The United Steelworkers Union has filed an official information request to U.S. Steel regarding its proposed partnership with Nippon Steel.

A Northwest Indiana steel expert said that while details of the deal aren’t known, he’s confident it will benefit region steelworkers.

“There’s a commitment to not only keeping Gary Works functioning but investing further and extending (the facility’s) life,” said Micah Pollak, associate professor of economics at Indiana University Northwest. “From that perspective, that will translate into more jobs, both in the relining process and the other investments and upgrades, and it will also be a commitment to maintain jobs here.”

On June 6, the USW filed an information request about the partnership, saying in a statement that union leadership “have seen nothing credible” about the deal, “including whether it meaningfully differs from Nippon’s initial proposal to acquire U.S. Steel and make it a wholly owned subsidiary.”

President Donald Trump announced on May 23 that he would approve an investment from the Japanese company to U.S. Steel, according to Post-Tribune archives.

The “planned partnership” would add $14 billion to the national economy, although details of it are still unclear.The U.S. government would receive “a golden share” if the deal is accepted, allowing them to have de facto rights on company decisions and appointments, which seemingly fixes national security concerns previously outlined by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States’ reasoning for not supporting the deal.

Former President Joe Biden also cited national security concerns in December when he denied the deal before leaving office. During their respective campaigns, Trump and former Vice President Kamala Harris both said they planned to block the acquisition of U.S. Steel.

However, in February, Trump began to try to undo Biden’s actions, saying Nippon would drop its $14.1 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel to make an “investment, rather than a purchase,” according to Post-Tribune archives.

USW leadership has remained concerned about the deal between the two steel companies for months.

“Neither Nippon nor the White House has provided any details on where, exactly, proposed investments will be directed or what kind of accountability or oversight there will be to ensure Nippon makes good on its promises,” said a USW letter to its members. “We also have seen nothing suggesting that Nippon has backed away from its demand that it would be permitted to pull out of promised investments if we exercise our legal rights during negotiations fighting for a fair contract.”

U.S. Steel declined to comment on USW’s information request and concerns.

Following Trump’s May 23 statement, U.S. Steel called the president “a bold leader and businessman,” saying the company appreciates his leadership and attention to the future of steelworkers and the company.

“U.S. Steel will remain American, and we will grow bigger and stronger through a partnership with Nippon Steel that brings massive investment, new technologies and thousands of jobs over the next four years,” the U.S. Steel statement said.

Although details of the deal are still unknown, Pollak said he has confidence in the partnership, especially because Gary Mayor Eddie Melton has remained in support of it.

“If he is saying that he thinks this is a good deal, then I’m inclined to trust him because he knows more (about the details),” Pollak said. “The only real thing that people are hinging on and worrying about is the specific contract with union workers, and that’s the last unknown, but I’m optimistic that they’ll be able to negotiate a good deal.”

Melton has been vocal about his support of the steel deal since about August, when it was announced that Gary Works would receive about $300 million from Nippon Steel if the deal is approved.

A Nippon executive said months later that the company would invest $1 billion into the local facility.

Pollak believes the money is a good sign that the deal will be successful for Northwest Indiana and the economy. He also thinks it’s promising that officials expect to see no job loss from the steel deal.

“Everything’s up in the air, but I am glad to see that investments are coming,” Pollak said. “Being committed to the investment is important, and they’re likely to maintain and even grow employment in Northwest Indiana.”

Following Trump’s May 23 announcement, Melton said in a statement that he was pleased to hear the news. Melton worked with Nippon Steel and other mayors to figure out how the deal would benefit the area.

“I spent months conducting due diligence and listening to the concerns of steelworkers, union leadership and members of the Congressional Black Caucus around the country,” Melton said. “I stuck to my guns even when others opposed this deal because I knew it was good for our citizens.”

Pollak believes tariffs won’t decrease the demand for steel but will increase the need for domestic, American-made steel.

“They’re probably going to be beneficial, and maybe that’s part of the reason that Nippon wants to have a presence here,” he said. “Tariffs will likely only help the steel industry, specifically. Although we’ll raise the cost of construction nationally, from the perspective of the steel industry, demand will likely go up for American-made steel.”

mwilkins@chicagotribune.com