USW Represents Majority of Workers at Refinery                     

The United Steelworkers Union (USW) today called on Hawaii Governor Neil Abercrombie to include the USW on a committee being formed  to examine the closure of Tesoro’s Kapolei refinery and its impact on the state. The committee will also examine coordinating efforts to save the refinery and other issues related to Hawaii’s economy.

“We believe that it would be a huge mistake for your administration to exclude the United Steelworkers from this process,” wrote USW International Vice President Gary Beevers and USW District 12 Director Robert LaVenture.

The USW represents some 250 production and maintenance workers at the Kapolei refinery who are likely to lose their jobs if the facility is shut down.

“It doesn’t make sense to exclude the USW on the governor’s committee when we represent the majority of workers who will be affected by the refinery closure,” Beevers said ... more