""As part of the closure of its blast furnace and coke making operations, Algoma has made the difficult decision to issue approximately 1,000 layoff notices today, effective in 16 weeks on March 23, 2026," reads an emailed statement from the company. "This transition is necessary to protect Algoma's future in the face of these extraordinary and external market forces, and we will continue to advocate for a competitive and fair trading environment for Canadian steel." The statement goes on to say that "unprecedented tariffs imposed by the United States" has "fundamentally altered the competitive landscape.""
"But the long-time leader of United Steelworkers Local 2251 says that he's not yet certain about how "permanent" the job cuts are, as he and his team are "finding some errors in the list" and "getting phone calls" from concerned members. Da Prat said its been clear since the 2022 contract talks that there were going to be hundreds of job cuts related to the switching to an electric arc furnace, but said the union and the company have been working on "mitigation strategies," including a trades helper program for displaced workers."
Algoma Steel issued approximately 1,000 layoff notices at its Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario plant, effective March 23, 2026, as it closes blast furnace and coke-making operations. The company cited extraordinary external market forces and unprecedented U.S. tariffs that fundamentally altered the competitive landscape, and said the transition to an electric arc furnace is necessary to protect the company's future. The transition is now scheduled for early 2026, about a year earlier than planned. Algoma received $500 million in government loans to protect jobs. United Steelworkers Local 2251 reported about 900 members received notices and said mitigation strategies and worker support programs are being pursued.
Read at www.cbc.ca
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