NDP leaders urge federal nationalization of Stelco after Cleveland-Cliffs maintains Hamilton layoffs
Federal and Ontario NDP leaders are pressing Ottawa to pursue public ownership of Stelco, intensifying political pressure as planned layoffs proceed.
Federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis and Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles called on Oct. 13 for Ottawa to nationalize Hamilton-based Stelco, whose U.S. owner Cleveland-Cliffs is proceeding with layoffs. Their intervention followed the company’s rejection of a federal demand to reverse the job cuts and adds a public-ownership option to the political debate over the plant’s future. [1]
Lewis said the federal government should act immediately, arguing that Cleveland-Cliffs had not met commitments associated with its 2024 purchase of Stelco to maintain unionized employment and similar non-union staffing levels for five years. Industry Minister Mélanie Joly has said the layoffs violate the company’s Investment Canada Act agreement and has indicated the government is considering legal action. Cleveland-Cliffs chief executive Lourenco Goncalves has countered that the temporary layoffs are permitted while Canada and the United States work toward a trade agreement. [1]
The company has announced 300 to 350 layoffs at Stelco’s Hamilton operation amid the Canada-U.S. trade conflict. Lewis argued that litigation would not move quickly enough to protect workers whose jobs are at risk, while linking the proposed nationalization to preserving domestic steelmaking capacity. He also criticized U.S. tariffs on foreign steel, which he said had contributed to the layoffs, though no federal decision to acquire the company has been announced. [1]
At Queen’s Park, Stiles called on Premier Doug Ford to work with Ottawa to press Cleveland-Cliffs to relinquish its ownership stake and establish public ownership with Canadian management. Ontario NDP members also requested a provincial steel-industry tariff-relief package and a “Buy Ontario First” procurement approach. Ford’s office had not responded to CBC’s request for comment by publication. [1]
The proposal remains an opposition-party call rather than a policy commitment from either the federal or Ontario governments. Prime Minister Mark Carney had previously said he would await Cleveland-Cliffs’ response to Joly’s reinstatement demand before taking appropriate action; the company subsequently declined to reverse the layoffs. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre supported legal action but argued that the priority should be negotiating a tariff-free Canada-U.S. deal. [1]
The development raises political pressure around a steel producer facing 300 to 350 layoffs and a dispute over commitments attached to its foreign acquisition, with potential implications for workers, Hamilton suppliers and Canadian steel capacity. The significance remains limited because nationalization is being advocated by opposition leaders, not adopted or implemented by government, and the company’s ownership, layoffs and tariff exposure have not been altered by this call. [1]