A remarkable silence has settled over the United Steelworkers (USW) as Cleveland-Cliffs openly signals willingness to consider foreign investment — even after announcing layoffs and idling union plants across four states.
This is the same union that for months waged a strident campaign against Japanese ally Nippon Steel’s bid for U.S. Steel: President David McCall loudly criticized the deal as a threat to national security and American jobs, lobbying Congress and CFIUS for its defeat and demanding binding guarantees for pensions, plant retention, and union contracts.
In the end, the Biden administration blocked Nippon’s acquisition on national security grounds, a historic move substantiated by USW’s powerful rhetoric and coordinated Beltway pressure.
Luckily, President Trump is a fierce negotiator, and he brought Nippon Steel back to the table, securing billions more in investment in the U.S. economy, ultimately saving U.S. Steel from selling foreign parts.
But recently, as Cleveland-Cliffs openly entertains talks with foreign investors — and as their own CEO hints at new partnerships and even joint bids with Nucor — the USW seems to be invisible.
Did we somehow miss fiery statements, press releases, even a hint of the scrutiny or demands they imposed on Nippon Steel? Were there any of these things?
Layoffs and plant closures hit union members in Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois, and Pennsylvania, yet the union’s response is a seemingly subdued compliance, despite its longtime public posture as a champion of domestic manufacturing.
A Double Standard In Practice?
Nippon Steel’s Bid
USW opposed Japan, an American ally, decrying the deal as a “national security risk.” They demanded strict conditions: worker protections, labor agreements, and government oversight.
Yet Nippon pledged multi-billion investment in American steel, committed to honoring union contracts, and the final deal included unprecedented “golden share” safeguards by the U.S. government, preserving American jobs and production for years to come.
Cleveland-Cliffs’ For Sale
As Cliffs considers foreign capital, USW leadership is silent.
The union, which claimed defense of American ownership critical to the steel sector, now seems content to let the process play out, even while jobs are axed and plant futures uncertain.
Notably, Cliffs and USW allegedly banded together to block all other bidders for U.S. Steel except themselves, restricting competitive investment even when foreign allies wanted to inject capital and preserve American operations.
Why This Matters
This hypocrisy exposes cracks in the USW’s image as a guardian of American industry.
The union’s objections to Japanese investment — whose deal arguably kept steel jobs and factories alive and respected U.S. labor standards — contrasts sharply with their muted response when those same jobs are at risk and foreign investment shifts to favor their chosen corporation.
It also undermines trust with policymakers and Congress, who rely on union scrutiny to set standards for foreign investment in critical sectors.
The Path Forward: Investment That Serves American Industry
If America is to restore domestic manufacturing and strengthen national security, it needs clear and consistent standards for foreign investment — ones that protect American workers, demand transparency, and prioritize long-term health of vital industries:
Investment from allied partner nations like Japan, when coupled with robust safeguards, can modernize American production, protect jobs, and anchor global trade ties.
The union must hold all bidders and investors to the same public standard — regardless of corporate affiliation — by demanding public guarantees for labor rights, pensions, and plant security, not just for favored companies.
National security is best reinforced not through selective outrage, but through consistent demands for oversight, transparency, and partnership with trusted allies.
In the wake of their Nippon rage campaign and their strategic silence on Cliffs, the USW must choose whether its voice serves workers or political expediency.
If foreign capital can help restore American steel, and if the union truly stands for jobs and national strength, then it must end demand strong, open scrutiny of all foreign investment— especially for America’s friends and allies.
(A related article may be found here, and here.)
(Editor’s Note: The preceding opinion column’s views expressed are those of the author solely, and not of Newsmax.)
Charlie Kolean has worked as a senior policy adviser for state legislators, multinational corporations, and think tanks. Mr. Kolean has been involved in politics for over a decade as an activist, candidate, political consultant, and party leader. He was a bundler on the Trump Finance Victory Committee, and is a member of the American Association of Political Consultants. Read more of his reports — Here.
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