PA climate advocates criticize possible partnership between U.S. Steel, Nippon

A possible partnership between U.S. Steel and Japan’s Nippon Steel is drawing publicity but some environmental groups in Pennsylvania are raising concerns.

President Donald Trump visited U.S. Steel’s Mon Valley Works-Irvin Plant on Friday, telling steelworkers the partnership would add $14 billion to the U.S. economy and create 70,000 jobs. Trump also announced he would raise steel import tariffs to 50%.

Matthew Mehalik, executive director of the Breathe Project in Pittsburgh, said the rally follows a familiar pattern where Trump makes flashy promises which are often pulled back. He added there is uncertainty as to how the partnership would help workers in the Mon Valley.

“Still left unanswered is what’s being proposed for a $2.1 billion investment in the Mon Valley,” Mehalik pointed out. “We think it might be a new hot strip mill at the Irvin Works. But what does that mean for the coke works or the Edgar Thomson blast furnaces? New mills employ fewer people. That’s completely unaddressed.”

Mehalik referred to investments in the Mon Valley promised by Nippon last year. He argued those investments fail to promote the decarbonization of steel, which he believes is necessary for the steel industry in the long term.

Mehalik said U.S. Steel has established no clear plan to address ongoing public health concerns. He noted the company has paid more than $65 billion in pollution fines and settlements since 2020 and spent nearly a million dollars on lobbying this year. Mehalik asserted the company wants to avoid tougher air quality rules, and refuses to update old equipment running on fossil fuels.

“There were no remarks addressed to the ongoing pollution problems for the Mon Valley works, no health issues, no community investment issues were brought up during this presentation,” Mehalik outlined.

Dr. Deborah Gentile, medical director for Community Partners in Asthma Care in McMurray, helped author a study which found children suffered from living near the U.S. Steel Clairton Coke Works facility, the largest coke plant in the country. She said the children frequently stay home due to poor air quality and suffer from high rates of asthma and disease.

“We were curious to see if this was leading to school absenteeism,” Gentile emphasized. “We found that on high pollution days, if the particulate matter is very small, tiny, fine particle pollution, we’re finding a 20% increase in school absenteeism among asthmatic children on those days.”

Gentile pointed out missing days of school due to asthma can hurt academic success and limit future job opportunities. She added the study recommends lawmakers strengthen air pollution laws and improve alerts for high pollution days.


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As families in Michigan and elsewhere struggle with daily living expenses, bills introduced this month could alleviate their financial burden.

Senate Bill 308 and Senate Bill 313, called the “Building Blocks” plan, would provide a $550 tax credit to working families with children up to age three.

Another feature is the Rx Kids plan, a $1,500 cash allowance during pregnancy and $500 monthly through the child’s first year.

Sen. Sylvia Santana, D-Detroit, acknowledged as child care and grocery costs rise, wages have not been sufficient to sustain a family.

“What we’re doing with this package of bills is making sure that families don’t have those concerns when it comes to being able to sustain their family financially,” Santana explained. “Whether it be cutting the taxes for working families that don’t receive a lot of income, I think that’s really important to being able to get back to a place where they can feel supported in our state.”

Santana, who sponsored the Rx Kids Plan, thinks the focus should be on the baby, rather than worrying about affording diapers or rent. Since 2015, Michigan has lost 40% of its child care capacity as young workers leave the workforce, costing the state almost $3 billion a year in lost productivity and economic growth.

The Center for American Women in Politics reported women make up 39% of Michigan’s legislators and more women are seeking roles in local or statewide government in hopes of making a difference.

Santana stressed it is never too early for high school or college-aged people to get involved in politics, especially to advocate for issues that matter to them.

“I believe that shadowing individuals such as myself and other women lawmakers is really something to help expand that education and that opportunity for that individual who is seeking to potentially go in this direction of serving the public,” Santana noted.

Santana added a good start is getting to know local elected officials. She encouraged those with legislative ideas to bring those thoughts to the forefront because most great ideas come “right from the heart of the community.”


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A bill pending in the state Legislature which would require public employees to opt in to their unions is being called a “direct attack on Louisiana workers.”

The measure, House Bill 293, requires teachers, school staff and public employees to either reauthorize or opt out of their union membership annually. Recent polling showed a majority of Louisianans oppose weakening worker protections.

John Davis, partner at Red America Blue America Research, said opposition to the bill comes from both left and right.

“There’s a significant amount of support in Louisiana for continued protections around workers, their ability to organize and a concern about policymakers shifting away from policies that support those end goals,” Davis reported.

The bill has been approved in the state House and is pending a vote in the Senate. A release by the Louisiana Democratic Party said the bill would force yearly re-signups, and let bosses drop union members at any time. Backers said the bill prevents public workers from being force to pay union dues.

Opponents of the bill said it is part of a national campaign by conservative groups to weaken labor unions’ ability to organize. Davis noted the poll found most Louisianans do not support politicians who oppose workers’ rights.

“Most directly to that end question we asked, ‘Would you be less likely or more likely to support an elected official if you knew they had voted to weaken workers rights,’ 76%, so by a three to one margin, folks said they would be less likely to support that,” Davis explained.

Davis added eight of 10 people polled support workers’ right to contribute to the support of their union directly from their paychecks. The poll surveyed 511 registered voters in Louisiana May 9-11 of this year.


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Oregon Health and Science University’s Advanced Practice Providers, a title encompassing nurse practitioners, physician associates and midwives, are negotiating their first contract.

About 600 of the providers statewide are represented by the Oregon Nurses Association.

Chelsey Chapman, physician associate at OHSU Cascades East Family Medicine in Klamath Falls and a union member, said her team is frustrated with OHSU’s slow progress after a year of bargaining. Chapman said the providers play a vital role in all health care settings, including hospitals, emergency rooms and teaching but the system does not value them enough.

“They just are having difficulties understanding why providers are burned out and why there needs to be changes,” Chapman contended. “What we’ve been doing, the status quo, it’s just not safe and it’s not sustainable any longer.”

OHSU said it does not have the money to meet the union’s demands. Chapman countered, citing their plan to invest more than a billion dollars into a Legacy merger, which fell through earlier this month. She emphasized the union is focused on improving patient safety, quality of care, and provider retention.

Chapman explained defining workload is a big part of retention. She said the providers carry a heavy administrative burden long after they have left a patient, which is time they are not paid for.

“We call it ‘pajama time,’” Chapman noted. “We’re charting at home, we’re answering MyChart messages from home, and it’s really contributing to burnout amongst all areas of medicine. “

Chapman stressed Oregon cannot afford to lose more providers amid a health care staffing shortage. Data show the state needs 40% more primary care providers in the next decade to meet the need.

Chapman added Advanced Practice Providers can help, as they are trained and certified faster than physicians. The union is urging OHSU to finalize the contract.

“Working in rural Oregon, it really means the difference of us surviving the next 10 months versus being able to thrive and practice in primary care for the next 10 years,” Chapman contended.

One report showed 70% of Oregon primary care providers reported stress and exhaustion in their practice at an all-time high, which is 10 points higher than the national level.