Union Workers Gear Up for Negotiations With Oil Refiners
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The United Steelworkers, which represents about two-thirds of workers at U.S. refineries, said its members are ready to claim their share of the U.S. shale bounty that has boosted refiners’ earnings.
The USW wants a “substantial” increase in wages, stronger rules to prevent fatigue and measures to keep union workers rather than contract employees on the job, Gary Beevers, the USW international vice president who manages the union’s oil sector, said yesterday in Pittsburgh. He said the union is ready for the biggest fight in his time as leader. For the first time in at least 20 years, members decided to set aside funds for workers should they have to strike.