Releases / Advisories
- April 27, 2012 ExxonMobil Stalls in Accepting Industry Pattern Agreement During Contract Talks at Baton Rouge, La., Facility Despite accepting the United Steelworkers (USW) National Oil Bargaining Program (NOBP) pattern agreement at its other facilities, ExxonMobil is refusing to do so at its refinery/chemical complex in Baton Rouge, La.
- April 26, 2012 Capitol Hill Hearing to Explore Impact of Northeast Refinery Closures on Price of Fuel Products The U.S. Congress Joint Economic Committee (JEC) is holding a hearing this Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 2:15 p.m. (EDT) in room G-50 of the Dirksen Senate Office Building to address the impact of the Philadelphia-area refinery closures on fuel prices.
- April 03, 2012 Shutdown of Philadelphia-Area Refineries Threatens Country’s National, Economic Security USW Local 10-234 President Denis Stephano submitted testimony March 30 to the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence about the threat to the country’s national and economic security posed by the permanent shutdown of the ConocoPhillips Trainer, Pa., Sunoco Marcus Hook, Pa., and Sunoco Philadelphia refineries.
- February 10, 2012 | USW USW Members to Rally Feb. 14 at Tesoro Anacortes Refinery United Steelworkers Union (USW) members at Tesoro’s Anacortes, Wash., facility are rallying at the refinery gate on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 11:30 AM to send Tesoro Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Greg Goff a message that the company needs to bargain fairly.
- January 31, 2012 | USW USW Reaches Tentative Three-Year Agreement With Oil Industry The United Steelworkers (USW) is pleased to announce that we have reached a tentative agreement with Shell on a new three-year agreement, pending ratification by the union’s membership.
- January 20, 2012 USW Refinery Workers Hold National Day of Action for Safety Members of the United Steelworkers (USW) union who work at oil refineries around the country are planning a National Day of Action for Safe Refineries and Good Jobs on January 21. Members in refinery communities around the country plan to visit gas stations and distribute handbills to drivers on the importance of refinery safety ...
- January 19, 2012 | USW Oil Workers to Rally at Chevron Headquarters Members and supporters of United Steelworkers (USW) Local 5 plan to rally at Chevron Corporation’s global headquarters in San Ramon, California at noon on Friday, January 20. USW Local 5 will be demanding that Chevron and the other oil companies address serious health and safety proposals ...
- January 10, 2012 | USW USW Local 10-234 Fights Demolition of ConocoPhillips Trainer, Pa., Refinery United Steelworkers Local 10-234 President Denis Stephano announced today that the plant manager at the ConocoPhillips refinery in Trainer, Pa., told union officials on Jan. 5 that if a serious buyer is not identified or the refinery is not sold by March 31, the facility will be demolished.
- January 05, 2012 | USW USW Details Negative Impact of Philadelphia Refinery Shutdowns Three United Steelworkers (USW) local union oil refinery leaders spoke here today about the negative effects on employment and Northeast oil product supplies and prices if the three Philadelphia area refineries slated for closure are allowed to stop production permanently.
- December 23, 2011 | USW USW Says Government Analysis Confirms Shutdown of Philadelphia-area Refineries Could Negatively Impact Oil Products for Northeast Region The U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) released a report today that confirms what the USW has been saying about the impact of shutting down the ConocoPhillips and Sunoco Philadelphia-area refineries: supplies of oil products could be negatively impacted with accompanying price volatility and spikes.
- September 27, 2011 | USW USW Statement on ConocoPhillips’ Decision to Shut Down Trainer, Pa., Refinery in Six Months United Steelworkers (USW) Union International Vice President Gary Beevers issued the following statement today on ConocoPhillips’ decision to close its Trainer, Pa., refinery in six months if a buyer is not found:
- June 17, 2011 | USW ExxonMobil Must Improve Process Safety at Baytown Refinery The United Steelworkers Union (USW) says the June 14 injury at ExxonMobil's Baytown, Texas, refinery shows the company must do a better job at handling process safety. Click here for more.
- May 03, 2011 | USW Steelworkers Take Oil-Industry Safety Issues to Shareholders The United Steelworkers (USW) are presenting shareholder resolutions at Marathon Oil (NYSE: MRO), Valero (NYSE: VLO), Tesoro (NYSE: TSO), and ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP), calling on the companies to improve disclosures on safety at oil refineries.
- September 02, 2010 | USW USW Statement on Latest Gulf Oil Platform Explosion United Steelworkers (USW) International Vice President Gary Beevers issued the following statement concerning the explosion and fire of an offshore petroleum platform in the Gulf of Mexico today: “We are thankful that no one was killed in the explosion today of an offshore petroleum platform in the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, one person was injured and that is one person too many.
- August 12, 2010 | USW USW Statement on BP Settlement to Resolve OSHA Citations United Steelworkers Union (USW) International Vice President Gary Beevers issued the following statement today regarding the settlement agreement between BP Products North America Inc. and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) ... more
- June 15, 2010 | USW USW, UMWA Demand Action to Elevate Worker Lives over Profit Click here to read today's joint statement by the United Steelworkers and United Mine Workers of America about worker safety and the need to start putting lives over profit.
- April 12, 2010 | USW 2007 USW Report Warned of More Refinery Accidents The United Steelworkers (USW) today said that the refinery industry has failed to learn from past disasters and that its 2007 report, Beyond Texas City: The State of Process Safety in the Unionized U.S. Oil Refining Industry is more relevant than ever in light of the April 2 Tesoro explosion and fire that killed five workers and critically injured two others.
- January 28, 2010 | USW USW Lauds President’s Focus on Jobs; Calls for Immediate Action USW International President Leo Gerard today lauded President Obama's focus on creating jobs and called on the administration and Congress to act boldy and swiftly. Click here for more.
- January 14, 2010 | USW Health Reform Tax Changes: Good Progress for Workers; USW to Keep Working for Better Bill USW International President Leo W. Gerard today said that the union is pleased with the progress that has been made to make health insurance reform legislation fairer for working families but that more work needs to be done. Click here for more.
- November 13, 2009 USW Criticizes Absence of Elected Officials at Community Forum on Hydrogen Fluoride The United Steelworkers Union (USW) is asking why elected officials from Corpus Christi did not appear at a community forum Nov. 11 to discuss the dangers of using hydrogen fluoride (HF) in area refineries and its alternatives.
- November 10, 2009 United Steelworkers Union Holds Community Educational Forum The community educational forum will include presentations by an expert on hydrogen fluoride and a vendor offering an alternative chemical process. A question and answer session will follow the program. The press conference is open only to the press and will give journalists ... more
- August 31, 2009 United Steelworkers Union Calls for Industry-wide Phase-out of Hydrogen Fluoride in Oil Refinery Alkylation Units The United Steelworkers (USW) announced today that it is calling for the nationwide phase-out of hydrogen fluoride alkylation units. “Hydrogen fluoride is such a deadly component, and there are new and safer technologies available,” said USW Vice President Gary Beevers, who is in charge of the union’s oil sector.
- August 07, 2009 | USW USW Reiterates Need for Tariffs to Halt Surge of Chinese Tires Flooding U.S. The United Steelworkers today presented a comprehensive overview before the U.S. Trade Representative of its Section 421 trade case filed in April against a flood of 46 million passenger and light tire truck tires from China valued at $1.7 billion in 2008. Click here for the entire press release.
- August 04, 2009 | USW USW Withdraw from Talks with American Petroleum Institute, Oil Industry The United Steelworkers withdrew from talks today with the American Petroleum Institute and the oil industry because of safety issues. Click here for more.
- July 15, 2009 Statement from USW President Gerard on House U.S. Health Care Reform Bill United Steelworkers International President Leo W. Gerard issued a statement today on the U.S. House's health care reform bill. Click here for more.
- April 29, 2009 | USW USW Alerts Members to Swine Flu (H1N1 Influenza) Threats and Prevention The United Steelworkers (USW) today announced plans to educate its members and their families about how to minimize their risk of being infected by the current outbreak of the Swine Flu, signs and symptoms of possible infection, and what employers should be doing now to prevent exposure in workplace settings. Read more here.
- April 20, 2009 | USW USW Seeks Relief from Flood of Imported Chinese Tires The United Steelworkers (USW) today announced the filing of a major trade case against the flood of imported consumer tires from China that have led to thousands of job losses and a growing number of plant closings throughout the U.S. Read more here.
- April 09, 2009 | USW USW Challenges TransCanada Keystone Pipeline Permit for Safety The United Steelworkers has challenged the pending federal permit in the controversial $5.4 billion TransCanada Keystone Pipeline that’s using under-standard thin-wall pipe for transport of crude oil from Alberta, Canada to Houston, Texas. Read more here.
- March 27, 2009 | Blue Green Alliance Unions, environmental groups urge passage of climate change legislation in '09 The USW is among the labor unions joining with environmental organizations to urge passage of climate change legislation this year. Read more here.
- March 17, 2009 | USW USW Celebrates 100+ 'Buy American' Resolution Wins The passage of the "Buy American" resolution at Pittsburgh City Council today brought the number of passed resolutions to 103, a huge milestone in the USW's Make Our Future Work campaign. Read more here.
- March 16, 2009 United Steelworkers Members Ratify Sunoco Philadelphia Refinery Contract United Steelworkers Union (USW) members of Local 10-1 overwhelmingly ratified a three-year contract March 13 that includes the National Oil Bargaining pattern agreement and no layoffs, pay cuts or givebacks.
- March 13, 2009 Sunoco Marcus Hook Workers Ratify Three-Year Agreement United Steelworkers Union (USW) members of Local 10-901 overwhelmingly ratified a new, three-year contract with Sunoco, Inc. last night that includes the National Oil Bargaining pattern wages, benefits and contract language and resolution of local issues.
- February 28, 2009 United Steelworkers Union Gives 24-Hour Strike Notice to Sunoco United Steelworkers Union (USW) Locals 10-1 from Philadelphia and 10-901 from Marcus Hook, Pa., gave a 24-hour strike notice to Sunoco, Inc. around noon EST today. If an agreement is not reached by noon EST Sunday, March 1 when the contract expires, workers from both refinery locals will go out on strike.
- February 06, 2009 National Oil Bargaining Pattern Agreement Focuses on Economic Issues The tentative pattern agreement negotiated between the United Steelworkers (USW) union and the oil sector features wage increases, a ratification bonus, continuation of the current premium contribution structure and no retrogression on items previously settled between the union and the industry.
- October 28, 2008 United Steelworkers Union Oil Workers Overwhelmingly Approve National Oil Bargaining Policy Oil workers from the United Steelworkers union (USW) overwhelmingly ratified the 2009 National Oil Bargaining policy and gave strike authorization to the union. “This strong ratification of the oil policy and strike ratification shows how united and determined the membership is in getting a fair contract,” International Vice President Gary Beevers said.
- September 22, 2008 United Steelworkers Delegates Approve National Oil Bargaining Policy Over 300 United Steelworkers (USW) union delegates at the National Oil Bargaining conference here overwhelmingly approved the National Oil Bargaining policy committee’s proposals for 2009 bargaining.
