Fond memories of a rugged mill
REMEMBERING STELCO’S 12”-10” MILL (1929-1987)
They call themselves “12-10ers” and there are not many left.
Those still alive are mostly in their eighties or nineties.
But Steve Lechniak is hopeful he can get a few dozen of the former steelworkers — along with family members — out for a special evening of steel mill nostalgia at the Workers Arts and Heritage Centre on Thursday. Thirty years ago this year, Stelco’s 12”-10” mill closed down for good after 58 years.
“They had a big party. Three oldtimers who worked in the mill in 1929 showed up to see the last bar rolled — 58 years after the mill opened,” he said.
Also among the guests was retiree Bill Powell Sr., who moved on from his steelmaking career to become mayor of Hamilton from 1980 to 1982. Lechniak remembers his co-workers as being “salt of the earth men who not only would give you advice on how to do your job, but they would give help you with day-to-day living, as well. They coached you about taking care of a family and financial affairs. They really took you under your wing,” he said.
“It was a very special place to work.”
The mill was built at Hilton Works in 1929, six months before the stock market crashed. It kept rolling through the Dirty ’30s, almost like nothing happened. The war years were a shot in the arm as Stelco became a major supplier in the fight overseas. And even right up to the end the operation ran shifts around the clock. But it became inefficient — too many workers were needed in an industry that was looking to automate as much as possible.
“It was the end of an era. It was a labour-intensive mill and it couldn’t keep up with automation and modernization,” says Lechniak, 66, who worked at the mill as a “junior” from 1974 to ’87. He stayed on at Stelco until 2009 when he retired.
With the closure in May 1987, almost all of the 400 workers retired, with a small number finding work in other parts of Stelco’s operation, he said. Thursday, 6 p.m. — 9 p.m. Workers Arts and Heritage Centre, 51 Stuart St. The event will feature a slide show, talk and memorabilia display. Former unionized and salaried employees and retirees and their families and friends, are welcome to attend. Information: stephenlechniak@gmail.com
“No one lost their job,” said Lechniak, who runs a Stelco history page on Facebook.
Another young worker who spent time at the 12”-10” mill was Gary Howe, the current president of United Steelworkers Local 1005.
“You had to be pretty rugged in that mill. You really had to manhandle the steel,” he said. “The guys that worked there were unbelievably strong. They didn’t have to go to the gym after work.”