In the heart of Pittsburgh’s steel country, workers and local leaders are rallying to save their jobs at US Steel, even if it means the company being sold to a foreign owner, the Wall Street Journal reports.
The proposed $14.1 billion acquisition of US Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel has sparked debate, with notable figures like former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris opposing the deal. Both leaders have emphasized the importance of keeping US Steel in American hands to protect domestic manufacturing. However, on the ground in the Monongahela River valley, where US Steel remains a significant employer, many see the sale as a potential lifeline for the struggling industry.
West Mifflin Mayor Chris Kelly, whose town’s US Steel mill employs 800 workers, believes the opposition to the deal is largely political.
“This is nothing but politics,” he said.
He believes that many of the national figures opposing the sale have not spoken directly with local workers or seen the conditions in the region.
For workers in towns like West Mifflin, Braddock, and Clairton, where steel jobs have been a vital part of the economy for generations, the potential sale of the 123-year-old company is viewed through a different lens. These communities have been grappling with the fallout from decades of plant closures and population loss, and some see Nippon Steel’s deep pockets as the best chance to maintain jobs and revitalize the region. US Steel’s own plans to invest in its Mon Valley Works plants were scrapped in 2021, and Nippon Steel has pledged to invest $2.7 billion into these aging facilities, including upgrading equipment and addressing environmental issues.
While national politicians like Trump and Harris argue against foreign ownership, many local workers and leaders believe that without Nippon Steel’s investment, US Steel’s plants could close, leading to further economic devastation. US Steel’s CEO, Dave Burritt, has already hinted that if the sale collapses, the company might shut down its Mon Valley Works facilities, potentially relocating its headquarters away from Pittsburgh.
Union leaders, however, have been vocal in their opposition, favoring a competing bid from Cleveland-Cliffs, an Ohio-based steelmaker. The United Steelworkers (USW) union has expressed concerns that Nippon Steel could reduce US Steel’s domestic production and substitute it with cheaper imports. They also worry about whether Nippon Steel will honor the existing labor contract. Despite these fears, some local union members are not fully aligned with their leadership. Jason Zugai, vice president of the steelworkers local at West Mifflin, voiced disagreement with the top union brass.
“We’re not on the same page as the leaders,” said Zugai.
The sale has become a political flashpoint, particularly in Pennsylvania, a crucial swing state. President Joe Biden has delayed his decision on whether to block the deal, awaiting a national security review. All four senators from Pennsylvania and Ohio, including Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman, have voiced their opposition. Still, local leaders like Braddock Mayor Delia Lennon-Winstead argue that those opposing the deal should offer alternatives to preserve jobs.
“Do they know the devastation of closing the mill, what it would do to this area?” she asked.
For towns like Clairton, where US Steel’s Clairton Coke Works provides 30% of the town’s tax revenue, the stakes are high. The town, once home to 20,000 people, has seen its population dwindle to just 6,200. Its mayor, Rich Lattanzi, supports the deal, recognizing that the mill’s closure would devastate the community.
“It would take us off the map,” he said.
While national leaders focus on the symbolism of keeping an American steel giant under domestic control, many local workers and officials are more concerned with the practical reality of preserving jobs in an industry that has long been in decline. For them, Nippon Steel’s offer represents the best chance to keep steel jobs alive in Pittsburgh, even if it means a foreign company at the helm.
