Union demands that oil industry address safety concerns in contract talks

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 at the bargaining table in the ongoing round of contract negotiations. 

Union workers say the oil sector’s safety record is unacceptable.  “Over the past three years we’ve seen 18 refinery workers die on the job.  Process safety in this sector is out of control and we’re demanding that this industry start taking refinery safety and community safety more seriously,” said Jeff Clark, the Secretary-Treasurer of USW Local 5. 

Workers say that refinery safety is also a community concern.  BK White, Unit Chair at the Chevron refinery in Richmond, said: “When these companies operate our refineries unsafely, everybody’s at risk—refinery workers and our communities.  We know that a serious explosion at one of these facilities could devastate an entire community ... more