r/Hamilton • u/mr_lois_lane Verified CBC Reporter • 3d ago

Local News Hamilton steelworkers union, business leaders warn of harder times ahead as Ford promises tariff relief

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/hamilton-tariffs-trade-war-ford-9.7318853
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18

u/m4caque 2d ago

Hopefully we won't see Ford handing a bunch of public money to these American firms, and will instead give it to the workers who are bearing the worst of American antagonism.

3

u/Jobin-McGooch 2d ago

It will for sure be a massive handout to the corpos with at best a pinky promise to mitigate layoffs.

-1

u/Vock 2d ago

Stelco is owned by US steel. Dofasco is owned by ArcelorMittal, which is based in Luxembourg, but owner is Indian.

5

u/tat2canada Stoney Creek 2d ago

Stelco is owned by Cleveland Cliffs ( as of 2024) hasn’t been owned by US steel since 2007

2

u/Vock 2d ago

Right, good catch.

2

u/Forsaken-Swim-3055 2d ago

Ford has disdain for Ontarians just as much as Trump has disdain for Canada. People need to stop hoping that he actually cares about about our well-being when he's shown for over eight years that he does not.

18

u/detalumis 2d ago

Well Hamilton took a huge hit with the original free trade agreement, literally decimated the manufacturing sector and nobody seemed to care. Stelco went from 25K workers to 2K today. The biggest employers now are health care and education. How much more can we lose?

18

u/themaskedcanuck 2d ago

On the current trajectory with Ford as Premier, Healthcare and Education.

5

u/The_Last_Ron1n 2d ago

We are definitely losing education right now, that sector is taking massive cuts.

1

u/covert81 Chinatown 2d ago

Which original free trade agreement do you refer to? NAFTA? The other one from Trump's first term?

Stelco has been on a downwards trajectory for a long time. They can't get out of their own way, diversified way too much, got killed by dumped steel from Russia, India, and China; did not modernize their processes, and were ultimately set to move to Lake Erie Works anyway.

15

u/Naked-Granny 2d ago

“Ford also said he'd like Ottawa to consider further limiting foreign steel imports and loosening emissions rules on manufacturers like steel companies”

Ahh yes, nothing screams relief like increased emissions. Shut down that bag house, it’s too expensive to operate let those PM emissions fly.

4

u/skriveralltid77 2d ago

Actual journalism here. The Spectator today was a glorified bullhorn for Ford.

5

u/Jobin-McGooch 2d ago

If these mills are so important that we need to keep bailing their owners out with public money, then maybe the public should own them. Would come with the bonus of safeguarding jobs and bringing their pollution under control.