(FORTUNE Magazine) – U.S. Steel opened contract negotiations with the United Steelworkers of America. The USW has already granted concessions to LTV, National Steel Corp., and Bethlehem. U.S. Steel, however, is stronger than any of those companies, and the union is resisting concessions. Both sides say they believe a strike can be averted. Industry analysts are not so sure. Union Carbide agreed to have suits over the Bhopal chemical gas leak tried in India. Under terms specified by a U.S. federal judge, the company must abide by U.S. rules on the exchange of pretrial evidence, and it must pay any damages awarded by Indian courts.