Brothers and Sisters,
Thank you to all of you who have lent your support to our brothers and sisters in Beaumont, Texas in the weeks since ExxonMobil locked them out of their jobs. These hard-working members of Local 13-243 have been standing strong as they keep up the fight for a fair contract that protects their safety, security and seniority.
I especially want to commend those of you who joined Local 13-243 members when they took the fight to ExxonMobil’s front door.
The rally at the company’s headquarters during the May 26 shareholder meeting was a huge success. In addition to drawing much-needed attention to the situation in Beaumont, USW members called for and won greater accountability on corporate lobbying as ExxonMobil shareholders approved a resolution introduced by the USW and seven other organizations.
As we continue to support the locked out workers, I urge you all to pledge your solidarity with Local 13-243 members. You can also contact Hoot Landry rlandry@usw.org or Bryan Gross bgross@usw.org for other ways to help.
Fighting for a level playing field on RINs
Our union continues the fight for a more level playing field under the Renewable Fuel Standard and the “renewable identification number” (RIN) system, just as it did under the Trump and Obama administrations.
The Renewable Fuel Standard was established more than a decade ago to cut down on foreign crude by encouraging the use of domestic, environmentally-friendlier renewable biofuels in our gasoline and diesel fuel. Flaws in the original law have long been a problem, however, and now costs for some of our employers are so high USW jobs are at risk.
With the help of our D.C. staff, we’re continuing our work: lobbying members of Congress, meeting with the administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, working directly with our employers, submitting public comments of regulatory proposals and engaging our allies in the environmental movement.
More Shell sales
In the past month, Shell announced that it would sell two more of its U.S. refineries. On May 24, the company agreed to sell its controlling interest in its Deer Park, Texas refinery to Petroleos Mexicanos (Pemex).
On May 27, Shell then announced it would sell its Mobile, Ala., refinery to Houston-based Vertex Energy. We will keep you posted as we learn more about these developments.
Finally, I want to once again remind you that the 2021 National Oil Bargaining Program (NOBP) conference will take place virtually Aug. 9-13. The policy committee has been reaching out to locals, and I am confident this year’s meeting will be a success.
We’re facing some tough fights right now, but together, we will meet them head-on. Thanks for all your hard work and solidarity, and please stay safe.
In solidarity,
Mike Smith
NOBP Chair
mjsmith@usw.org