Locked-out steelworkers block ship leaving U.S. Steel

A ship carrying steel-making coke from U.S. Steel in Hamilton was held up for several hours Wednesday night by locked-out workers from the plant.

The ship had to stay inside Hamilton Harbour as about 60 steelworkers refused to get off the Eastport lift bridge. After delaying the shipment that’s heading to another U.S. Steel plant, and negotiating with police, the workers left the bridge early Thursday morning.

The workers have been locked out for six months over a pension dispute. The company is also fighting a lawsuit from the Government of Canada for not meeting employment and production targets that were part of the company’s purchase agreement for buying Stelco.