USW oil workers and leaders in the oil sector have focused on workplace safety, building power and preparing for the new round of national pattern bargaining next year.
USW oil workers last negotiated a national pattern bargaining agreement in 2022, and since then, they continue to break production records and keep America moving.
They’re also generating exorbitant wealth for employers.
Average monthly crude oil production reached a monthly record high in August 2024, and the U.S. stands as the world’s leading oil producer.
Since the last convention, USW oil workers and leaders in the oil sector have focused on workplace safety, building power and preparing for the new round of national pattern bargaining next year.
“Average monthly crude oil production reached a monthly record high in August 2024, and the U.S. stands as the world’s leading oil producer.”
Important Victories
The union went to arbitration with INEOS in Texas City, Texas, over successorship language and won, affirming our right to protect members’ benefits during company transitions. It was the USW’s first arbitration in the oil sector in more than 20 years.
The USW also worked with Delek U.S. Holdings to secure up to $95 million in newly allocated funds from the Biden administration’s Department of Energy (DOE) for a carbon capture project and new training program at the Big Spring, Texas, refinery.
Health and Safety
In the wake of three deaths since the last constitutional convention, the USW continues to focus on safety.
This includes building relationships with state-based agencies to strengthen Process Safety Management (PSM) standards. In the state of Washington, for example, the USW successfully pushed for updated regulations that match California’s strong standards.
Washington’s new rules went into effect in 2024 and require worker collaboration throughout all phases of PSM. The changes also added additional elements of PSM, including human factors and process safety culture assessments.
These updates occurred because of the advocacy of USW activists, who met with Washington State Department of Labor & Industries representatives and testified in health and safety hearings.
Education is Key
To maximize safety efforts, the union also revamped its PSM representative training, thanks to negotiated contract language that requires companies to pay for members’ participation. So far, the Tony Mazzocchi Center has conducted two of these vital, in-depth trainings – in California and Texas – for hundreds of members.
The updated training dives into the new PSM regulations while also focusing on recent incidents. The more workers know, the safer they are.
Preparing for the Future
Among many other important achievements, the union helped to develop the Displaced Oil and Gas Worker Fund, which sets aside money for both displaced and at-risk workers in California.
Local union leaders, alongside District 12 Director Gaylan Prescott, stepped in to help secure an initial $10 million in state funds for the initiative. The pilot program kicked off in September 2024, and though it’s only a start, it provides a means of transitioning workers to new jobs and assisting with educational or training costs.
The union continues to forge coalitions with community colleges and employers to lessen the impact on workers who lose oil jobs, and these efforts enable affected members to earn certificates in different trades or train in new skills.
Some USW members now even teach the junior college classes that their union siblings can take, paying it forward in true solidarity style.
Moving forward, the USW continues to partner with global allies IndustriALL and UNITE to shine a light on the future of energy, protect jobs and secure members a seat at the table as the industry evolves.
The union also continues to develop strategic relationships with several new companies as the oil sector prepares for bargaining next year. Oil workers intend to go to the table prepared, empowered, and more united than ever.