The homepage of JSW Steel USA’s website features wind turbines and the tagline “Sustainable steel for a stronger tomorrow.” They also brag that they have “the most energy-efficient and lowest carbon-emitting method of steelmaking” and are “sowing seeds for a greener future.” For their greening efforts, they’ve received $43.5 million from the Department of Energy to improve their Mingo Junction, Ohio, facility, which produces steel slabs used in offshore wind construction.

This same facility recently unionized after a 117–105 victory in its NLRB election tallied on March 7, leading to 248 new members for the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied & Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW). Despite the green, ethical image portrayed on its website, the union says JSW has fought the union by hiring an outside attorney and union-busting consultants, holding “union education” meetings, and even firing three union supporters the Monday after the votes were counted. Union supporters say they have been harassed and threatened throughout; one recently received text messages from anti-union people that “we’re gonna kick your ass in the parking lot.” Management also allowed anti-union graffiti throughout the plant. One of those messages was “Get cancer and DIE yes voters.”

This is the third election that USW has run at the Mingo Junction facility; the previous one was lost by one vote. Since then, there’s been some significant turnover but the same complaints, even after management changes and promises to improve the working conditions at the plant. This last election campaign really only kicked off a few months ago, but much like the United Auto Workers’ win at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, this effort was years in the making.