US BP refinery workers join nationwide strikes

OREANDA-NEWS. Workers at two BP refineries in the US midcontinent joined a week-long United Steelworkers (USW) strike over the weekend, as negotiators showed no signs of being closer to a new employment agreement.

Operations continued as normal at BP's 410,000 b/d refinery in Whiting, Indiana, and the 157,000 b/d joint venture refinery in Toledo, Ohio, using non-union workers following the work stoppage. Union workers for at least nine other facilities around the country have been off the job since 1 February.

"We hope this strike will be as short as possible and for workers to return with a contract that ensures long-term prosperity for everyone," BP said in a statement.

The union warned that workers at additional, unnamed refineries with contracts expiring later this year could also join strikes if negotiations with lead refinery representative Shell don't improve. At least one company is working on the sidelines to separate its workers from the process.

"All I can say is that all this will end if Shell would negotiate seriously with us to resolve the problem," USW spokeswoman Lynne Hancock said.

Refiners involved in the work stoppages have largely avoided disruptions in fuel production by using supervisors, retirees or other labor to continue processing. The exception was Tesoro, which late last week converted its 168,000 b/d Golden Eagle refinery in Martinez, California, to terminal operations rather than run with skeleton crews at throughputs already reduced for maintenance.

USW national negotiators are seeking higher wages, lower cost healthcare benefits and for refiners to use fewer contract workers, which the union said threatens plant safety. Stoppages began 1 February at the 268,000 b/d LyondellBasell refinery in Houston, Texas; Marathon Petroleum's 475,000 b/d refinery in Texas City and 240,000 b/d refinery in Catlettsburg, Kentucky; Shell's 340,000 b/d joint venture refinery in Deer Park, Texas, and an adjacent chemical plant; and at Tesoro's 68,000 b/d Mandan, North Dakota, 120,000 b/d Anacortes, Washington, 260,000 b/d Carson, California, and Golden Eagle refineries.

Workers at Phillips 66 and Valero refineries and at ExxonMobil's 348,000 b/d refinery in Beaumont, Texas, are working under a rolling 24-hour contract extensions.

ExxonMobil said in a 6 February update for employees that the company was negotiating locally with Beaumont union workers and that workers there may depart the national bargaining process currently in stalemate. Workers at ExxonMobil's 557,000 b/d Baytown and 500,000 b/d Baton Rouge, Louisiana, refineries already operate outside the national bargaining process, according to the company. Union representatives at Beaumont could not be reached for comment.

"The Beaumont refinery has a business to run and does not want our employees forced into a strike by the USW International based on national issues that do not affect Beaumont," the company said.