In the late 1930s, the Steel Workers Organizing Committee unionized most of the U.S. steel industry but failed at Weirton Steel. Instead, a company-backed union called the Employees Security League stayed in control. In 1950, it was officially recognized and became the largest independent steel union.

In the 1980s, workers at Weirton Steel bought the company to save it from closing, giving up part of their wages in exchange for ownership. The plan worked for a while, but by the 1990s, foreign competition hurt profits and jobs dropped to a 70-year low.