EDGAR THOMSON STEEL WORKS IN BRADDOCK | PHOTO BY DAVE DICELLO

Japan’s largest steelmaker, Nippon Steel, is buying the steel company synonymous with Pittsburgh, U.S. Steel. The $14.9 billion deal was announced Monday morning.

What is known at the moment is that U.S. Steel’s name will not change and its headquarters will remain in Pittsburgh. It’s too early to know how the deal will impact the company’s Mon Valley operations or the company as a whole.

There have been weeks of speculation that U.S. Steel was considering multiple offers to sell. U.S. Steel President and CEO David Burritt called it a win-win for all involved.

“Today’s announcement also benefits the United States — ensuring a competitive, domestic steel industry, while strengthening our presence globally,” Burritt said in a statement. “Our shared decarbonization focus is expected to enhance and accelerate our ability to provide customers with innovative steel solutions to meet sustainability goals.”

The deal did not go over well with the leadership of the United Steelworkers union, which represents 11,000 U.S. Steel employees. Union President David McCall, company leadership “greedy” and “shortsighted.”

“To say we’re disappointed in the announced deal between U.S. Steel and Nippon is an understatement,” McCall said in a statement. “Neither U.S. Steel nor Nippon reached out to our union regarding the deal, which is in itself a violation of our partnership agreement that requires U.S. Steel to notify us of a change in control or business conditions.” He said the union “intends to exercise the full measure of our agreements to ensure that whatever happens next with U.S. Steel, we protect the good, family-sustaining jobs we bargained.”

Pennsylvania Senators John Fetterman and Bob Casey both criticized the deal.

“It’s absolutely outrageous that U.S. Steel has agreed to sell themselves to a foreign company,” said U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa. “Steel is always about security — both our national security and the economic security of our steel communities. I am committed to doing anything I can do, using my platform and my position, to block this foreign sale.”

Casey said the “United States’ marquee steel company should remain under American ownership” and the sale “appeared to be a bad deal for Pennsylvania and Pennsylvania workers.”

Nippon Steel said it would honor all collective bargaining agreements in place with the company’s unions.

U.S Steel has nearly 23,000 employees worldwide, including 3,700 in southwestern Pennsylvania. U.S. Steel operates its Clairton, Edgar Thomson, and Irvin plants, as well as its Downtown headquarters.