From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
U.S. Steel isn’t just a company — it’s part of our western Pennsylvania identity. For generations, we helped build this country with our own hands, sweat and determination.
I grew up in a blue-collar town where nearly everyone worked in a coal mine or a steel mill. Western Pennsylvania was the steel capital of the country, and I’ve always felt deep pride in the people who made their living in the mills. These were good-paying, dignified jobs that sustained families and built communities. The American dream felt real.
But that dream began to unravel in the late 1970s and early ’80s.
This time, protect jobs
I witnessed firsthand what foreign competition did to the American steel industry. My father, a skilled machinist in the specialty steel sector, lost both his job and his pension. He never recovered financially — and neither did many others.
Thousands of steelworkers were forced to leave the region to find work elsewhere. Yet wherever they went, they carried their love for western Pennsylvania. You can still see it today — just walk into a Steeler bar in any corner of the country.
It’s that history — those hard lessons — that should drive Pennsylvanians’ strong support for the proposed U.S. Steel/Nippon Steel partnership. We can’t let history repeat itself. This time, we must protect and preserve these jobs.
Our priority must be to keep steel jobs in Pennsylvania. While some raise concerns about foreign ownership, it’s important to acknowledge how responsive Nippon Steel has been — especially after President Donald Trump got involved.
$2.4 billion to Pennsylvania
Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, U.S. Steel will receive $14 billion in investment from Nippon — with $2.4 billion going directly to Pennsylvania, a figure that increased from approximately $1 billion following Trump’s call for review. This investment will not only modernize the Mon Valley Works but will also protect and create a combined total of 25,500 jobs, including more than 11,000 ongoing industry jobs and more than10,200 construction jobs in Pennsylvania.
Additionally, the headquarters will remain in Pittsburgh and union contracts will stay intact. There will be no layoffs and employees will receive $5,000 bonuses. On top of that, the U.S. Steel-Nippon partnership would build a new mill in the United States worth $4 billion.
In contrast, the Biden administration let politics dictate the process. While a competing steel company from Ohio fought hard to kill the deal, it has since shuttered several facilities and issued WARN notices to its own workers — putting more jobs at risk.
On the other hand, President Trump’s engagement has helped strengthen the deal, protect union jobs and secure billions in investment for our region.
Transforming the industry
Should this sale be approved, it will not only transform the domestic steel industry as we know it, but it will also be the necessary shot in the arm for steelworkers and the communities built around steel. This is our chance to revive a proud American industry and secure its future right here in Pennsylvania.
We built America with steel. We can rebuild our great steel industry, protect steel jobs and ensure the next generation has the same chance at the American dream.
Kim Ward, a Republican who represents state senate district 39, covering much of Westmoreland County, is the president pro tempore of the Pennsylvania state senate.
First Published: May 21, 2025, 4:30 a.m.