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President Joe Biden today weighed in on the proposed U.S. Steel-Nippon deal, saying that it is “important that we maintain strong American steel companies powered by American steel workers,” and that “it is vital for it [U.S. Steel] to remain an American steel company that is domestically owned and operated.”
We obviously share the president’s concerns over the sale’s long-term implications for our economic and national security, and we’re grateful for his ongoing support as we fight to protect our jobs and communities.
Since this transaction was announced on Dec. 18, we’ve maintained that allowing one of our nation’s largest steel manufacturers to be purchased by a foreign-owned corporation would leave us vulnerable when it comes to meeting both our defense and critical infrastructure needs.
The president’s statement should end the debate: U.S. Steel must remain “domestically owned and operated.”
The acquisition is not in our economic and national security interests, and it certainly is not in the interests of USW members. Nippon Steel is not a qualified successor under our basic labor agreement.
We will continue to keep you updated as we have more information to share.
Mike Millsap
District 7 Director & Chairman of the Negotiating Committee
David McCall
International President