In Ohio steel country, we know the sound of steel humming and the silence of mills gone cold. Now, the worst silence is from union leaders.
The United Steelworkers (USW) recently waged a public and political war to stop Japan’s Nippon Steel from buying U.S. Steel. They called it a matter of preserving America’s industry. They questioned whether foreign ownership even from a trusted ally was in the nation’s best interest. They staked their credibility on the principle that our steelmaking backbone must remain in U.S. hands.
But now? Cleveland-Cliffs—the same company the USW championed as the patriotic alternative to Nippon—is reportedly exploring deals that could bring in foreign investors of its own. Market speculation has driven Cliffs’ stock upward. And from the USW headquarters? Nothing but crickets.
The point is not to oppose all foreign investment. Some of America’s most reliable trade partners—Japan among them—have brought jobs, technology, and stability to U.S. industries. What matters is transparency, strategic consideration, and making sure any deal strengthens rather than weakens our ability to produce critical materials at home. Foreign capital from proven allies can help, but not if oversight is absent, not if we let short-term gains gut long-term capacity, and never when the risk is feeding control to nations like China that are working to undermine U.S. manufacturing and security.
Which makes the silence now so troubling. When Nippon was the bidder, the USW stood at every microphone they could find. Through editorials, lawsuits and testimony unions were marching. Press releases were flying. But when Cliffs—the “domestic champion”—considers opening its doors to global investors, the USW’s megaphone disappears.
Workers in Youngstown, Akron, and Warren can spot the double standard. If the union believes keeping steelmaking capacity in American-friendly hands is essential to national security, why the selective outrage? Where is the call for open vetting of who’s at the table? Why not demand safeguards for jobs, pensions, and supply chains now, when Cliffs is rumored to be listening to foreign suitors?
The USW owes it to members to come clean. If you oppose deals with one ally, will you oppose them with another? If you believe national security and industrial strength matter, will you demand protections every time ownership could change? Or is this only an issue when it helps one preferred corporate partner?
Steelworkers deserve consistency, communities deserve transparency, and America’s manufacturing base deserves more than slogans. If we intend to restore our ability to make steel—and protect it from being hollowed out by adversaries like China—then foreign investment can’t be judged by who’s writing the check, but by whether they’ll keep our foundries firing, our people working, and our country strong.
Until the union applies the same standards to everyone, its silence will speak louder than words. And the silence sounds a lot like betrayal.
Adrienne Ferguson is a social media news personality/content creator.