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Inside

today

High: 2

Low: 12 (morning)

Mostly sunny with more

clouds moving in later.

Highs above zero rest of

the week. Details: Go 2

W E DN E S D A Y, MA R CH 4 , 2 009 T H E S P E C. C O M T H E VO ICE O F O U R CO MMU N IT IE S S IN CE 1 8 4 6

U.S. STEEL IDLES STELCO PLANTS

ANOTHER 1,500 LAYOFFS:

BY NAOMI POWELL

U.S. Steel is shutting down all opera-tions at the former Stelco, putting 1,500employees in Hamilton and Nanticokeout of work indefinitely.

In a city that has always looked tosteel as its backbone, it is the most d ev-astating indicator yet of a deepeningeconomic crisis that is batteringHamiltons struggling manufacturingsector.

The latest cuts come on top of 684 lay-offs that have already been delivered atU.S. Steel Canada, bringing the totalnumber of job losses to 2,190. No

salaried staff were a ffected.This is going to devastate Hamilton,

said Rolf Gerstenberger, president of theUnited Steelworkers union in Hamilton.You lay off hundreds of thousands ofsteelworkers in Hamilton and NorthAmerica and this crisis will just getworse.

Hamilton Steel and Lake Erie Works inNanticoke will be mothballed over thenext few weeks as U.S. Steel concen-trates production at plants in Alabama,Pittsburgh and Indiana. Only the cokeovens at Lake Erie Works will continueto run.

The Canadian plants bought by U.S.

Steel for $1.9 billion less than 16 monthsago will not resume production until

market conditions improve.In Ottawa, officials are watching the

situation closely to ensure it complieswith the Investment Canada Act, saidPema Lhalungpa, an aide to IndustryMinister Tony Clement. To get approvalfrom Ottawa, a foreign company lookingto buy a Canadian company must agreeto undertakin gs, which specify the net

benefit the firm will provide to Canadain employment, investment or othercontributions.

Continued on A2

CALL FOR ACTION

Politicians ask for help Infrastructure

cash sought to help industry and city A3

STEELTOWN

SHUDDERSThis is going todevastate Hamilton.

Rolf Gerstenberger, USWA Local 1005 president

WORKERS STUNNED

Rug pulled out Plant employees say

they didnt see it coming A3

STEEL CITY TIMELINE

Century of history Steelmakers ups and

downs tied to Hamiltons fortunes A4

CLOSURES SPARK SPAT

Councillors face offNews about the

shutdown revives Pan Am debate A5

HALDIMAND HIT

Region holds its breath Steelmaker is

a top employer in struggling rural area A6

THE SPECTATORS VIEW

What next? Governments must step up

to stop industrial bleeding A14

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HOTOBYBARRYGRAY,

THEHAMILTONSPECTATOR

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