The fight over Canadian steelworker jobs

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada – Chelsey Masteij had heard layoffs might be coming at Stelco, so she decided to use up some of her vacation days. She was making the most of the time off with her new dog when she got a call telling her not to come back to work. The 34-year-old had spent years trying to break into the male-dominated steel industry before finally landing a job at the company’s Hamilton plant about three years ago.

She started as a general labourer in the cold-rolling department, later training to operate cranes and taking on shifts in the coke ovens. The work was gruelling and physically demanding, but Masteij grew to love the routine and the close-knit community of coworkers she came to consider family. When she shared photos of herself with Al Jazeera, all in protective gear at the plant, she joked that she hardly had any pictures outside of work.

“I was in a complete mess,” she told Al Jazeera, her voice cracking as she recalled the experience.