Fallen Worker Memorial at USW Local 13-1 Texas City

Even one death is too many at a refinery, but consider this: Since 1980 there have been 35 deaths at the Marathon Galveston Bay refinery in Texas City, Texas. When BP owned the refinery a horrific explosion and fire on March 23, 2005 killed 15 workers and injured over 170 others. Marathon took the 35 crosses down early Tuesday morning (March 24) and the local police department returned them to Local 13-1 after the union wrote a letter to the company (see earlier post) requesting the return of the crosses. Now they stand on union ground as a reminder of how dangerous oil refining can be when production and profits are placed before safety.