Goodbye Stelco (U.S.Steel)---Hamilton and Nanticoke

Don’t get me started on globalization. I feel for the guys/gals who invested their futures in Stelco. But, where did Canadians look to know in this ?convoluted market, if their cars had Canadian made steel in them?

So how temporary is this actually or does anybody really know the answer to this? I was just throwing the union thing out there as a possible reason without knowing anything about how the steel industry works in Hamilton to be honest. Unions have done a lot of good over the years, no question, at least for some people.

I remember a grey haired gentleman who on Sunday mornings would take a few minutes to offer up a prayer. His family was at church but he had to work. I remember the guy who shared his lunch with me one night when I forgot mine. He had been working there 32 years. I remember a father proudly carrying around the pictures of his son and daughter who had graduated from university; but what I mostly remember are the sweat covered faces of good men who worked rotating shifts through stifling summer days and freezing winter nights in order to provide for their families…

My suspicion is that it’s not temporary at all. With all the bail-out cash going around in the states to create and maintain jobs, I’m sure there are or will be huge incentives to large companies to pull back all manufacturing operations into the U.S.A . And keep them there.

I can’t see U.S.Steel getting any favours from Washington in the future if they try to crank up Stelco again and move potential American jobs back into Canada. Not going to happen in my opinion.

The -temporary- rhetoric is corporate -spin- I’m afraid. It keeps the pitchforks and torches at bay.

I bet U.S.Steel’s next move is to ask for some of that bail-out cash to expand manufacturing capacity in the U.S.A.

Anyone know how many contractor’s and supplier’s jobs just went -poof- also?

I wonder if the USWA International will keep Local 1005 and the Local in Nanticoke alive due to the loss of Union Dues ? Keep an eye on that.

Rather than reading Atlas Shrugged, it might be more beneficial to read some actual texts on Economics.

In order to have a standard of living even close to what the middle class in North America enjoys (even if you adhere to right-wing ideals), people need to specialize and trade goods and services with one another. 1500 fewer people working is 1500 fewer people to trade with, and that’s bad for everybody. If I run a widget factory, then when 1500 labourers are out of work, they (and the entrepreneurs who profited from their labour) are now less able to afford to buy my widgets.

It’s all about interdependence, regardless of what Ayn Rand and her adherents would have you believe. Unless you can be totally self-sufficient, somebody needs to be able to buy that which you have to sell. If everyone attempted to be truly self-sufficient (i.e. not trading with others and not stealing the production of others through theft or slavery) each of us would be engaged in self-sustenance agriculture with self-built tools while wearing self-made clothing and living in self-built shelters.

The true problem at the root of the dystopia in Atlas Shrugged is too many people getting paid to produce nothing, which she falsley claims is the ultimate result of all government intervention. In fact, based on the smoke and mirrors games on Wall Street which have led to the current crisis in the US, a person could make a strong case that it is lack of regulation which has led to the recent disproportionate redistribution of wealth to people who produce nothing of real value, and the consequences of that redistribution.

Atlas Shrugged is good for toilet paper, and little else.

Sorry for posting more bad news but we might as well get it all at once.

By THE CANADIAN PRESS
TORONTO -- There are new predictions that Ontario's deficit could climb as high as $18 billion over two years, leading a tide of red ink that's expected to wash over Canada as the provinces hunker down for a recession.

TD chief economist Don Drummond said yesterday he's expecting Ontario to run a deficit of about $5 billion in the current fiscal year ending March 31 and another $13 billion in the next.

Is it a coincidence that the timing of this anouncement coincides with the NDP having a Provincial Leadership conference in Hamilton?
The worst case senario seems to be Stelco owned by Americans.
We’d be better with a foreign off shore invester to compete with the Americans,hopefully someone will step up and buy Stelco who isn’t a Yank.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/523623

Sam Merulla chimes in: 'Let's build a stadium!'

The Hamilton Spectator
(Mar 4, 2009)
Within moments of yesterday's news that U.S. Steel Canada is shutting down its Hamilton and Lake Erie operations, Councillor Sam Merulla sent out a one-line press release.

"Let's build a stadium!!!!!!!" said the e-mail from the councillor, who opposed the city spending $60-million to build a Pan Am Games stadium and velodrome.

Councillor Bob Bratina quickly e-mailed: "This is not a matter for smug jokes."

Merulla replied: "Not a joke my friend!!!!!! It's reality. Wake up. It's just the beginning!!!!!!!"

A journalist from Canwest replied to the mass e-mails, asking: "Would you two call each other instead of wasting everyone else's time. Thanks."

Merulla replied, "Good point," and later ended the exchange with:

"Good point but it just occurred to me that Mr. Bratina doesn't return my calls and he voted to silence me at council last Wednesday. Ergo good point if and only if and because and only because the other party would want the truth to be told."

Hey Mr. Merulla, you must be right, why would anyone want to build a stadium right now, like BMO for example that uses lots of steel girders as part of the design. Makes no sense eh Sam, especially in Hamilton right now.

Whatever you say say Sam. In fact, let's go one step further and not build anything made of steel, in Hamilton, hey in Canada, let's all just hunker down and get buzzed all day. Hey Sam?

I’m not suggesting Rand’s books are an economic answer. They do stress the need for personal accountability and not placing all hope and dependency on big government or companies.

There are several factors contributing to this financial crisis, but the only one the individual can control is themselves.

Most of Obama’s stimulus bill is going towards increased government influence in the individual’s life. Anyone who thinks socialism is the answer should read one of her books and stand up for themself.

What does the NDP have to do with US steel closing Stelco. I doubt that the US owners have even heard of the NDP.
The reality is that Stelco has been an inefficient plant, we were lucky that any company bought into it and we should be thankful. To think that another foreign country would come in and buy it up is foolish.
Stelco makes a lot of steel for the auto industry, the cars produced by the auto industry in Canada primarily are exported to the US. Some of the auto plants in Canada such as the mini-van plant are the only ones in North America, most vehicles are shipped to the US market. When that market dries up they don’t buy steel or auto parts!!

Does anyone remember Firestone? we had three plants in Hamilton in the early 80’s. All three plants were inefficient, they couldn’t keep up with the new Michelin plants that were built in Nova Scotia.
Firestone asked for government bailout, they got it from the Liberals and Sheila Copps. Firestone shut down 2 years later and us taxpayers lost out. Firestone didn’t even make stell belted radials at the time.

It’s a changing globalized world and we can’t put up walls or pick who buys. We need more of agreements like NAFTA, if we didn’t have free trade we would be far worse off than we are now.

Don’t forget that 90% of what we produce goes to the US, oil, minerals, forestry etc. And we don’t give it away we sell it, and if the US doesn’t buy our resources and minerals, products we suffer. Its easy to get things to the US - truck, train, pipeline. Just thank your lucky stars we live next the US and they are willing to buy things from us.

We need more of agreements like NAFTA, if we didn't have free trade we would be far worse off than we are now.

Didn't Brian Multroney get criticized big-time for NAFTA by a lot of folk out there? :wink:

What? It’s 2009. Does the Hamilton Community STILL rely on it’s steel industry to feed families and clothe it’s kids? Perhaps 20 or even 15 years ago I’d slightly agree with you but I can’t believe that’s still the case.

8) Oh you are so right "Earl" .
  To this day I still hear people blaming Mulroney for all our problems  !!!    <!-- s:roll: -->:roll:<!-- s:roll: --> 

   It's either his fault or Mike Harris   !!!     <!-- s:wink: -->:wink:<!-- s:wink: -->

The Steel companies in Hamilton have lost alot more than 1,500 jobs already.

Our economy has been shifting from a manufacturing based one to a service based one for over 20 years now.

For years now more Hamiltonians work outside of Hamilton than within Hamilton.

Pittsburgh survived and reinvented itself after losing even more steelworking jobs. Hamilton will survive too.

I just feel for the workers and their families right now.

I agree that we do not rely on the steel industry and/or manufacturing like we used to. In fact, I’ve say we’ve diversified enough that we should be able to whether this storm relatively well.

I still think we, and the rest of the province/ country, need to remember that Hamilton Health Sciences is by far the largest employer – I believe at around 13,000…which, sounds like what the steel guys were employing about 20 years ago. So, we are evolving.

(And, note, that this doesn’t make it any less of a kick in the junk for all the families affected…)

When a door closes, another one opens, I guess. Perhaps this is just another step in Hamilton’s evolution towards a creative, knowledge based economy? Maybe in 40 or 50 years you’ll come across the Skyway to see big condos and/or commercial buildings along a cleaned up waterfront? Who knows.

Regardless, I don’t think this is a Flint, Michigan situation by any stretch.

Hey...maybe there's a way that each family affected could be gifted two tickets for the Cats home opener? Maybe a business could put their name on the effort for the PR, or a fan-based drive could take place? I'm sure the Ticats would kick in something.

bad news for The Hammer. but could someone explain .when did U S steel aquire Stelco, as i recall afew years ago Stelco was under bankrutpsy protection, and there were international bids for the company. i thought they avoided being bought up, and were a canadian indipendant company?? one bid i hoped would win was the europian bank, they were going to develope hydro generation from the wasted energy from the steel production, could have supplied the city with hydro!!! now this and all because of corrupt USA bankers! Buy Canadian folks

If Americans think the same way Canada is in big trouble.

Should only Canadian athletes play in the CFL? That would be “buy Canadian”.

Stelco has been bankrupt for years. This news should come as no surprise.

How any season Ticket holder where steal workers ?
How many will now have say the can’ afford to come to Ticats Games.?
That the bottom line here how dose this effect the Ticket base for the Team?