Thousands Of Refinery Workers Set To Picket (midnight tonight)

theindychannel.com ^ | 1/31/09 | Unknown

[Abathar]

HOUSTON -- Some 24,000 refinery workers from the Gulf of Mexico to Montana are preparing to head to the picket lines.

A labor agreement expires at midnight Saturday. On Thursday, union negotiators turned down the third and latest offer of a 2.5 percent wage increase for each of the next three years, in addition to changes in medical coverage.

A strike would affect 60 producers, according to the United Steelworkers, which represents more than 30,000 oil workers nationwide.

The nation's biggest refiner, Valero, said it will shut down some facilities if workers strike, as will European oil company BP.

Shell Oil Co., the lead negotiator for the industry, along with Exxon Mobil, said its refineries will continue to make gasoline, diesel and other fuels using nonunion or replacement workers.

[Abathar]

Scabs crossing the picket lines, I wonder how far the union will take things.

Driving up prices is probably the fastest way to get the concessions they want, I wonder which side Obama is going to take when that happens... /s

[FlingWingFlyer]

Once again, the union thugs stick it to the American people. F the unions!!!!

[txroadkill]

There is something very familiar about all of this....I think I’ll go open a Billy Beer and think about it.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Valero is a major customer for UOP Honeywell. This may have an impact on my job. Guess I’ll find out Monday morning.

[gidget7]

The prices just got an another excuse to rise!

[John123]

Unions usually pick the worst times to go on a strike...

[traditional1]

Gonna be a strike for sure, as the companies need to raise prices, and oil is now in the low $40/barrel range. The Messiah will get involved SOMEHOW, and take the Union side....stay tuned.

[Arkinsaw]

I think the oil companies have enough money in reserve to just shut down production for however long it takes.

[OneWingedShark]

>Shell Oil Co., the lead negotiator for the industry, along with Exxon Mobil, said its refineries will continue to make gasoline, diesel and other fuels using nonunion or replacement workers.

Hmm, I may have to keep an eye on Shell & Exxon prices... and maybe I should scurry and buy a couple of shares too.

[familyop]

"I wonder which side Obama is going to take when that happens... /s"

He'll take the bipartisan side of putting that money into more government jobs with higher pay, full medical insurance and day care for the womyn. "Affirmative action" for foreign nationals will be the deciding factor for replacements of the American union workers, and there'll still be a union. And I'm not in favor of labor unions, BTW.

[familyop]

"Unions usually pick the worst times to go on a strike..."

...and often, along with the companies that they conspire with.

[ScreamingFist]

Shell Oil Co., the lead negotiator for the industry, along with Exxon Mobil, said its refineries will continue to make gasoline, diesel and other fuels using nonunion or replacement workers.

This should be good....management is going to get off their butts and turn valves.......

[digger48]

Gas went up .25 here in central hoosierland since noon.

[353FMG]

This is a great opportunity and excuse for oil companies to shut down their refineries — to them, they’re a necessary evil anyway.

[Abathar]

"This should be good....management is going to get off their butts and turn valves......."

Years ago when the workers at our local Krogers went on strike the delivery trucks (Teamsters) wouldn't cross the picket lines. They had the brilliant idea of sending the managers out to drive the trucks through and back them up to the docks.

Funniest darn thing I ever watched, the people picketing and the customers watching about wet themselves from laughing so hard.

[Abathar]

S.C. Indiana here, I was wondering why it jumped from the time I went to work and the time I left.

[freekitty]

I really don’t like Bruce Springstiens singing; so I will proably tune in something else during the half time.

[PSYCHO-FREEP]

The jump in prices was due to the 20% increase in Oil prices over the last week. The refinery strike will not cause that big of a jump due to large inventories of fuel on hand. Lack of demand has helped build up inventories.

There are some local distributors that may run up prices briefly in the immediate region, but national prices should stay reasonable.

[Gator113]

Shut all plants down for two weeks, hire vets to replace every union employee, let the unions sue, if they win, push for a bailout. Once the bailout money is received, shut it down again, hire vets, and start the process all over again.

I know, it won’t work and they wouldn’t do it, but it would sure be fun to watch. ;>)

[WVNan]

Yeah, and the union really helped Krogers. We don’t have a Krogers because their workers went on strike. Well, the company simply closed the store.