Hamilton said the industry, represented by Shell Oil Co., also hasn’t budged on health and safety provisions the union wants in its new three-year contract.
By Dan Wallach, [email protected] (409) 838-2876
Published 02:46 p.m., Monday, January 30, 2012
The national oil contract bargaining is heading toward a midnight Tuesday deadline, but the two sides seem far apart on pay and safety rules, a local union member said today.
Eric Hamilton, chairman of the workmen’s committee at the Motiva Enterprises Port Arthur refinery, said the industry side to date has offered a pay increase of between 1.5 percent and 2 percent a year.
“That’s ludicrous,” he said. “They make billions and billions a year.”
The national oil contract would cover about 30,000 union oil refinery workers who produce about two-thirds of the nation’s gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. In Southeast Texas, there are about 3,000 unionized workers at the four motor fuels refineries. Along the Gulf Coast, there are about 9,000 unionized workers covered by the contract.
Hamilton said the industry, represented by Shell Oil Co., also hasn’t budged on health and safety provisions the union wants in its new three-year contract.
The provisions would require refiners to install newer, safer equipment and to cut down on overtime that causes worker fatigue.
Hamilton said the industry has favored fatigue provisions that are part of American Petroleum Institute guidelines.
“At Motiva, we’ve been following a stronger standard that what API has,” Hamilton said.
Refinery union members – part of the United Steelworkers – in November had already authorized a strike in case there is no agreement reached.
On Saturday, the United Steelworkers said, “The United Steelworkers union warned that a strike by U.S. refinery workers as early as 12 a.m. Wednesday was becoming more likely due to the lack of a more substantive response from the industry.”
On Sunday, the union offered this terse update: “Contracts talks are ongoing this evening. The union and the company continue to meet to try and reach an agreement.”
Royal Dutch Shell conspired directly with Hitler, financed the Nazi Party, was anti-Semitic and sold out its own Dutch Jewish employees to the Nazis. Shell had a close relationship with the Nazis during and after the reign of Sir Henri Deterding, an ardent Nazi, and the founder and decades long leader of the Royal Dutch Shell Group. His burial ceremony, which had all the trappings of a state funeral, was held at his private estate in Mecklenburg, Germany. The spectacle (photographs below) included a funeral procession led by a horse drawn funeral hearse with senior Nazis officials and senior Royal Dutch Shell directors in attendance, Nazi salutes at the graveside, swastika banners on display and wreaths and personal tributes from Adolf Hitler and Reichsmarschall, Hermann Goring. Deterding was an honored associate and supporter of Hitler and a personal friend of Goring.
Deterding was the guest of Hitler during a four day summit meeting at Berchtesgaden. Sir Henri and Hitler both had ambitions on Russian oil fields. Only an honored personal guest would be rewarded with a private four day meeting at Hitler’s mountain top retreat.
IN JULY 2007, MR BILL CAMPBELL (ABOVE, A RETIRED GROUP AUDITOR OF SHELL INTERNATIONAL SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERY UK MP AND MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF LORDS: 
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A head-cut image of Alfred Donovan (now deceased) appears courtesy of The Wall Street Journal.
