USW Joins Global Day of Action in Defense of the Right to Strike

Contact: Benjamin Davis (412) 562-2501, bdavis@usw.org

(Pittsburgh) – In a statement released today, United Steelworkers (USW) International President Leo W. Gerard said that the USW will join the global trade union movement today in supporting the global day of action in defense of the right to strike:

“The right to withhold our labor in support of our just demands is a fundamental right of workers that has historically been recognized by the International Labor Organization (ILO) as part of Convention 87 on Freedom of Association.  Just last month, the Supreme Court of Canada affirmed that workers’ freedom of association encompasses the right to act collectively in support of economic demands in the case of Saskatchewan Federation of Labour v. Saskatchewan.

“Still, multinational corporations and their high-priced lawyers, as part of a coordinated assault on fundamental worker rights, now argue that the ILO supervisory bodies have no right to rule on the right to strike.  This dispute can only be resolved by referral to the International Court of Justice, but some governments refuse to support this referral.

“Today, more than 5,200 USW Oil Workers at 11 refineries in California, Indiana, Kentucky, Ohio, Texas and Washington are on strike against the industry’s unfair labor practices. Our growing list of NLRB charges filed includes: bad-faith bargaining over the companies’ refusal to negotiate over mandatory subjects, impeded bargaining for the companies’ undue delays in providing information, threatening workers if they join the Unfair Labor Practice strike and others.

“At the heart of this dispute is the disregard of multinational oil companies for the lives of our members, their families, and the people who live near the refineries. In the past five years, 27 refinery workers have died on the job. While the oil industry has made billions in profits, our workplaces are always dangerous and often deadly, with high temperatures, high pressure, and toxic chemicals and gasses, yet many of our locations are critically understaffed.  Instead of scheduling more workers for fewer hours, the industry demands excessive compulsory overtime that leaves individuals fatigued and more prone to accidents. Management further insists on expanding its unhealthy reliance on temporary contract workers rather than hiring and/or training USW-represented permanent employees to perform maintenance in our facilities on the equipment we use every day. 

“Without the right to strike, our members would have no way to effectively enforce their demand for safe workplaces and safe communities.

“The USW supports the global mobilization in defense of the right to strike for all workers, condemns the efforts of employers to weaken the ILO’s ability to enforce this right, and calls on all governments to support the referral of this issue to the International Court of Justice.”

The USW represents 850,000 workers in North America employed among industries that include metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining, plus the service and public sectors. For more information: http://www.usw.org/

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