Right now I can't answer because I haven't followed this in depth, only read the headlines. I do know that trump's 2016 campaign promises about bringing back steel and coal to the state didn't pan out.
This is from your local paper. There seems to be a change of heart, at least among some union workers, as the articles you posted previously all stated the workers were against it.
I want the deal to go through but with both Biden and Trump against it, doesn't look good for that happening.
U.S. Steel workers rally for Nippon Steel deal as executive speaks in Gary
Post-election support comes as Biden, Trump, USW continue to oppose
Hundreds of steelworkers braved freezing temperatures to rally Thursday afternoon for the imperiled $15 billion takeover of U.S. Steel by Nippon Steel as President Joe Biden and President-elect Donald Trump continue to oppose the sale.
Speakers described the Japanese investment as crucial to the future of Mon Valley Works facilities and urged federal officials and United Steelworkers President David McCall to visit the plants and speak with impacted workers.
“Without this deal with Nippon Steel, we will be the last generation to work here at this historic steel plant,” said Brian Pavlack, a third-generation steelworker and member of the USW local in Clairton.
“I also want to call out Senator [John] Fetterman for not backing the sale. You go on national television and you say you're with the steelworkers and live across the street from the [Edgar Thomson] plant. I'm telling you now, Mr. Fetterman, 90% or more of the steelworkers are for the sale.”
Mr. Fetterman could not immediately be reached for comment.
Concurrent rallies took place at U.S. Steel facilities in Indiana, Minnesota and Alabama.
The event in Clairton drew greater union support than a September rally in Downtown Pittsburgh, though not all union leaders were willing to break ranks from Mr. McCall. William Farrior, president of the USW local in Clairton, who other workers said opposes the sale, was notably absent.
In a statement, U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt — who was not at the rally — described Nippon’s acquisition as “the only scenario where significant investments would occur across the unionized, integrated facilities, including in Mon Valley Works.”
“We need to get the deal done,” he said.
Regulators have been reviewing the sale for nearly a year, with a verdict finally expected by Christmas. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States could also allow the parties to refile, pushing a decision on the deal’s national security risk to the final days of Mr. Biden’s presidency, or to the next administration.
The panel is concerned about “potential decisions by Nippon Steel that could lead to a reduction in domestic steel production capacity,” according to a letter sent to Nippon in August that was obtained by Reuters and Bloomberg News.
Both Mr. Biden and Trump have signaled fresh opposition to the deal in recent days, while Nippon Steel leads an all-out blitz to change their minds.
The Japanese steelmaker put fresh commitments in writing this week and promised $5,000 payouts to almost every U.S. Steel employee if the deal goes through. But the moves only seemed to anger union leaders like Mr. McCall, who called the payments “simple bribery.”
Andy Macey, a maintenance technician in Clairton, pushed back against that claim Thursday, saying the money was instead “an investment for our future.”
Local mayors and other elected officials talked about the transformative potential of Nippon’s planned $2.7 billion investment and expressed anxiety about a potential presidential block.
“Time is running out,” Clairton mayor Richard Littanzi said. “Speak to your family, your friends, relatives, co-workers, and say, ‘Hey, listen, we have got to get this deal done. If not, the Mon Valley is dead.’”
Some of the strongest criticism was reserved for Mr. McCall, who has not budged from his opposition to the deal since it was announced last December.
“I'm frustrated that one man seems to stand in the way of this,” said Allegheny County Councilman Sam DeMarco. He described Mr. McCall as “a guy who refuses to negotiate and seems more intent on doing the bidding of a competitor than the bidding of you, the members he purports to represent.”
North Braddock Mayor Cletus Lee underscored the point, saying: “Dave McCall, get your head out of your ass.”
The USW did not respond to a request for comment.
Also on Thursday, Nippon Steel vice chairman Takahiro Mori spoke in Gary, Ind., alongside mayor Eddie Melton. The Japanese steelmaker had previously pledged $300 million to modernize the U.S. Steel operation there. Some environmental groups oppose the plan in Gary, saying it would extend reliance on coal.
A group called Industrious Labs alleged in an October report that U.S. Steel facilities, including blast furnaces and coke plants, account for up to 200 premature deaths and over 55,000 asthma symptoms each year.
U.S. Steel said it is “still reviewing the information” in the study.
“We do know that the study fails to mention the thousands of U.S. Steel employees who work each day to ensure their role in the steelmaking process is done in the most environmentally responsible manner possible,” the company said. “Thanks to their work, U. S. Steel remains on track to meet its ambitions greenhouse gas emissions reductions goals.”
Hundreds of steelworkers braved freezing temperatures to rally Thursday afternoon for the imperiled $15 billion takeover of U.S. Steel by Nippon Steel...
www.post-gazette.com
