Does Ontario Law Say About a Temporary Layoff?

An indefinite idle is not automatically a firing. Under the [Ontario Employment Standards Act guide](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/termination-employment), a temporary layoff happens when an employer cuts back or stops an employee's work without ending the employment, and the mere fact that no recall date is given [does not necessarily mean that the lay-off is not temporary](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/termination-employment).

The law caps how long a layoff can stay temporary. The basic limit is [not more than 13 weeks of lay-off in any period of 20 consecutive weeks](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/termination-employment). It can run to [less than 35 weeks of lay-off in any period of 52 consecutive weeks](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/termination-employment) where conditions are met, such as the employer continuing benefit plan payments, the worker receiving supplementary unemployment benefits, or the employer recalling the worker [within the time frame approved by the Director of Employment Standards](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/termination-employment).

Unionized steelworkers have a separate track. For an employee represented by a trade union, a layoff of [35 or more weeks in any period of 52 consecutive weeks](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/termination-employment) can still count as temporary if the employer recalls the worker within the time set out in the union's agreement with the employer. That makes the recall language in the collective agreement the document to read first.

A newer option can stretch that further. [As of November 27, 2025](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/termination-employment), a temporary lay-off may last [less than 52 weeks in any 78 consecutive weeks](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/termination-employment) if the employer and employee agree in writing and the Director of Employment Standards approves it.

If the layoff runs past those limits, the rules change. At that point the employer is [considered to have terminated the employee's employment](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/termination-employment), and the employee will generally be entitled to termination pay. Special notice rules [may apply in a mass termination](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/termination-employment), where 50 or more employees are terminated at one establishment within four weeks.

## How Do Laid-Off Steelworkers Apply for EI, and How Much Does It Pay?

Apply fast. The federal [EI application page](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/apply.html) warns that if you apply for Employment Insurance [more than 4 weeks after your last day of work, you may lose benefits](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/apply.html). You do not need to wait for paperwork, because you [can send required documents after you apply](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/apply.html), although the government will need records of employment from each employer to decide eligibility.

Have these ready when you file:

- Your social insurance number, your mailing and home addresses with postal codes, and banking details for direct deposit, all listed on [the federal checklist](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/apply.html).
- Details of every job in the past [52 weeks](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/apply.html) or since your last claim, including the reason for separation.
- If you claimed EI in the past year and weeks are left on that claim, an existing claim is [automatically reactivated](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/apply.html).

To qualify, you need enough hours. Depending on the unemployment rate in your region, the requirement is [between 420 and 700 hours of insurable employment](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/eligibility.html) during the qualifying period. Check the hours needed in your region on the [EI eligibility page](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/eligibility.html).

The money is a partial replacement, not a full wage. For most people the basic rate is [55% of their average insurable weekly earnings](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/benefit-amount.html), up to a cap. As of January 1, 2026, the maximum yearly insurable earnings are $68,900, which means a weekly maximum of [$729](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/benefit-amount.html). Benefits last [from 14 weeks up to a maximum of 45 weeks](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/benefit-amount.html), depending on regional unemployment and your insurable hours.

## Do the Tariff Relief Measures for EI Still Apply?

Ottawa plans to run them longer. In March, [Employment and Social Development Canada](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2026/03/government-of-canada-extending-employment-insurance-temporary-measures-to-ensure-critical-income-support-continues-for-workers-impacted-by-tariffs.html) moved to extend three temporary EI measures for workers hit by tariffs, with end dates in October:

- **Waiting week waived.** Claimants can get paid for the first week of their claim, for claims established [between March 30, 2025, and October 10, 2026](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2026/03/government-of-canada-extending-employment-insurance-temporary-measures-to-ensure-critical-income-support-continues-for-workers-impacted-by-tariffs.html).
- **Severance not deducted first.** Claimants can receive EI [without having to first exhaust separation payments](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2026/03/government-of-canada-extending-employment-insurance-temporary-measures-to-ensure-critical-income-support-continues-for-workers-impacted-by-tariffs.html) from the employer, within the same window.
- **Extra weeks for long-serving workers.** The March release provides [20 additional weeks of regular benefits for long-tenured workers](https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2026/03/government-of-canada-extending-employment-insurance-temporary-measures-to-ensure-critical-income-support-continues-for-workers-impacted-by-tariffs.html), for claims starting on or after June 15, 2025, until October 10, 2026.

Then in August, [the Department of Finance Canada](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2026/08/support-for-canadian-workers-and-businesses-affected-by-us-tariffs.html) unveiled a new support package that would extend all three again, [extending by one year the temporary Employment Insurance (EI) measure to waive the 1-week waiting period](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2026/08/support-for-canadian-workers-and-businesses-affected-by-us-tariffs.html), and extending by one year the measure that lets workers receive EI [without first using up their separation payments](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2026/08/support-for-canadian-workers-and-businesses-affected-by-us-tariffs.html), such as severance or vacation pay. The extra weeks for long-tenured workers would be [extended by 8 months](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2026/08/support-for-canadian-workers-and-businesses-affected-by-us-tariffs.html).

Check the details before you count on them. The [federal temporary measures page](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/temporary-measures-for-major-economic-conditions.html) still lists claims starting [between March 30, 2025, and October 10, 2026](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/temporary-measures-for-major-economic-conditions.html) for the waived waiting period, so the announced extensions may not yet be reflected there. The same page says to [submit an application as soon as you stop working](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/temporary-measures-for-major-economic-conditions.html) to find out if you can receive EI. The steelworkers' union wants more, with the director of [United Steelworkers District 6](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216) calling for protections that could include increased benefits or [removing the waiting time for benefits](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216).

There is also a change aimed at employers. The August package would set up a new [Workforce Retention and Retraining Program](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2026/08/support-for-canadian-workers-and-businesses-affected-by-us-tariffs.html), combining the existing EI Work-Sharing program and the Worker Retention Grant into a single program designed to help companies keep staff through a difficult period.

## What Help Is Ontario Offering Hamilton Steelworkers?

The province points workers to a local centre. Ontario's economic development ministry is [ramping up services at its POWER Centre in Hamilton](https://www.cp24.com/local/hamilton/2026/09/28/stelco-to-lay-off-350-steelworkers-at-hamilton-plant-union-says/), where funding recently rose by [nearly 50%](https://www.cp24.com/local/hamilton/2026/09/28/stelco-to-lay-off-350-steelworkers-at-hamilton-plant-union-says/), to connect workers with training and new jobs. The same statement cites a [$30-billion tariff relief and support plan](https://www.cp24.com/local/hamilton/2026/09/28/stelco-to-lay-off-350-steelworkers-at-hamilton-plant-union-says/).

The province had advance notice. Minister Vic Fedeli confirmed the company gave the province notice [within days](https://globalnews.ca/news/12076648/ford-government-given-advance-warning-of-stelco-layoffs/) of the announcement. It is the [third tariff-related layoff](https://globalnews.ca/news/12076648/ford-government-given-advance-warning-of-stelco-layoffs/) the Ford government knew about before the public.

Another Ontario steelmaker shows what support can look like. [The steelmaker Algoma Steel](https://globalnews.ca/news/12076648/ford-government-given-advance-warning-of-stelco-layoffs/), which Premier Doug Ford said told the government in advance that it planned to cut roughly 1,000 positions, was given a [$100 million taxpayer funded loan](https://globalnews.ca/news/12076648/ford-government-given-advance-warning-of-stelco-layoffs/) to reduce the severity of its staffing cuts. That is no guarantee for Hamilton, but it shows governments have attached money to jobs before.

## What This Means for Steelworkers, and What Should You Do Next?

Our read is that the Lake Erie offer is real but narrow. The company's own words are an expectation that a significant number should be absorbed, while the union counts [46 openings against 350 layoffs](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-stelco-hamilton-steel-layoffs-cleveland-cliffs-lake-erie-works/) in Hamilton. Plan as if you may not get one of those seats, and treat a transfer as a bonus if it comes.

Here is what we would do this week:

- **Ask for the list.** Ask the union for the Lake Erie Works roles, shifts and pay on offer, and how seniority decides who gets them. Local 1005 is the right first call, and its president wants the layoffs [done by seniority](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216).
- **Read the recall clause.** Under [Ontario's layoff rules](https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/termination-employment), the recall time in the collective agreement shapes how long a unionized layoff can stay temporary.
- **File for EI on time.** Apply within [four weeks of your last day](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/apply.html) at the latest, and make sure each employer issues your [record of employment](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/apply.html). You can send other required documents after you apply.
- **Keep your paperwork.** Save the memo, your seniority date and any severance or supplementary benefit details, since the tariff EI rules on separation payments [depend on when your claim starts](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/temporary-measures-for-major-economic-conditions.html), and Ottawa [plans to extend them](https://www.canada.ca/en/department-finance/news/2026/08/support-for-canadian-workers-and-businesses-affected-by-us-tariffs.html).
- **Start a parallel search.** List your mill skills plainly, from crane work to maintenance and electrical trades, so employers outside steel can read them. Recall rights won by other workers, such as those in the [Blizzard workers' first contract](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/blizzard-1900-workers-union-contract-ai-layoff-recall), are worth comparing with your own.

Layoffs like this land hardest on families heading into the holidays. The facts that help are the ones on paper, the recall clause, the EI deadline and the list of Lake Erie roles, so get them early.

## Related Articles

- [How British Steel Nationalisation Just Saved Thousands of Steel Jobs](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/british-steel-nationalisation-saves-steel-jobs)
- [Why the UK-India Trade Deal Puts Thousands of Welsh Steel Jobs at Risk](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/uk-india-trade-deal-welsh-steel-jobs-risk)
- [Steelworkers Seek Employment Support Amid Port Talbot Furnace Closures](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/port-talbot-steelworkers-job-disruption)
- [Quebec's Lumber Industry Faces Job Cuts Amid Tariff Struggles](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/quebec-lumber-job-cuts)
- [Manufacturing Jobs Face Tariff Turbulence](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/manufacturing-jobs-trump-tariffs)
- [Tariffs Threaten Jobs: Unions Sound the Alarm](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/trade-wars-tariffs-job-losses)
- [Winnebago Faces Job Cuts Due to Tariff Pressure](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/winnebago-job-cuts-tariffs)
- [How to Job Search With AI After a Layoff](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/job-search-with-ai-after-a-layoff)

## People Also Asked

### Q: How many Stelco workers are being laid off in Hamilton?

A: The company says [as many as 500 employees](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-stelco-hamilton-steel-layoffs-cleveland-cliffs-lake-erie-works/) could be affected across Hamilton and Lake Erie Works, while the union local estimates [350 layoffs](https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/stelco-tariffs-trump-9.7361216) at the Hamilton plant.

### Q: Will laid-off Hamilton workers get jobs at Lake Erie Works?

A: Some will be offered roles, and the company expects a significant number to be absorbed, but the union says there are [only 46 job openings](https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-stelco-hamilton-steel-layoffs-cleveland-cliffs-lake-erie-works/) at Lake Erie Works for Hamilton workers.

### Q: How much EI can a laid-off steelworker receive?

A: Most people get [55% of their average insurable weekly earnings](https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/benefit-amount.html), up to $729 per week, for 14 to 45 weeks depending on their region and hours.

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