US Steel Execs Said The Company 'respectfully Declines to Participate in This Meeting'

In a letter to the Hamilton, Ontario city council's Steel Issues Committee Friday morning, US Steel executives said the company "respectfully declines to participate in this or future Steel Committee meetings as we believe a civic forum is not an appropriate venue in which to discuss matters relating to our internal business transformation issues."

The council revived the committee after US Steel permanently shut down its last Hamilton blast furnace, ending steel making at the former Stelco plant. After being denied the chance to question the company, councillors and the senior government members are reportedly worried about the future of company pensions and the broader impact on the city if the company were to leave Canada.