USW to Maintain Safety Campaign at BP Refineries

Sale of Texas City, Carson Refineries will not affect USW contracts

Contact:
Lynne Baker, USW Communications, o) 615-831-6782, c) 615-828-6169
Gary Beevers, USW International Vice President, o) 409-838-1972

Pittsburgh—The United Steelworkers Union (USW) is working with BP to guarantee a smooth transition when the company’s Texas City, Texas, and Carson, Calif., refineries are sold. Employees’ jobs and the USW contracts at both facilities will be protected because of the successorship language in the agreements.

“BP assured us that there will be a smooth transition to the next employer,” said USW President Leo W. Gerard. “We are committed to work with the new company on health and safety issues at both facilities.”

After the March 2005 explosion and fire at the Texas City refinery—which killed 15 workers and injured 170 others—the USW met with BP officials to improve health and safety at the company’s facilities.

“We feel we’ve made a lot of progress with them in making the Texas City and other BP properties safer,” said USW International Vice President Gary Beevers, who heads the union’s oil sector. “Greater attention is being paid to process safety and the company is moving in the right direction.”

The USW will continue working with BP to ensure all of its operations are safe.

“We intend to meet with BP CEO Robert Dudley to discuss his company’s operations in the U.S. and to ensure his health and safety promises are kept,” Gerard said.

A meeting date has not been set up yet.

The USW is the largest industrial union in North America and has 850,000 members 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.

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