Steelworkers Union Rejects Offer From Refiners

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Reuters

By ALISON SIDER

The United Steelworkers union rejected the latest offer from U.S. refiners Thursday evening, continuing the strike at nine plants around the country.

Negotiations have been suspended but will resume when the union receives unspecified data it is seeking, the union said in a statement. About 3,800 workers walked out Sunday in a standoff over wages, benefits and safety issues.

Royal Dutch Shell PLC, which is representing the refining and chemical industries in this round of bargaining, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Refineries said they have mostly continued to operate at normal levels by relying on nonunion labor, such as salaried managers. The nine affected sites include seven refineries that account for about 10% of the nation’s fuel-making capacity.

FULL story at link.



Union workers picket outside of the Marathon Petroleum Corp. Galveston Bay refinery in Texas City, Texas, on Monday. PHOTO: BLOOMBERG NEWS


Read more: http://www.wsj.com/articles/steelworkers-union-rejects-offer-from-refiners-1423180566

[al_liberal]

1. I had to move on when this happened to me.

I worked in the CITGO (then UNOVEN) refinery in Lemont, IL in the early nineties. I loved the job and the company right up until the labor dispute started. Hell I met my ex wife there, what's not to like? The new contract was terrible though.

The long and the short of it was I saw the writing on the wall. I enrolled in a university, earned a STEM degree, and moved on.

My hat is off to those folks and I hope they receive a better deal.

[mountain grammy]

2. For my son and all refinery workers in America..

they make good money, but the oil companies make trillions. They can afford to pay well, and they do, but believe me, without a strong union, they wouldn't give shit about a single worker in those cancer incubators.

Several companies will accept whatever is offered. They are at full production and have already settled all local issues, just waiting for the national contract. Shell is being Shell.