Stelco (Cleveland-Cliffs) to idle Hamilton finishing ops; transfers and Nanticoke cuts expected

Cleveland-Cliffs, owner of Stelco, announced idling of Hamilton finishing operations with roughly 350 Hamilton steelworkers set to be laid off effective Oct. 9, 2026, and said a "significant" number could transfer to its Lake Erie Works in Nanticoke. Union leaders say only about 20 full-time openings exist at Nanticoke and expect 60 to 80 layoffs there, potentially bringing total local job losses close to 450 between Hamilton and Nanticoke. The company said overall tonnage would be maintained with a shift toward hot-rolled production made at Nanticoke; management has not specified how many Hamilton employees will be offered roles in Nanticoke. The cuts are attributed to market pressures including U.S. tariffs affecting demand for cold-rolled and galvanized products, and the union reports reduced pickling-line operations and hiring freezes at Nanticoke.

LayoffTalk has tracked 7 layoff events at Cleveland-Cliffs, Inc. since June 2025, including 947 jobs documented in official WARN filings, with 5 additional events known from news reporting.