Selloff or Market Correction? Either Way, Here's What to Do NextSee Overvalued Stocks

Oil companies, union reach deal on U.S. refinery workers pact

Published 02/25/2022, 03:41 PM
Updated 02/25/2022, 08:02 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A Marathon Petroleum banner outside a refinery in El Paso, Texas, U.S., October 1, 2018.  REUTERS/Julio-Cesar Chavez
MPC
-

By Erwin Seba

HOUSTON (Reuters) -Oil companies led by Marathon Petroleum (NYSE:MPC) and the United Steelworkers (USW) agreed to a new national contract on Friday for 30,000 U.S. workers in refineries, chemical plants, and pipelines, the company and the union said.

Once the deal is ratified, workers will receive a 12% pay increase over its four-year term, said three sources familiar with the matter.

"We’re pleased to have reached a mutually satisfactory four-year pattern labor agreement with the United Steelworkers," Marathon spokesman Jamal Kheiry said.

USW International President Thomas Conway said in a statement the membership played a key role.

"The industry came to the table with demands that would have undermined generations of collective bargaining progress," Conway said. "Thanks to the solidarity of the membership and the hard work of our (national oil bargaining policy) committee, we have achieved a fair agreement."

Both sides did not disclose terms of the agreement.

Negotiations between Marathon and the Steelworkers had been stalled until early this week when meetings resumed, the sources said.

Talks stopped on Jan. 31 when USW negotiators rejected a 9% increase over three years and extended the current contract. basis. The current contract will remain in effect until the new contract is ratified.

USW local unions will now combine the national agreement with agreements on site-specific issues at each refinery, chemical plant and pipeline and put the combined contracts to ratification votes.

After talks stopped on Jan. 31, the USW carried out a series of protests outside refineries across the United States, which, the sources said, pushed other companies to pressure Marathon in restarting talks and increasing the pay offer as well as moving on other issues.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A Marathon Petroleum banner outside a refinery in El Paso, Texas, U.S., October 1, 2018.  REUTERS/Julio-Cesar Chavez

One issue long sought by the USW is agreement to appoint union health and safety representatives at each facility which is included in the new contract.

The pay increases are not evenly split between the four years, the sources said.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.