Posted on 03/04/2015 4:25:56 AM PST by thackney
LyondellBasell announced Tuesday that it has filed an unfair labor practice charge against the United Steelworkers union, alleging that union representatives have made threats against employees who have returned to work and have used abusive language in social media.
The company also contends it has witnessed threatening behavior at the gates of its Houston refinery as employees arrive to work, according to a letter to employees from Kevin Brown, executive vice president of global manufacturing, refining, global engineering services and global projects. The company filed the charge with the National Labor Relations Board.
“This action by the USW is extremely disappointing and the impact it has on individuals and families is saddening,” Brown said. “We understand the hardships that have been placed on our employees due to the USW’s actions. It is for this reason that we opened the gates and invited our represented employees to return to work at the Houston Refinery. We respect the rights of all of our employees, whether they decide to return to work or to remain out on strike.”
In response, many employees have returned, Brown said.
“We acknowledge that their decision was not easy,” he said.
‘Disappointed’ in union, Shell says it is hiring relief workers
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2015/03/03/669731/
March 3, 2015
In the first few weeks of the United Steelworkers union strike, managers stepped in at Shell Oil Co. to keep its refinery and chemical plant running.
As the strike enters its second month, Shell has been training “relief employees” to operate its Deer Park refinery as well as its Norco chemical plant in Louisiana, according to a letter to employees from Aamir Farid, manufacturing vice president, Americas.
With the relief workers, Shell is hoping to return to business as normal, despite the continuation of the strike, according to Farid.
The notification that Shell is bringing in new workers comes only two days before the Steelworkers and Shell are scheduled to meet for another round of negotiations. Shell is the lead negotiator for the industry.
Shell expects to reach its goal of returning to normal by midsummer. At that time, it also expects its managers to return to their regular duties.
“We are disappointed that the USW International Union seems unwilling to achieve a timely and reasonable agreement; but, we are also determined to continue running our business — this is in the best interest of our employees, our customers, the sites and the communities in which we operate,” according to Farid.
Staffing firms that specialize in providing replacement refinery operators for labor disputes have been advertising for the past few weeks in Houston.
One firm looking for field operators is offering $45 an hour plus $40 per day per diem with a guarantee of at least 60 hours a week of work.
Shell Will Run Its Second-Largest US Refinery WITHOUT Union Workers
http://oilpro.com/post/11058/shell-run-its-second-largest-us-refinery-without-union-workers
... The contingency plan for Shell’s 327,000 bpd refinery in Deer Park, Texas....
Shell also said that the contingency plan was recently set in motion at its chemical plant in Norco, Louisiana....
Shell said that the company had been preparing staff to replace USW workers since the strike commenced. After putting in place non-union Shell workers to run operations at the Deer Park refinery, “we turned our focus to bringing in and training additional staff,” the company said....
In a letter to staff, Aamir Farid, Shell’s Manufacturing Vice President, Americas, discusses transitioning from contingency plans to business as normal operations as USW strike continues.
Here is the letter in its entirety:
“When our contract with the USW expired and employees were called out on strike this past February 1, we activated our contingency plan for Deer Park and recently activated the plan for the Norco Chemical Plant.”
“Similar contingency plans have been in place for all USW represented sites for well over 12 months. These plans have been carefully developed and tested to assure that we are able to run our facilities safely and maintain our commitments to our neighbors and customers. The strength of the plans and our employees has been demonstrated at both Deer Park and Norco.”
“We are disappointed that the USW International Union seems unwilling to achieve a timely and reasonable agreement; but, we are also determined to continue running our business – this is in the best interest of our employees, our customers, the sites and the communities in which we operate. As the USW strike goes into its fifth week at Deer Park and second week at Norco Chemical, I want to provide an update on what to expect as we shift our focus from contingency to business continuity.”
“When USW represented workers were directed by the union to stop work at Deer Park on February 1, we began the handover of the facility to Shell trained operators. Following procedures, we ensured everything was operating in accordance to people and process safety protocols.”
“Once the handover was completed, we turned our focus to bringing in and training additional staff. These are qualified Shell employees, all of whom receive training prior to entering the rotation. The conclusion of this process is focused on returning our operations to a full rotation.”
“At Deer Park, that goal will be achieved mid-summer. By then, we expect to have trained and deployed all required relief employees to return to full rotation. We recognize and appreciate the contribution of those team members running our assets during this time —a key step in our business continuity plans is to have team members return to their normal duties.”
“The steps we have implemented as part of our contingency and business continuity plans have allowed us to maintain safe and reliable operations at our manufacturing sites, deliver product to our customers, grow our business and continue to provide good jobs for our employees.”
“We’ll keep moving forward. We are committed to you, as well as to our communities and customers. We are unwavering in those commitments and they remain unchanged. They will guide each and every decision and action as we move forward—together, as one team.”
In total, the USW represents workers at locations that cumulatively represent 64% of US fuel production. On February 20, the strike expanded to include the largest refinery in the US: Motiva Enterprises LLC’s Port Arthur, Texas, refinery. On the same day, USW members at Motiva’s plants in Convent and Norco, Louisiana, went on strike. The USW has rejected seven contract offers from Shell. Currently, about 6,550 workers have joined the strike.
Here is the list of facilities impacted by the strike:
LyondellBasell in Houston, TX;
Marathon Galveston Bay Refinery in Texas City, TX;
Marathon Houston Green Cogeneration facility, Texas City, TX;
Marathon Refinery, Catlettsburg, Ky;
Shell Deer Park Refinery, Deer Park, TX;
Shell Deer Park Chemical Plant, Deer Park, TX;
Tesoro Anacortes Refinery, Anacortes, Wash.;
Tesoro Martinez Refinery, Martinez, Calif. (the only refinery shut down so far because of the strike);
Tesoro Carson Refinery, Carson, Calif.
BP Whiting Refinery, Indiana
BP Toledo Refinery, Ohio
Motiva Refinery, Port Arthur, TX
Motiva Refinery, Norco, LA
Motiva Refinery, Convent, LA
Shell Chemical Plant, Norco, LA
Peeling Back The Onion - Examining The Layers Of The Oil Worker Strike
http://oilpro.com/post/11046/oil-worker-strike-end-bang-whimper
Timeline Recap
January 21: Oil companies led by Shell and USW representatives started talks for a new nationwide contract covering hourly workers at 63 US refineries that together represent 64% of the refinery capacity in the US. The USW said at the time safety upgrades at aging refinery and petrochemical facilities were the main points of contention.
January 31: The USW rejected the fourth proposal submitted by Shell on behalf of oil companies covering employees at 63 US refineries Saturday night, only hours before the current contract was set to expire.
February 1: The USW initiated a strike at 9 refineries after rejecting Shell’s fifth contract offer. “Shell refused to provide us with a counter-offer and left the bargaining table,” said USW International President Leo W. Gerard in a statement. “We had no choice but to give notice of a work stoppage.” USW members continued to work at the other facilities operating under “rolling 24-hour” contract extensions.
February 2: Tesoro’s 166,000 bpd Golden Eagle refinery in Martinez, California, shut downs down its remaining process units. Half of the facility was already shut down for planned maintenance.
February 3: Tesoro’s Carson refinery reports a unit failure and unplanned repairs.
February 4: Marathon’s Galveston Bay refinery reports a “small diesel leak” at an ultracracker unit
February 5: The USW rejects Shell’s sixth contract offer.
February 8: The strike expands from 9 to 11 facilities, as walkouts began at BP’s Whiting, Indiana, and Toledo, Ohio, refineries. The percentage of US refining capacity at stake increased from 10% to approximately 13%. On the same day, Shell’s Deer Park refinery experiences an upset at a fluid catalytic cracker.
February 13: Shell releases a statement, saying in part, “As we close out the third week of negotiations with the USW, we remain committed to maintaining safe operations as part of the normal course of business and to providing quality products to our customers who depend upon us.”
February 18: The USW rejects Shell’s seventh contract offer. On the same day, LyondellBasell’s Houston facility writes a letter to striking employees consisting of an articulation of the efforts both sides made before the start of the strike, and an invitation to return to work.
February 21: Shortly following the cessation of another round of unproductive talks between the USW and oil company representatives ended the previous night, the union notified Motiva Enterprises of a strike by its members at its refinery in Port Arthur, Texas (the largest in the US). The USW also gave notices of strikes at Motiva’s refineries in Norco and Convent, Louisiana, and the Shell chemical plant in Norco. Capacity at these facilities is 235,000 and 238,000 bpd. Motiva’s three refineries operate with a combined refining capacity of over 1 million barrels of crude oil per day. The total number of affected facilities increased to 15 (including 12 refineries) with 6,550 USW members on strike. The 12 refineries represent nearly 20% of the capacity in the US.
February 21-22: Shell writes an internal employee communication to striking employees at the Shell and Motiva facilities, identifying “The central issue of the USW’s national leaders is their continued demand that Shell replace routine maintenance contractors with USW-represented employees.”
February 25: International President of USW, Leo W. Gerard, issues a joint statement with the President of North America’s Building Trades Union (NABTU), Sean McGarvey. The stated purpose of the letter is to address the confusion that both parties say surrounds the USW negotiations with the US refinery industry concerning the scope of its members’ work, amid the largest oil strike in 35 years.
February 26: The USW sends another letter to its members in the wake of Shell and other companies’ overtures to its members. The USW rooted its concerns in the “safety and well-being” of its members. “During this round of negotiations, the union has made many proposals to address the safety and well-being of our members...The companies downplay our safety concerns,” the letter said.
February 27: In a press release, Shell clarifies its position that “The central issue standing in the way of a settlement is not safety or fatigue, nor is it even about healthcare, wages or ‘no retrogression’ as the union claims. The central issue is the USW’s demand that Shell replace routine maintenance contractors with USW-represented employees.”
March 2: Shell announces it will run its second-largest US refinery in Deer Park, Texas, without USW labor. Shell also said that the contingency plan was recently set in motion at its chemical plant in Norco, Louisiana.
Where are the Pinkertons when you need’em?
Tensions flare as picket lines crossed in U.S. refinery strike
http://powersource.post-gazette.com/powersource/companies-powersource/2015/03/03/Tensions-flare-picket-lines-crossed-in-U-S-refinery-strike/stories/201503030148
...A month into the biggest U.S. refinery walkout in 35 years, money is tight as strike pay from the United Steelworkers union is a fraction of normal wages....
Up to 70 employees, out of 800, at Royal Dutch Shell Plc’s Deer Park, Texas, refinery have decided to return to work....
On Monday, Tesoro Corp., which has been hit by walk-outs at three of its West Coast refineries, appeared to ask employees to give up the strike by saying those at work would receive their 2014 bonuses.
“This week those of us at work and eligible will receive the monetary recognition of our 2014 efforts in the form of (a bonus),” Tesoro executive Keith Casey said in a letter to employees, a copy of which was shared with reporters.....
If you think there’s any difference between the major Unions and the Mob, you’d be mistaken.
Former UAW and IAW member.
Union official: ‘Solidarity’ is key for striking BP Refinery workers
http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/post-tribune/news/ct-ptb-bp-strike-rally-st-0301-20150228-story.html
Feb 28, 2015
...USW members at the Whiting refinery earn between $80,000 and $100,000 a year with overtime, money they aren’t receiving during the strike. While there is some money in a strike fund, union officials say it is providing members with a lot less money than what they normally take home....
Savage said one of the main questions he’s asked by USW members is why the national bargaining team didn’t call for members at all 65 refineries and more than 200 production facilities in the U.S. to go out on strike at once.
He said the reason was two-fold: to keep the government from interfering with this labor dispute and to retain some bargaining power if negotiations don’t progress.
“If we fire all our bullets out of our gun on day one, what do we say later? If you don’t come to the table, we’ll do what,” Savage said.....
Richard Trumka is a terrorist.
His direction of the United Mine Workers strike in South West Virginia in 1988/89 would be classified as acts of terror today
While I agree with your description of Richard Trumka, he is President of of the AFL-CIO.
This is the United Steel Workers.
The steel workers are members of the AFL-CIO so Trumka still has his hand in I think
They’ll never recoup the lost income. What’s the beef with the contract?
No, not even close. Not if they got everything thing they asked for.
What’s the beef with the contract?
In my opinion, it is the fact the refineries use a lot of contract labor that is not part of the union.
Union negotiators are fools. They need to look at the German withdrawal from Sicily and up the Italian boot. That’s what they face and they’re doing a sloppy job of it.
The union has stated it is on strike because of safety concerns for its members and the community, but Shell has said otherwise. The oil and gas company said that the major sticking point was the union’s demand that Shell replace routine maintenance contractors with union-backed employees.
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Letter to USW Oil Workers
http://www.usw.org/news/media-center/articles/2015/letter-to-usw-oil-workers
...During this round of negotiations, the union has made many proposals to address the safety and well-being of our members. While the companies have regurgitated some of the language of these proposals in their letters to employees, thereby giving the impression that they are actually bargaining over these issues, they have, in fact, only agreed to “meet and discuss” them. They have, up until now, adamantly refused to bargain in good faith over these critical matters....
... Our proposal includes specific time limits for completing the review and a process by which the parties can agree to develop a plan to assign it to our bargaining unit. It includes the flexibility to have certain of that work remain in the hands of contractors where that is suitable and where that makes sense for the local unions at the refinery level. Remember, this isn’t about outage, turnaround and new construction work that we are talking about unless we are currently doing some of that work. This is the day to day maintenance and repair work that is crucial to our ability to conduct ourselves as a union. The local union and company would jointly develop a plan and timetable for that day-to-day work to be performed by the bargaining unit. Furthermore the USW and the North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) have reached an understanding regarding the types of work the USW is defending in our strike and the Building Trades have pledged their members will refrain from performing that struck work.....
more from USW at link
I expect a fire at the Houston refinery..... an accident of course. Union members will no nothing about it.
From February 19, 2015: Explosion Rips Through Torrance Refinery, Shakes South Bay
http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Torrance-Refinery-Exxon-Mobil-Explosion-292413021.html
If the union members are outside the fence, you expect them to cause a fire in a process unit?
The Torrance Refinery was/is not part of the Strike.
Just a reminder. They threw a brick into a store window.
You equate breaking a window to a fire/explosion that causes tens of millions of dollars damages and sends folks to the hospital?
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