USW Statement on ConocoPhillips’ Decision to Shut Down Trainer, Pa., Refinery in Six Months

Contact: Lynne Baker, USW Communications, o) 615-831-6782, c) 615-828-6169

Philadelphia—United Steelworkers (USW) Union International Vice President Gary Beevers issued the following statement today on ConocoPhillips’ decision to close its Trainer, Pa., refinery in six months if a buyer is not found:

“We are disappointed to hear the news that ConocoPhillips will permanently close its Trainer, Pa., refinery in six months if a buyer is not found.

“Willie Chiang, senior vice president of ConocoPhillips Refining, Marketing, Transportation and Commercial, said in a company statement that product imports were one reason for the difficult environment faced by U.S. East Coast refiners. Our union stood ready to discuss product imports and received no response from ConocoPhillips or any of the other refiners. We were prepared to tackle this problem head on so we could save American jobs.

“ConocoPhillips blames product imports for its refinery’s difficulty, yet it buys those same imports. That does not make sense.

“According to the Energy Information Administration’s imports database for June 2011 (the latest data available), ConocoPhillips imported 10,000 bpd (barrels per day) of gasoline (port of entry not given); 25,000 bpd of gasoline blendstocks into the East Coast; 14,000 bpd of residual fuel (port of entry not given); 43,000 bpd of unfinished oils into the East Coast; 12,000 bpd of unfinished oils into the Gulf and West Coasts; and 1,000 bpd of lubricants into the Gulf Coast.

“Unfinished oils usually have to be refined further before being sold. Gasoline blendstocks can be combined at a terminal to make finished gasoline.

“We challenge ConocoPhillips to aggressively seek a buyer for the Trainer facility. The future of a lot of hardworking men and women, their families, and their community is at stake, as well as the future of many East Coast families who depend on home heating oil and other products from this refinery.”

The USW represents about 215 workers at the Trainer facility. Overall, the union represents 850,000 workers in the U.S., Canada, and the Caribbean. It represents workers employed in metals, rubber, chemicals, paper, oil refining, atomic energy and the service sector. www.oilbargaining.org.

# # #

 

By clicking Sign Up you're confirming that you agree with our Terms and Conditions.

Want to Learn More?

See how the USW is making a real difference in our communities and our workplaces.