Action centre launched for Algoma Steel workers seeking support
CBC
A new program aimed at providing employment advice for workers facing layoffs at Algoma Steel has been launched in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont..
The United Steelworkers Union has teamed up with the Canadian Skills Training and Employment Coalition (CSTEC) to create what they are calling a POWER Action Centre.
The “POWER” centre, which stands for Protect Ontario Workers Employment Response Centre, recently opened its doors at the Steelworkers union office on Dennis Street.
CSTEC said it’s the first centre of its kind that the organization has set up in the province.
Employees at the mill who will lose their jobs in March can attend the centre for “peer-to-peer” support and receive personalized plans and advice.
There, they can get freshened up on their collective agreement, their recall rights as well as severance pay. They’ll also receive advice on training and work decisions that impact their eligibility for employment insurance.
As of Tuesday morning, 207 of the estimated 1,000 Algoma Steel employees facing layoffs had registered.
“Workers need a safe place to come and talk to somebody about what’s happened,” said Ken Delaney, executive director of CSTEC. “It’s a big shock when you get a layoff notice.”
“The important thing is to educate the impacted worker in front of us and help them make the right choices and encourage everybody to seek help.”
Delaney said through the action centre, older employees may choose to look at retirement options, while younger workers could decide to engage in longer-term training and get into an apprenticeship.
The province has funded $1 million into the action centre to date.
CSTEC said it remains on the lookout for new government grants as it hopes to assist Algoma Steel employees in the Sault well past the March 23, 2026, layoff date.
Delaney said the coalition has been around since 1986 and has a long history of working with both the steelworkers union and Algoma Steel — including in times where previous layoffs at the mill occurred.
While the action centre is new, Delaney said the idea of providing this kind of a service has been around for a while.
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