Steelworkers union boss rips PR blitz pushing U.S. Steel-Nippon deal

United Steelworkers International President David McCall is well aware of the cracks forming in his union’s opposition to a sale of U.S. Steel to Japan-based Nippon Steel as the companies press their advertising blitz, but he is not backing down.

McCall swiftly came out against the $14.9 billion acquisition when it was proposed last December, arguing that U.S. Steel and Nippon management were not being transparent with the union and its thousands of members whose jobs could be impacted.

In an interview with TribLive on Thursday, McCall denounced the television advertisements that have hit the Pittsburgh region showing Mon Valley mayors and some of his union members championing the proposed sale as “the future of American steel.”

He said both companies are more interested in public relations efforts than convincing the United Steelworkers.

“There are clearly some people they’ve scared the hell out of them and told them that if this deal doesn’t go through, we’re going to shut your facilities down,” McCall said. “They’re spending a hell of a lot of money on PR that I’d assume they’d put into our facilities.”

The commercials are meant to make the facts of the situation transparent for workers, customers, communities and investors, according to Andrew Fulton, a U.S. Steel spokesperson.

McCall has little faith in Nippon to make good on its promised job security guarantees and investments — including $1 billion for the Mon Valley Works — if the deal survives federal scrutiny.

“We’ve met with them on several occasions,” said McCall, who last met with Nippon Vice Chairman Takahiro Mori on July 13. “And they have said to us clearly, ‘We’ll talk to you about it after closing.’ That’s not good enough for us. Why would we support that kind of response?”

A request for comment to Nippon was not immediately returned.

Some analysts believe the Mon Valley Works, one of the last integrated steelmaking operations in the country, will need a cash infusion of at least $1 billion to remain competitive.

U.S. Steel CEO David Burritt has insisted his company doesn’t have the money and may need to shift production to its nonunion facility in Arkansas without a buyer.

McCall is confident upgrades could be secured in a future round of union negotiations.

Even so, the situation seems static where it matters — the Oval Office.

The fate of the deal ultimately is in the hands of President Joe Biden or President-elect Donald Trump, depending on when a nonbinding recommendation comes in from the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, which is reviewing the pending sale.

Both Biden and Trump have been steadfast in their hostility toward the deal, pledging to block the sale, which they see as carrying negative national security and supply chain implications.

The committee’s report, which already has been delayed, is expected by Dec. 23 and could provide some guidance on the national security concerns.

McCall, who has a close relationship with Biden, said the president likely will not issue any decision until the committee report is released.

Requests for comment to the White House and Trump’s transition team were not immediately returned.