Commentary: Partnership Would Secure America’s Steel Future

By ROD WILT
Executive Director of Penn-Northwest Development Corp.

President Donald Trump and Gov. Josh Shapiro recently bonded over the dangers they’ve both faced as political leaders. 

Trump called Shapiro after an arsonist attempted to burn down the governor’s mansion in Harrisburg. And Trump famously braved an assassin’s bullet in Butler last July – an attack that Shapiro quickly condemned. Now these two leaders have an opportunity to continue building on their growing relationship by helping U.S. Steel workers in our state.

Pennsylvania steelworkers may not be facing arson or assassination, but they are facing grave risks to their jobs, livelihoods and communities. China has spent years cheating and dumping its way to an outsized share of the global steel market. Too many American producers have plateaued or declined. Facilities have been forced to close or idle. Too many steel towns and cities across our commonwealth and our region have suffered. 

Fortunately, we have an opportunity to get back on offense and secure America’s steel future for decades to come. There is a significant partnership on the table that would invest billions of dollars into U.S. Steel, upgrading its American facilities for the 21^st century and supporting our steelmaking workforce. 

Shapiro said he spoke with Trump for “a good bit of time” about U.S. Steel during their phone call. Shapiro said he told Trump that his top priority was keeping jobs in western Pennsylvania. According to press accounts, the president agreed. And the best way for them to achieve their goal is clear: letting the historic partnership with Nippon Steel move ahead.

The benefits of this deal for Pennsylvanians – and the nation – are simply enormous. Few decisions politicians get to make have this much upside. The agreement includes billions of dollars that would be invested in U.S. Steel’s mills in Pennsylvania alone, especially the historic Mon Valley Works. This capital injection includes critical funding to renovate mills in the historic Mon Valley Works region with new state-of-the-art technology. It also dedicates hundreds of millions of dollars to a new research and development center in Pittsburgh to help transfer Nippon Steel’s world-leading technology. And, perhaps most important of all, the deal comes with a no-layoffs guarantee to protect American steelworkers and even a direct $5,000 bonus to all U.S. employees.

It’s no wonder that 95 percent of the rank-and-file workers at Irvin Works support the Nippon Steel deal, with many of them citing excitement of the larger positive economic impacts that would be felt throughout the community if Trump approves the merger. Other U.S. Steel workers in the Keystone State have indicated their support of the investment, too.  

The historic partnership with Nippon is the only option that would take U.S. Steel from its current place outside the world’s top 20 steel companies and vault it into the top three. It would also protect Pennsylvania jobs, create new ones and inject billions into our region’s economies.