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As of May, the work force at U.S. Steel's Canadian operations had shrunk to only 23 per cent of the number of workers it promised to employ when it took over the former Stelco, according to documents filed with the Federal Court of Canada. The Pittsburgh-based company also repeatedly broke production promises it made to the federal government, with the amount of steel produced by its Canadian operations as of May representing "a small fraction" of the amount it was required to produce on an annualized basis, the documents say. The application says the company responded by saying it shouldn't be held responsible for "factors beyond their control" - namely, the drop in steel demand as a result of the global recession. Since the initial mill shutdowns, the company has recalled 800 workers to its Hamilton mill who will come back to work over the summer. The Canadian government is suing the American industrial giant to force it to live up to work force and production commitments it made when it bought Hamilton-based Stelco in 2007.

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