Why United Steelworkers Union Imposed A Strike In Major US Refineries

[Omaha Steve]

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http://www.bidnessetc.com/33822-why-united-steelworkers-union-imposed-a-strike-in-major-us-refineries/

Bidness Etc looks at the demands made by the United Steelworkers Union, causing them to go on a strike on Sunday, and also looks at how the energy industry has been responding to the demands and the consequent strike

By: MICHEAL KAUFMAN
Published: Feb 2, 2015 at 9:31 am EST

Talks between the United Steelworkers (USW) Union and the US refiners have been going on regarding wages, working conditions, and staffing issues for some time now. The deal is set to take account of 30,000 workers at 230 refineries, petrochemical plants, pipelines, and oil terminals.

The talks have reached a dead-lock now. According to the Wall Street Journal, USW had asked the workers working at nine US chemical plants and refineries to go on a strike on Sunday.

USW had given a deadline of Sunday for the deal to be signed, as a result USW asked its workers to end their respective shifts and then leave these nine refineries. Negotiations on behalf of the US refineries were being undertaken by the Royal Dutch Shell plc (ADR) (NYSE:RDS.A). Several proposals and offers were made by USW but all were rejected by Shell. The main causes of concern were the dangerous working conditions in the plant and unsafe overtime and staffing problems.

According to the President of USW International Leo Gerrard, Shell did not respond appropriately and it left the table without giving a proper counter offer. The eight refinery plants where the company plans to enforce the strikes are Shell’s complexes in Deer park, Texas, plant of Lyondell Basel Industries in Houston, and six refineries of Marathon Petroleum Corporation (NYSE:MRO).

FULL story at link.