Pat Gallagher, President of the North Coast Area Labor Federation, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the relationship between the United Steelworkers and U.S. Steel. Gallagher also questioned the legitimacy of Nippon Steel purchasing U.S. Steel and explained his belief that Chinese steel dumping is threatening the American steel industry.
Throughout his career as a Steelworker, Gallagher has dealt with his share of issues at U.S. Steel. While U.S. Steel was the first company to recognize the USW, they have not been an easy company to deal with, Gallagher said. He spoke about changes - both in leadership and business operations - over the past decade and how those changes weakened U.S. Steel’s relationship with the USW.
Gallagher then questioned the legitimacy of Nippon Steel acquiring U.S. Steel and how the deal came about. His concerns are beyond the potential of Nippon Steel becoming the second-largest steel producer in the world, as he outlined a number of national security issues. Gallagher said he appreciated the comments from President Joe Biden and Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), who both spoke out against the deal.
Finally, Gallagher talked about the dumping of foreign steel from Chinese producers. According to Gallagher, China takes advantage of rules in the North American Free Trade Act to import its steel through Canada and Mexico into the U.S. He further discussed how this dumping has harmed the American steel industry and what the federal government should do to prevent this from becoming a bigger problem.
Hear more from Gallagher on his issues with U.S. Steel and their acquisition deal. Listen to the show above.