Refiners, unions prepare for strike as contract deadline looms - Houston Chronicle

[beast]

Union officials are drawing up strike rosters while refineries prepare for possible shutdowns as a Wednesday deadline looms on nationwide contract talks covering 30,000 refinery and chemical workers - including 4,600 in the Houston area.

Negotiators with the United Steelworkers International and Shell Oil Co. met into the evening Monday on a contract to replace one that expires at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday.

One analyst warned that a strike that closed refineries could boost gasoline prices.

Shell is negotiating on behalf of the industry for a deal that would serve as the standard for wages, benefits and working conditions for union-represented employees nationwide.

Each side is getting ready in case of a walkout.

USW Local 13-1 in Pasadena set up a telephone "strike line," and its website includes password-protected picket assignments for Shell and BP employees represented by the local.

BP said its Texas City refinery and unionized facilities in Indiana, Ohio and California will close temporarily in the event of a strike. Texas City refinery spokesman Michael Marr said it has 1,400 union workers.

Refiners, unions prepare for strike as contract deadline looms - Houston Chronicle

Source: http://www.chron.com/business/article/Refiners-unions-prepare-for-strike-as-contract-2854253.php

   

[Anonymous]

nervermind

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The United Steelworkers union and Royal Dutch Shell Plc (RDSA) averted a potential strike that would have idled as many as 69 refineries by tentatively agreeing to a new three-year contract.

The proposal includes pay increases of 2.5 percent in the first year and 3 percent in the second and third years, along with some of the improvements in safety language sought by the union, according to three labor representatives with direct knowledge of the negotiations.

No details of the agreement were provided in separate statements yesterday evening from the Steelworkers and Shell, which represented industry in the talks. The proposal is subject to a vote of the union members. Talks started Jan. 14 in Austin, Texas, between the union representing 30,000 workers and Shell. The old contract expired at midnight Houston time.

Other companies involved include Valero Energy Corp. (VLO), Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM), BP Plc (BP/), ConocoPhillips (COP), Chevron Corp. (CVX), Marathon Oil Corp. (MRO), Sunoco Inc. (SUN), Tesoro Corp. (TSO) and PBF Energy Inc.


Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-02-01/steelworker-reaches-tentative-3-year-contract-with-refiners-1-.html