WEST MIFFLIN, Pa.—Steel workers and community members in the Pittsburgh area are looking forward to President Donald Trump’s arrival on May 30 for a rally at the U.S. Steel Corporation’s Irvin Works, with many saying they are grateful for his administration’s efforts to bolster local industries.
“We want to make sure the jobs stay right here in the area,” Glenn Tobias, a third-generation steel worker from West Mifflin, told The Epoch Times.
His grandfather, mother, and cousins all worked in the industry, and Tobias is currently working as a steel fabricator.
He said the president’s plan to develop a partnership between U.S. Steel and the Japanese company Nippon Steel could prove beneficial for the community and help counter economic aggression coming from China.
The president announced on May 23 that the two companies will partner to keep the headquarters in Pittsburgh, create at least 70,000 jobs, and contribute an estimated $14 billion to the U.S. economy.
Nippon had previously attempted to purchase U.S. Steel for $14.9 billion in December 2023.
“With everything that’s going on with China, this is probably a good time for us to have a relationship with Nippon,” Tobias said. “The civilized countries need to come together and move forward as a society.”
One former steelworker agreed that foreign competition disrupted local steel production and negatively affected the community.
“The Chinese companies came over, toured our mills, then stole the ideas,” John Fletcher, 66, of Duquene, told The Epoch Times. “Now, they dump products so cheap we can’t compete.”
He said there are many opportunities for business development and growth in the local area and that he is cautiously optimistic that Trump will revitalize the industry.
“If he can open it up and create more jobs, that would really be great,” Fletcher said.
Trump touted the deal as historic for the nation. He originally opposed foreign ownership, but he later warmed to the idea of a partnership that retained U.S. interests.
“This is the largest Investment in the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba visited the White House in February and described the agreement as “mutually beneficial.”
“Japanese technology will be provided and better quality products will be manufactured in the United States,” he said.
A group of former steel workers, whose work at the mills dated back more than half a century, said the loss of jobs that accelerated beginning in the mid-1980s was devastating to the local community.
They are hopeful that a combination of tariffs, trade policies, and commitment to domestic production will create economic opportunities and support families in the heartland of the country.
“Make America right, I’m not going to say great, but Make America right,” Fletcher said.
Trump is visiting the region on May 30 for a rally at the Irvin Works.
The steel company expressed gratitude for the opportunity to engage with the administration and suggested that the future of the region is bright.
“U.S. Steel greatly appreciates President Trump’s leadership and personal attention to the futures of thousands of steelworkers and our iconic company,” a spokesperson for the company said in a statement to The Epoch Times.
