The Nippon-U.S. Steel deal promised capital investment, job protections, bonuses, and contract guarantees for American steelworkers. Union leaders must not jeopardize these gains.
Roxanne Brown, head of the United Steelworkers, must recognize the reality faced by her members and consider recent history in the steel industry. If she recalls what happened when steel mills closed and factory towns became ghost towns, she must distinguish herself from her predecessor, David McCall. His intransigence during his tenure was neither shrewd nor productive. To set the union on a renewed path forward, Brown must distance herself from McCall’s troubling legacy and avoid endangering the very workers she represents.
Brown has reportedly rejected U.S. Steel’s initial contract offer, setting the stage for July negotiations. Should talks deteriorate this summer, steelworkers could face lost wages, disrupted health benefits, and uncertainty over retirement security. Their families would experience strained household budgets, delayed bills, difficult decisions regarding child care and health care, and the emotional toll of prolonged economic instability.
Steelworkers deserve leadership focused on jobs, wages, benefits, and retirement security—not reputation management or corporate alliances. In steel towns and surrounding communities, a potential lockout would ripple through local businesses, schools, churches, charities, and public services that depend on steady paychecks and a stable industrial base. Such an event would not merely pause production; it could threaten livelihoods, family stability, and the economic backbone of communities built around American steel.
McCall’s reckless efforts to derail the Nippon-U.S. Steel merger sparked a revolt among steelworkers, and his alliance with Cleveland-Cliffs’ CEO Lourenco Goncalves revealed a priority for his own reputation and corporate alliances over union members. In upcoming negotiations, McCall should not be allowed near the bargaining table.
For decades, steelworkers have been heavily impacted by market swings and fluctuating demand. The past year brought slow but steady growth in U.S. steel production, aided by investments from Nippon, shifts toward modernization, and economic tailwinds. Yet history shows this stability can shift quickly. When the industry declines, it faces facility idling, closures, layoffs, and upheaval. Despite recent progress, this volatility has contributed to a public perception that blue-collar steel jobs are unstable—making July negotiations particularly critical.
Last year’s high-profile Nippon-U.S. Steel merger had major consequences for American steel production and workers’ jobs. As the deal progressed through approval, McCall chose to advance his own interests rather than champion union members’ security and prosperity, demonstrating deeply troubling behavior. In 2023, U.S. mills produced about 89.7 million net tons of raw steel, supporting 70,000 workers in iron and steel manufacturing. The deal promised $2.7 billion in capital investments exclusively for United Steelworkers facilities; a decade-long commitment to maintain production levels at existing plants; a $5,000 signing bonus for union workers and eligible nonunion employees below the senior-manager level upon closing; and written commitments to honor existing labor agreements.
Despite strong support among rank-and-file members for the merger, McCall staked out firm personal opposition that did not reflect worker input. In a February 2024 interview, he stated bluntly: “I want to kill this deal.” He also exploited politically motivated opposition from the Biden administration, with a lawsuit alleging Biden sought to derail the deal to “curry favor with the United Steelworkers leadership in [Pennsylvania]” for re-election purposes. Most damning is that McCall’s actions directly conflicted with steelworkers’ interests.
This pivotal moment demands a commonsense agreement between the United Steelworkers and companies that protects workers while allowing operations to continue. Brown must capitalize on this opportunity to move beyond McCall’s destructive leadership by engaging in good faith negotiations and avoiding prolonged talks at the expense of her members’ well-being. America’s steelworkers deserve better than their fate still being shadowed by David McCall.
Nate Macpherson is a Pittsburgh-based economist and labor forecaster.
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