Industry Minister Joly demands concrete plan from Stelco before meeting

Canada's industry minister Mélanie Joly said she will meet Stelco president Paul Simon and Cleveland-Cliffs CEO Lourenço Gonçalves only if the steelmaker provides a detailed, time-bound plan to bring back workers who were laid off at the Hamilton plant. In a letter dated Thursday, Joly wrote that the plan must form the basis for discussions on the company's obligations under the Investment Canada Act.

"My message to [Gonçalves] is, first, bring back the jobs and then we'll meet. I want a plan, I want a timeline. And I'm serious about it. You have commitments toward Canada. You have to make sure that you respect them," Joly told reporters at a news conference.

Gonçalves previously indicated a goal of rehiring all 175 laid-off employees by Christmas, contingent on a plan to increase Canadian sales. The minister has also warned that failure to reverse the layoffs could lead to legal action for breaching the Investment Canada Act, which required the purchaser to maintain unionized employment levels through 2029.

Stelco recently completed an internal review asserting full compliance with the Act, but Joly described the report as unsatisfactory, stating that mere assertions of compliance do not replace the detailed evidence she requires.

"I find the report far from satisfactory. Assertions of compliance are not a substitute for the information and evidence necessary to establish compliance," Joly wrote.

The minister said she needs data, documents and other evidence to be convinced of the company's compliance before any meeting can take place.