U.S. Steel to idle Canadian blast furnace

U.S. Steel Corp. will indefinitely idle the last operating blast furnace at its Hamilton Works in Canada, affecting more than 900 steelworkers, said Bob Gallagher, a spokesman for the United Steelworkers in Canada.

Company spokesman Trevor Harris said in a published report no layoffs will occur, and workers would be assigned other tasks. Gallagher said it will take about two weeks for the blast furnace to be placed on a "full cold shutoff."

The USW at the Hamilton plant is negotiating a contract to replace one that expired in July, Gallagher said. U.S. Steel also is embroiled in a court battle with the Canadian government over whether the Downtown-based steelmaker lived up to promises it made when it bought Hamilton mill owner Stelco in 2007. Those promises included maintaining production and employment levels in Canada.