Steel Mills

US Steel Canada Responds to Secret Agreement Appeal
Written by Sandy Williams
November 12, 2015
US Steel Canada presented its arguments against revealing the confidential settlement between USSC, US Steel and the government of Canada. In a response filed with the Court of Appeal for Ontario on November 11, 2015, US Steel Canada asked that the appeal by the USW, USSC employees and pensioners, and the City of Hamilton be dismissed.
The appellants want the December 8, 2011 “secret agreement” between Canada, USS, and USSC revealed, claiming it is relevant to the CCAA proceedings for US Steel Canada. In April, a CCAA judge dismissed a motion for disclosure of the agreement.
US Steel Canada, in its response on Wednesday, stated the issues in the appeal are:
- Did the CCAA judge correctly interpret section 36 of the ICA, including the finding that there was no exception to privilege?
- Did USSC waive privilege over the Settlement Agreement?
- Should this Court reverse the decision of the CCAA judge and order disclosure of the Settlement Agreement?
USSC concludes in the first issue that the judge correctly interpreted the law in finding there was “no exception to privilege.”
In the second issue, USSC says that although USSC President and General Manager Michael McQuade did mention the agreement in generalized terms during the proceedings, disclosure of the “existence of a document does not constitute waiver over that document.” USSC’s clear intention was to remain confidentiality over the Settlement Agreement and that “the privilege attaching to settlement documents cannot be unilaterally waived by one party.”
Thirdly, USSC concludes that the decision not to disclose the Settlement Agreement should be upheld.
A series of letters have been sent to new Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne by the Canadian USW and MPPs Dave Levac and Paul Miller regarding the situation facing workers at US Steel Canada.
The group called on the Government of Canada to bear “some real responsibility” for the plight of retirees and active employees at USSC. It asked the government to support the disclosure of the agreement and provide help for those individuals who are losing their post-retirement health benefits.
Wrote the USW: “These are vulnerable people who have done nothing wrong. They are losing essential health care benefits earned as deferred compensation during a work life spent in a heavy industrial setting. These workers and their families have counted on these benefits, and now they have been taken away and no one has been held accountable.”

Sandy Williams
Read more from Sandy WilliamsLatest in Steel Mills

Atlas completes Evraz NA deal, renames firm, and hires former USS exec as CEO
Atlas Holdings has completed its acquisition of Evraz North America (Evraz NA) and its subsidiaries.

ArcelorMittal: As tariffs slow global growth, Calvert could be a bright spot
ArcelorMittal expects less demand growth across most of the markets it operates in, including the US, because of President Donald Trump’s tariffs. But the Luxembourg-based steelmaker also thinks it stands to benefit from an increasingly regionalized world thanks to investments like the new EAF at its mill in Calvert, Ala.

Ternium posts solid Q2, expects further shipment growth
Latin American steel producer Ternium delivered a solid performance in the second quarter of 2025. Performance was driven primarily by higher realized steel prices in Mexico, even as shipment volumes declined slightly across its regional portfolio.

Algoma swings to loss on ‘unprecedented disruptions’ and trade barriers
Canada’s Algoma Steel saw a sharp loss in the second quarter amid a continued challenging market environment and “tariff uncertainties.”

Nucor eyes long-term gains amid strong demand and trade enforcement
Resilient demand across its steel product lines, combined with the continued ramp-up of key expansion projects, drove Nucor’s improved financial results and record-setting performance in the second quarter. That’s according to company executives speaking on an earnings conference call on Tuesday.