Industry Minister Melanie Joly speaks on Parliament Hill last week. She responded on Tuesday to a request for a meeting from Cleveland-Cliffs.Justin Tang/The Canadian Press
Industry Minister Mélanie Joly is demanding U.S. steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs Inc. CLF-N come up with a plan to restore jobs at Stelco Inc. as a condition for meeting.
Ms. Joly was responding early Tuesday to the latest letter sent by Cliffs to her office on Monday. Ohio-based Cliffs said in a statement on Monday that it requested a meeting with her on Oct. 23 to “discuss a path toward resuming full employment” of 175 Hamilton workers who have been laid off.
Speaking to reporters in Ottawa before a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Ms. Joly said that he was willing to meet with Cliffs, but she made a stern demand.
“First and foremost, what I want is a plan to bring back the jobs, and I want a timeline,” she said. ”And of course, I’m always willing to sit down, but that’s the first condition.”
Opinion: Cleveland-Cliffs CEO’s Stelco stance is rife with contradictions
On Sept. 28, Stelco announced that it was laying off up to 500 workers in Hamilton and Nanticoke, Ont. Not all of the layoffs have taken effect yet.
Late Monday, Cliffs reiterated in a statement that it believes it is complying with all of the promises it made to Ottawa as a condition for being allowed to acquire Stelco in 2024.
Cliffs said it expects Stelco’s average annual employment to be at least 1,879 for its unionized employees, which is 113 above the required level of 1,766.
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