Jun 23, 2025
UK 1982
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UK 1982
UK 1982
Facebook post from one of the striking workers at the Motiva oil refinery in Port Arthur, Texas
Okay folks. Since I work in the oil industry, I've had quite a few of you ask me what the deal is with the USW/Oil Industry strike that's going on across the country, and will likely grow larger. The oil companies say this: The USW union says that. I will try to give you the real issues and reasons for it, from the perspective of one refinery operations worker who is now on strike - ME.
I work in operations at the largest refinery in North America. I am, at the moment, on strike.
Most of us at our plant, as well as others, are USW union members. Some are not - there is no requirement to join the union - it's an individual choice. In our line of work, oil workers get paid very well (at or near $100,000 per year), and we have good benefits. We know and understand the blessing of this. This strike isn't about pay increases or better insurance. No one is asking for more money, benefits, anything like that, beyond the normal 2% 'cost of living' increases that anyone else might expect. What this strike is about is pushing to keep the safety programs and safety language in our contract that we ALREADY HAVE. It's called "No Retrogression". What does that mean?
It means that without the clause "no retrogression" in our new contract, any safety programs and incentives and employee oversight and enforceable accountability can be taken away, at any time, for any or no reason by the companies across the oil industry. This clause has been in every contract for decades, to prevent companies from taking these things away. It's been proven by OSHA that these programs help to make our refineries safer by putting a higher focus on safety.
In the oil industry in recent years, we've had several high-profile, nationally televised incidents. The BP Texas City refinery explosion on March 23, 2005 in which 15 workers were killed and 170 were injured. Both the BP and the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board reports identified numerous technical and organizational failings at the refinery and within corporate BP. If that refinery had the safety programs in place that exist in some refineries today, which were fought for by UNION WORKERS who work there, this explosion could have been prevented. THIS is what we are striking for - the ability to keep the safety programs in place that do exist in some refineries, and ensure that these safety programs are implemented across the industry.
But that's just one incident. The BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill and rig explosion on April 20, 2010 was a direct result of placing production and profit over safety, despite the concerns of some BP and Macondo employees who told managers to 'hold back' until they could determine a safe path forward. What happened? PEOPLE DIED. In November 2012, BP and the United States Department of Justice settled federal CRIMINAL charges with BP by pleading guilty to 11 counts of manslaughter, two misdemeanors, and a felony count of lying to Congress. The EPA announced that BP would be banned from new contracts with the US government. BP and the Department of Justice agreed to a record-setting $4.525 billion in fines and other payments (including to the families of the dead and injured), but studies are still ongoing to determine payouts and fines under the Clean Water Act and the Natural Resources Damage Assessment.
That incident, also, could have been avoided if the safety programs we are pushing for were in place and enforceable. Without the "No Retrogression" clause in our contract - yes, we could be PROMISED these programs be continued, or implemented in the first place (where applicable), but they could then be discontinued on the whim of the oil companies at any time because these programs "no longer meet the needs of our business model".
It hits home for us here in Southeast Texas. Two contractors were killed at ExxonMobil in Beaumont on April 16, 2013. ExxonMobil was fined for safety violations in that case. And TWO families lost loved ones. Right here in our area. Where was the redundant safety program that could have verified proper procedures had been followed? We aren't just fighting for our safety, to be able to go home to our families, we're fighting for the lives and safety of all the people who enter our refineries. Contractors. Industrial suppliers. Janitors. Uniform companies. Restaurant delivery drivers. The list goes on and on. WE WANT EVERYONE TO GO HOME SAFE. Our families need us. THEIR families need them.
Even if you did probably know about the two BP incidents (because of the national television coverage) did you know about these?
February 7, 2010: 2010 Connecticut power plant explosion. A large explosion occurred at a Kleen Energy Systems 620-megawatt, Siemens combined cycle gas- and oil- fired power plant in Middletown, Connecticut, United States. Preliminary reports attributed the cause of the explosion to a test of the plant's energy systems. The plant was still under construction and scheduled to start supplying energy in June 2010. The number of injuries was eventually established to be 27. Five people died in the explosion. On 5 August 2010, OSHA announced that it planned to fine seventeen companies involved in the construction of the plant a total of $16.6 million. OSHA said that it had found a total of 371 safety violations in the construction of the plant, 225 of which it considered deliberate.
Safety violations - again, and again. Maybe if they'd had safety programs in place with enforceable language, five people would be with their familes today. But let's not stop there.
November 24, 2010: The Pike River Mine disaster was a coal mining accident in the Pike River Mine, 29 miles northeast of Greymouth, New Zealand. A methane explosion occurred in the mine at approximately 3:44 pm. At the time of the explosion 31 miners and contractors were present in the mine. Two miners managed to walk from the mine; they were treated for moderate injuries and released from Greymouth Hospital the next day. The remaining 16 miners and 13 contractors bodies will never be recovered. In December 2012, Prime Minister John Key said he would apologize in person to the families of the deceased, for the Government's weak regulations and inadequate inspection regime.
An apology from a head of state would certainly ease my pain of losing a family member. I don't understand why this happened - after all, don't companies commit themselves to safety by themselves without laws, or enforceable contract stipulations? No, no they don't.
Let's do one more (one of HUNDREDS more). This one hits close to home as well, right here in Texas, and not too far from the small town of Mexia, Texas where I grew up.
April 17, 2013: Fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas. An explosion occurred at the West Fertilizer Company storage and distribution facility in West, Texas, 18 miles north of Waco, while emergency services personnel were responding to a fire at the facility. More than 150 buildings were damaged or destroyed. There were 15 fatalities, and 160 injured.
AND RIGHT HERE IS THE REASON WE ARE FIGHTING. Read below.
In addition to the obliterated plant, the damaged buildings included the public West Middle School. A neighboring 50-unit, two-story apartment building was destroyed. Over 50 homes were substantially damaged. The blast damaged a nearby nursing home, where some residents were injured by flying glass.
Understand that - your children. Your grandparents. And others who had no connection whatsoever to the West Fertilizer Plant were put at risk because of safety violations in that facility.
WHAT HAPPENS INSIDE THE GATES OF OUR REFINERIES AND CHEMICAL PLANTS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO AFFECT THE COMMUNITY OUTSIDE OF OUR GATES.
We value our own lives, of course. We want to be with our families. SAFETY is the first, last, and BEST resort to ensure that this happens not only for us, and all the other workers inside our refineries, but for each and every one of you in the Golden Triangle or elsewhere, wherever you are who reads this. YOUR homes, YOUR schools, and even the lives of YOUR children can also be affected by what we do - or DO NOT DO - to ensure the safe operation of the refineries in our communities.
And in this current impasse, it's worth noting that at this moment, many refineries that have workers on strike have salaried employees locked in the plant, and have them prepared to work in some cases for up to 20 days in straight shifts - something that is considered unsafe for those of us in operations, maintenance, electrical and instrumentation, according to guidelines set forth by the American Petroleum Institute's "Recommended Practice" number 755. This language, and an enforceable policy on worker fatigue, was included in our last contract which just expired. The lack of a "No Retrogression" clause can eliminate that worker safety program, among others.
To be fair to the management of of these various local refineries, these decisions were likely made above THEIR heads, by their company's corporate leadership. But it kind of puts the "safety" argument, and who's REALLY pushing and promoting it, into perspective.
We don't want to give up the ability to maintain and improve the safety of our refineries. Now you know why, and why we are on strike.
God bless you all and thank you all so much for you support in this cause. And please, say a prayer for the safety of company personnel who are still in these refineries and chemical plants, locked in, who are captive to this process without a union to stand up in defense of THEIR safety concerns. The most skilled, best-trained individuals to run, maintain, and operate these refineries are now on the outside of the gates. No matter what "contingency plans" are in place you cannot replace our knowledge, experience, training, and ability to respond to unplanned events.
Have you ever wondered what a "Refinery Operator" does? THAT is what we do.
[Aaron V. Smith]
After School collaboration with David William Johanson , full project documentation + description here > albnz.com