USW members have joined dozens of oil workers from around the world to form a global network to address concerns about working conditions at Royal Dutch Shell.
The USW joined more than 60 union leaders from 21 countries with Shell facilities for two days of meetings in Singapore sponsored by the IndustriALL Global Union. Attending were USW members Jeremy Walker, Richard Landry and Kim Nibarger.
One consistent issue the participants raised was the continued use of unrepresented workers, an issue that contributed to the USW’s strike against the U.S. oil industry earlier this year. Other major concerns included wages, health care costs, and retirement and other benefits. The group also agreed to work more closely on organizing campaigns, member education, collective bargaining strategies, gender equity, health and safety, and environmental concerns.
Shell employs about 90,000 workers in 70 countries, including 3,800 USW members. In all, the USW represents 30,000 workers in the oil industry at 230 facilities, including 65 refineries and dozens of terminals, pipelines and petrochemical plants.
In February, the USW launched an unfair labor practice strike against the industry after oil companies, led by Shell, walked away from the bargaining table, proving themselves to be more focused on profits than the concerns of workers.
Before the strike, Shell made several woefully inadequate offers that the USW bargaining committee rejected.
“Oil companies are too concerned with profits to make positive changes in the workplace without the solidarity of the workers pushing them in the right direction,” said International Vice President Tom Conway. “By acting globally, we can improve conditions for all workers.”
The Federation of Trade Unions (FNV), of the Netherlands, where Shell is based, will act as the group’s coordinator, and the network’s steering committee will include union leaders from each continent. The coalition also adopted an action plan that includes maintaining regular communication through email and social media, as well as establishing an internal database of working conditions at Shell operations. In addition, the network will explore the possibility of fundraising to increase international solidarity and will seek to establish a dialogue with company management.
“The Singapore meeting was an excellent kick-off for building union power at Shell operations worldwide,” said Kemal Özkan, Assistant General Secretary of IndustriALL Global Union. “It is already time for Shell workers to fight back against many challenges and the deterioration of employment conditions.”